Software Development Engineer in Test

Plaud; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP ownership

High-impact environment

AI tool access (Cursor, GPT, Gemini, L

Claude and other frontier AI systems

Job summary

Plaud is seeking a Software Engineer in Test (SDET) to build and own our quality engineering from the ground up. You’ll establish an end-to-end automation platform for both consumer and enterprise products, embed quality into the SDLC, and drive a culture of ship-with-confidence.

You will also pioneer AI-assisted testing to scale coverage. In this role you’ll shape test strategies, measure quality with dashboards, and own release readiness across Plaud’s D2C and B2B offerings.

Qualifications

• 6+ yrs in software testing with a strong automation focus.
• Proficiency in Playwright for web e2e testing.
• test code in Python or Typescript
• API testing experience
• CI/CD integration
• Expeirence working in an agile product/engineering team
• Curiosity about or early experience with AI/LLM tools applied to testing
• Ramps up fast - curious, self-directred, product-obssessed

Responsibilities

• Build the Test Automation Platform.
• Build an end-to-end automation framework covering Plaud’s D2C consumer platform and B2B Teams product. Integrate tests into CI/CD for continuous feedback.
• Shift Testing Left: embed into the SDLC from day one — review requirements and flag testability gaps.
• Evangelize a Quality-First Engineering Culture: lead quality discussions and coach engineers on testable code.
• Define and Track Quality Metrics.
• Own the Release Quality Bar and lead release sign-off for major launches.
• Manual Testing (Short-Term): cover critical user flows manually during automation ramp-up.

Skills

Automation testing

Python/TypeScript

API testing

CI/CD

Agile team

AI/LLM testing

Quality advocacy

Test automation design

Tools

Playwright

Job description

About Plaud Inc.

Plaud is building the real-world AI interface for professionals to amplify intelligence, elevate productivity and performance, loved by over 2,000,000 users worldwide since 2023. With a mission to amplify human intelligence, Plaud captures, structures, and compounds the intelligence generated in conversations — so humans can think better, decide faster, and execute with clarity.

About Plaud Inc.

Plaud is building the next generation intelligence infrastructure and interfaces to capture, extract, and utilize intelligence from what people say, hear, see, and think.

Plaud Inc. is a Delaware-incorporated, San Francisco-based company pushing the boundary of human–AI intelligence through a hardware–software combination. With full ISO 27001, ISO 27701, SOC 2, GDPR, EN18031, and HIPAA compliances, Plaud is committed to the highest standards of data security and privacy protection.

To learn more about Plaud, please visit https://www.plaud.ai and follow along on Instagram, X, Facebook, Linkedin, and YouTube.

Why You Should Join Us

Plaud is building the next generation intelligence infrastructure and interfaces to capture, extract, and utilize intelligence from what people say, hear, see, and think.

• Plaud is a bootstrapped, skyrocketing, profitable company with a $250M revenue run rate achieved in just three years.
• Define the next-gen paradigm for human-AI interaction.
• Gain exposure to cutting-edge AI for Pro tools and play a direct role in our global expansion.
• Work with passionate teammates who value innovation, collaboration, and customer success.
• Grow your career in a culture that champions continuous learning and fast career development.
• Market-competitive compensation, global exposure, and a vibrant, creativity-fueled work atmosphere.

What You Will Do

About the Role

• We’re looking for a Software Engineer in Test (SDET) to build our quality engineering function from the ground up. You’ll own test automation across our consumer and enterprise platforms, embed quality into every stage of the development process, and help build a culture where engineers ship with confidence. This is an engineering role first. We expect you to build, not just test.
• Build the Test Automation Platform

Build an end-to-end automation framework covering Plaud’s D2C consumer platform (plaud.ai, web.plaud.com) and B2B Teams product. Integrate tests into CI/CD for continuous feedback. You’ll also pioneer the use of AI-agentic tools — LLM-driven test generation, agent-based exploratory testing — to scale coverage in ways traditional approaches can’t.

• Shift Testing Left: embed into the SDLC from day one — review requirements, define acceptance criteria, and flag testability gaps before code is written. Partner with PMs and engineers so quality is a design input, not an afterthought.
• Evangelize a Quality-First Engineering Culture: Be the voice of quality in planning, sprint reviews, and design discussions. Coach engineers on writing testable code and owning quality in their own work. Make quality visible across the team.
• Define and Track Quality Metrics

Own key KPIs: test coverage, defect escape rate, regression pass rate. Report quality health to engineering leadership and build dashboards that give the team real-time release readiness visibility.

• Own the Release Quality Bar

Be the go/no-go voice on release readiness. Lead release sign-off for major launches across consumer and enterprise products.

• Manual Testing (Short-Term): For the first 3–6 months while the automation framework is being built, cover critical user flows manually and write clear, reproducible bug reports.

Required

Skills, qualifications and experience we look for

• 6+ yrs in software testing with a strong automation focus
• Proficiency in Playwright for web e2e testing
• test code in Python or Typescript
• API testing experience
• CI/CD integration
• Expeirence working in an agile product/engineering team
• Curiosity about or early experience with AI/LLM tools applied to testing
• Ramps up fast - curious, self-directred, product-obssessed

Preferred

Subscription billing, D2C platform, or enterprise SaaS experience

What We Offer

• Meaningful Ownership An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) that gives a real stake in Plaud’s long-term success.
• High-Impact Environment Work in a fast-moving, product-driven environment where your ideas directly shape the future of AI productivity.
• Cutting-Edge AI Tools for Productivity Access to best-in-class AI tools, including Cursor, GPT models, Gemini, Claude, and other frontier AI systems to maximize engineering and execution efficiency.
• Best-in-Class Equipment Choice of top-spec laptops, high-performance workstation setups, and cutting-edge Plaud devices for all new hires.
• Team & Culture Annual company offsites, team events, and a culture that values craftsmanship, ownership, and velocity.