SDET - Automation Engineer - Contract

Smartek21, LLC; Kirkland (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

SmarTek21 is seeking an experienced SDET - Automation Engineer to lead and optimize our automated and manual testing strategies across API and UI testing. This role requires 10+ years of hands-on SDET experience, strong programming skills, and deep knowledge of test automation frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, and QA methodologies.

You will improve automation suites, ensure fast, secure delivery, and scale test environments across devices and browsers.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in DevOps, SDET, or automation engineering.
• Hands-on with Selenium, Playwright, and REST API testing.
• Strong Java/JavaScript/JUnit skills.
• Experience with SQL queries and XML for data verification.

Responsibilities

• Analyze requirements and design robust test strategies.
• Write and execute automated and manual test cases for API and UI.
• Plan tests, estimate effort, and manage risk.
• Maintain and expand test automation frameworks.
• Perform cross‑browser and device testing.
• Collaborate with development to reproduce issues and verify fixes.

Skills

Selenium Automation

Playwright automation

REST API testing

Java

JavaScript

JUnit

SQL queries

XML

Agile

Bug life cycle

Tools

Git

Bitbucket

TFS

IntelliJ IDEA

VSCode

Visual Studio

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.