QA Automation Engineer

xage, inc; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision coverage

Visa transfer and immigration support

Opportunity to work closely with leadership

Competitive salary and equity

High-growth environment

Job summary

A cybersecurity company based in Palo Alto is seeking two automation engineers to enhance its QA Engineering team. The role involves designing scalable automation frameworks and conducting tests on security products. Candidates should have 1-4 years of QA automation experience and strong Python skills. The company offers a competitive salary between $100,000 and $120,000, health benefits, and a chance to work closely with founders in a high-growth environment.

Qualifications

• 1–4 years of hands‑on QA automation experience or a strong project portfolio.
• Strong Python skills with an emphasis on clean, maintainable code.
• Experience with API‑driven or distributed backend systems.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable automation frameworks using Python/pytest.
• Write test plans and test strategies for new features.
• Reproduce and root‑cause complex bugs in security products.

Skills

QA automation experience

Python skills

Experience with pytest

Understanding of networking fundamentals

Experience with CI/CD tools

Analytical problem-solving

Tools

Selenium

Linux environments

Job description

Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, government, and private enterprises are at an all time high – and only growing more urgent with AI. Xage is a global leader in zero trust access and protection at the forefront of solving this pressing issue. We are pioneering a secure tomorrow by empowering organizations worldwide to connect anyone to anything, while delivering unparalleled defense against every cyber threat.

We have built tremendous momentum across governments and commercial enterprises around the world, and it’s just the beginning. Recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Startup Employers, Xage prioritizes creativity, collaboration, and innovation in pursuit of our mission. We are headquartered in Palo Alto, CA and have global teams across North America, EMEA, and APJ.

We’re passionate about solving problems that have positive, real-world consequences for the lives of everyday people. We hope you’ll join us in the fight against cyberattacks and safeguarding critical systems.

About the Role

We are building the next generation of Xage’s QA Engineering function and are looking for two sharp, hungry automation engineers to grow into technical pillars of the team. These are not passive execution roles — we need people who are intellectually curious, pick up new domains fast, and take ownership of their work early.

You will work directly with the QA Engineering Manager, get hands‑on with a real security product from day one, and have a clear runway to grow into senior ownership. If you are early in your career but already think more like an engineer than a tester — this is the role for you.

Key Responsibilities

Test Automation

• Design, build, and maintain scalable automation frameworks using Python/pytest
• Own end-to-end and integration test suites covering core product features
• Architect Page Object Models and data-driven test strategies
• Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions)
• Drive reduction of hardcoded sleeps, flakiness, and test duplication across the test suite

Test Planning & Test Execution

• Participate in sprint planning and release planning to define test scope and entry/exit criteria
• Write test plans and test strategies for new features — covering functional, regression, edge case, and negative scenarios
• Break down requirements and user stories into structured, traceable test cases
• Execute manual and automated test cycles across functional, integration, and regression suites
• Maintain and triage test results — log defects clearly, track them to resolution, and verify fixes
• Coordinate with developers and PMs to ensure test coverage aligns with release readiness criteriaContribute to sprint retrospectives with quality metrics and observations from the test cycle

Technical Investigation & Quality Engineering

• Reproduce and root‑cause complex bugs in distributed, networked security products
• Partner with developers to define testability requirements during design
• Analyse test failure trends and surface systemic quality risks to leadership
• Write clear, precise bug reports that accelerate resolution

Framework & Tooling

• Contribute to internal QA tooling — test orchestration, reporting dashboards, infrastructure automation
• Evaluate and introduce new tools or libraries where they solve real problems
• Participate in architecture reviews for test frameworks

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Work closely with dev, PM, and DevOps teams in an Agile environment
• Support release readiness reviews and regression planning
• Learn from and collaborate with senior engineers and the QA Manager — grow fast in a high‑trust environment

Skills & Experience

• 1–4 years of hands‑on QA automation experience (or strong internship/project portfolio)
• Strong Python skills — you write clean, maintainable code, not just scripts
• Experience with pytest, Selenium, or comparable automation frameworks
• Solid understanding of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, auth protocols)
• Experience testing API‑driven or distributed backend systems
• Proficiency with Linux environments — comfortable in a terminal
• Experience with CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI, or equivalent)
• Sharp analytical mind — you trace problems to root cause, not just symptoms
• Strong written communication — PRs, bug reports, and design docs are clear and precise

Preferred Experience:

• Experience testing security products — IAM, PAM, Zero Trust, OT/ICS environments
• Familiarity with Kerberos, NTLM, WinRM, Active Directory, or LDAP
• Experience with ESXi / VM‑based lab environments
• Basic scripting in Bash or PowerShell
• Exposure to LLM‑assisted tooling, AI agents, or prompt engineering

This role has a base salary range of $100,000–$120,000.

• Competitive salary and equity
• Health, dental, and vision coverage
• Visa transfer and immigration support
• Opportunity to work closely with founders and executive leadership
• High‑growth environment with significant market opportunity