SDET - Automation Engineer

Smartek21, LLC; Kirkland (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Smartek21, LLC is seeking an experienced SDET - Automation Engineer to lead our testing strategies. The ideal candidate should have 10+ years in software development engineering in test, with strong programming skills and a deep understanding of automated testing frameworks.

This role focuses on optimizing automated and manual testing, improving automation suites for API and UI, and collaborating with engineering teams to ensure high-quality software delivery.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional experience in DevOps or SDET.
• Extensive experience with Selenium Automation and Playwright.
• Strong expertise in Java and JavaScript.
• Familiarity with SQL and web services.
• Deep understanding of software testing concepts.
• Proficient with quality management tools like TestRail.
• Experience with code version control tools (Git).
• Exceptional analytical and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Analyze requirements and prepare query lists.
• Write and execute automated and manual test cases.
• Provide inputs on test planning and strategy.
• Build and maintain test automation tasks.
• Conduct exploratory and compatibility testing.
• Collaborate with development teams during SDLC.
• Report statuses and assess critical bug data.

Skills

Selenium Automation

Playwright automation

Java

JavaScript

JUnit framework

SQL

Agile methodologies

Quality Management Tools

Git

Critical Thinking

Job description

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and highly skilled SDET - Automation Engineer to lead, optimize, and execute our automated and manual testing strategies. This role requires 10+ years of hands‑on experience in software development engineering in test (SDET), strong programming and scripting expertise, and a deep understanding of test automation frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, and modern quality assurance methodologies.

You will be instrumental in improving our automation suites—specifically focusing on API and UI testing—securing system quality, and scaling our test environments across various devices and platforms. You will work closely with engineering, development, and project management teams to ensure the fast, secure, and reliable delivery of our applications and services.

Key Responsibilities

• Requirement Analysis: Analyze complex software requirements and prepare detailed query lists. Ask meaningful, targeted questions when requirements are incomplete to yield necessary data and ensure effective testing.
• Test Design & Execution: Write and execute robust automated and manual test cases to uncover critical system bugs, user interface (UI) anomalies, and usability issues.
• Test Planning & Strategy: Provide expert inputs on high‑level test scenarios, project challenges, technical risks, resource allocation, and precise test estimations during collaborative planning meetings.
• Automation Framework Management: Build, maintain, and expand test automation tasks, utilizing modern tools to ensure comprehensive regression and feature coverage.
• Compatibility Testing: Conduct thorough exploratory testing and verify absolute functional consistency across various hardware devices and web browsers.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with development teams throughout the SDLC—from reproducing reported issues and emphasizing fixes for critical bugs to understanding the underlying code changes.
• Status Reporting: Prioritize and estimate task execution efficiently, ensuring daily status reports articulate critical bug data and risk assessments clearly to clients and stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional experience in DevOps, Software Development Engineering in Test (SDET), or Automation Engineering.
• Core Automation Skills: Extensive, hands‑on experience with Selenium Automation, Playwright automation (specifically for UI developed using React/Storybook), and Rest API testing frameworks.
• Programming Proficiency: Strong development skills with deep expertise in Java, JavaScript, and the JUnit framework.
• Data & Web Services: Solid fundamental programming skills, including writing XML, utilizing web services, and executing SQL queries to extract data for test verification.
• Testing Methodologies: Deep understanding of software testing concepts, Agile environments, the complete bug life cycle, and various testing levels, methods, and estimation techniques.
• Quality & Defect Management Tools: Proficient with quality management platforms (e.g., TestRail, HP‑ALM/QC, TFS, SpiraTest, or TestDirector) to plan, execute, and interlink tests with release requirements.
• Infrastructure & Version Control: Experience using SCM tools for code maintenance (Git, Bitbucket, or TFS) and modern IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, VSCode, or Visual Studio).
• Environment Tools: Competency utilizing desktop/mobile operating systems, web proxies for cross‑browser testing, simulators, emulators, and SQL clients.
• Soft Skills: Exceptional critical thinking, analytical prioritization skills, and clear communication capabilities across technical and non‑technical teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Security Testing: Foundational knowledge of security testing principles and exposure to vulnerability assessment methodologies.
• Contract Testing: Hands‑on experience or familiarity with contract testing tools such as Pact or Spring Boot.
• Environment Exposure: Experience operating within fast‑paced or startup environments, executing testing workflows within public cloud infrastructures (Azure, AWS, or GCP).

SmarTek21 is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.