Software Development Engineer in Test

Kelly Services; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Kelly Services in Chicago is seeking a Senior Software Development Engineer in Test to design and implement scalable automation for web, API, and backend systems. You will contribute to testing strategy, reliability engineering, and performance, across full-stack environments with CI/CD integration.

The role blends SDET and SRE responsibilities, enabling you to influence architecture, monitoring, and testing practices while delivering high-quality systems at scale.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in SDET, test automation, or similar engineering roles.
• Proficiency in Java, Python, or JavaScript.
• Experience with UI and API testing.
• Hands-on with automation frameworks such as JUnit, Jest, or PyTest.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and version control tools.
• Understanding of system architecture, databases, and distributed systems.
• Experience with Docker or containerized environments.

Skills

SDET experience

Java

Python

JavaScript

UI testing

API testing

JUnit/Jest/PyTest

CI/CD

Distributed systems

System architecture

Tools

Docker

Jenkins

Git

Job description

$100000 - $130000

A growing technology company in Chicago is seeking a full-time Senior Software Development Engineer in Test to support the development of advanced automation platforms. This organization builds scalable systems using modern technologies across web applications, backend services, and cloud-based infrastructure. The role focuses on test automation, reliability engineering, and system performance within a collaborative engineering environment.

This opportunity stands out for its blend of SDET and SRE responsibilities, giving engineers the ability to shape testing strategy while improving system reliability at scale. The team is looking for someone who enjoys working across the full stack and influencing architecture, monitoring, and CI/CD processes. It offers strong growth potential, exposure to modern tools, and the ability to work on complex systems with real-world impact.

Required Skills & Experience

• 5+ years in SDET, test automation, or similar engineering roles
• Strong programming experience in Java, Python, or JavaScript
• Experience with UI and API testing
• Hands-on work with automation frameworks such as JUnit, Jest, or PyTest
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and version control tools
• Understanding of system architecture, databases, and distributed systems
• Experience with Docker or containerized environments

Desired Skills & Experience

• Exposure to Site Reliability Engineering concepts
• Experience with monitoring tools such as Prometheus or Grafana
• Knowledge of networking fundamentals (DNS, IP, OSI model)
• Familiarity with performance testing or chaos engineering