Software Development Engineer in Test, ML

Sony Playstation; San Mateo (CA); On-site; USD 140,500 - 210,700; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k) matching

Employee discounts

Job summary

Sony Playstation in San Mateo is looking for a Software Development Engineer in Test, ML, to enhance quality efforts for machine-learning products. You will collaborate with ML engineers and product managers to implement test automation strategies for scalable systems. Key qualifications include a Bachelor's degree, 3+ years of experience as an SDET, and proficiency in Python and Java. The estimated salary for this role is between $140,500 and $210,700, with eligibility for comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience as an SDET, with strong testing expertise.
• Hands-on experience with API testing tools for distributed systems.
• Familiar with CI/CD pipelines and test execution.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain automated test frameworks for ML platforms.
• Validate score distributions and model behavior for ML models.
• Conduct functional, integration, and load testing.

Skills

Proficiency in Python

Proficiency in Java

Strong problem-solving skills

Experience with API testing tools

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Jenkins

AWS

Docker

Job description

Software Development Engineer in Test, ML

PlayStation is seeking a Software Development Engineer in Test, ML to join our San Mateo team and lead quality efforts for machine‑learning powered products and services. You will partner closely with ML engineers, software engineers, product managers, and data partners to build scalable test automation and validation approaches for systems serving PlayStation at global scale. This role is focused on building confidence in model reliability, production readiness, and behavioral consistency. Unlike traditional software backend testing, success here requires validating probabilistic systems through score distributions, cohort‑level behavior, thresholds, and statistical signals, not just deterministic pass/fail assertions.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks and test scripts for ML inference services and related ML platform components using Python/Java
• Build and automate realistic, representative test account creations and datasets to evaluate model behavior across different scenarios
• Validate score distributions, ranking behavior, output quality, and other model signals for incoming ML models prior to release
• Perform functional, integration, regression, and API testing with RESTful APIs, microservices, and databases, and conduct non‑functional performance and load testing to verify inference service scalability, latency requirements, and reliability under production‑like conditions
• Work closely with ML engineers and ops teams to ensure that all features and bug fixes come with automated test coverage, supporting continuous integration and deployment
• Debug and analyze test failures, model anomalies, and report defects
• Drive high standards of quality for both engineering decisions and customer‑facing features with an optimal test and automation strategy
• Develop and implement best practices for test automation that is highly scalable and maintainable
• Monitor test execution and optimize performance in test environments
• Come up with innovative solutions to organizational problems

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• 3+ years of experience as an SDET, with strong experience testing backend systems
• Proficiency in Python/Java/Scala/go for test automation
• Hands‑on experience with API testing tools (e.g., Postman or similar) for distributed systems
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and test execution in Jenkins, GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, or similar environments
• Experience building and maintaining automated test frameworks (e.g., pytest, JUnit, TestNG)
• Experience working with databases for backend validation
• Experience with cloud and container technologies (AWS, GCP, Kubernetes, Docker)
• Familiarity with monitoring and observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, Databricks, etc.) for validating service health
• Strong understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC) and agile methodologies
• Excellent problem‑solving and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience testing machine‑learning systems, such as recommendation systems, search ranking systems, or other probabilistic ML application systems
• Experience creating synthetic or seeded test data to simulate realistic customer/account behaviors
• Experience evaluating model outputs using statistical techniques, distribution analysis, or scenario‑based validation, rather than deterministic assertions
• Knowledge of data pipelines, feature stores, inference systems, or model‑serving infrastructure (Seldon, KServe, Ray Serve, etc.) is a plus
• Experience testing online services with high RPS and low latency requirements
• Experience with performance and load testing tools (Locust, k6, Gatling, JMeter)
• Experience with Databricks or similar ML platform tooling

Benefits

The estimated base pay range for this role is $140,500 — $210,700 USD. This role is eligible for SIE’s top‑tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program, and employee discounts for Sony products. It may also be eligible for a bonus package. Compensation is determined based on job‑related factors including knowledge, skill, experience, and location.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category. We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees, and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond. Sony Interactive Entertainment is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.