Principal Automation Testing Engineer - QA

SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES

As a Principal Software Test Automation Engineer, you would be responsible for leading and defining the automation strategy for software testing. Your role involves designing, developing, and maintaining automated test frameworks and tools to ensure the highest quality standards across complex products and systems. Collaborating with cross-functional teams, you would play a key part in establishing best practices, mentoring junior team members, and driving continuous improvement in testing methodologies. You would also be engaged in troubleshooting and resolving intricate technical issues and providing insights into test coverage and efficiency. The role emphasizes a deep understanding of the product's architecture, hands-on coding skills, and a strategic approach to implementing automated testing that aligns with business goals, ultimately contributing to the efficiency, reliability, and success of the PayNet services/product.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES

• Creating and implementing a comprehensive test automation strategy to align with Agile methodologies and continuous integration/continuous deployment [CI/CD] practices.

• Designing, developing, and maintaining automated test frameworks and scripts for functional, performance, and continuous test/regression testing.

• Spearheading Agile testing practices, including test-driven development [TDD] and behavior-driven development [BDD].

• Working closely with developers, devops engineers, security engineers, product managers, and other stakeholders to ensure a seamless integration of testing within the Agile development cycle.

• Providing guidance, mentoring, and training to junior and mid-level engineers in test automation best practices.

• Implementing and enforcing quality standards and metrics to ensure software reliability, performance, and compliance.

• Managing and maintaining test environments and tools, ensuring their readiness for continuous testing.

• Analyzing test results, identifying trends, and providing actionable insights to enhance product quality.

• Conducting code reviews and peer reviews to ensure adherence to coding and design standards.

• Identifying potential risks in automation processes and working proactively to mitigate them.

• Collaborating with the team to identify areas where automation can enhance test coverage and efficiency.

• Emphasizing continuous improvement in testing methodologies and automation practices, staying abreast of the latest industry trends, and incorporating best practices.

• Addressing complex technical challenges and providing solutions to automation-related problems.

• Engaging with customers or client teams as needed to understand requirements, showcase testing capabilities, or support user acceptance testing.

• Ensuring that the automation strategy aligns with the overarching business and project goals, contributing to the delivery of high-quality products.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Empathy and Customer Focus: Understand the importance of empathy and customer focus. Always put themselves in the shoes of the end-users, considering their needs, pain points, and expectations throughout the development process. Strive to deliver solutions that truly address customer requirements and enhance user satisfaction.

• Emphasize Collaboration: Prioritize collaboration with cross-functional teams, establishing clear communication and alignment with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders. This encourages a shared understanding of goals and responsibilities.

• Adopt a Continuous Learning Mindset: Continuously updating skills, staying abreast of industry trends, and implementing new testing tools and methodologies ensures that top performers remain at the forefront of their field.

• Invest in Automation: Automating repetitive tasks and focusing on developing reusable and maintainable automation scripts can save time and reduce errors, enhancing productivity.

• Focus on Quality: Leading engineers stress quality from the start, implementing robust testing methodologies and practices to catch defects early and reduce rework.

• Set Clear Goals and Metrics: Defining clear, measurable objectives, and tracking progress through relevant metrics helps in maintaining focus and understanding the impact of one's work.

• Encourage Innovation: Being open to new ideas and encouraging innovation can lead to more efficient problem-solving and creative solutions to complex challenges.

• Mentor and Coach: Sharing knowledge and providing guidance to team members not only improves the overall team's performance but also helps in personal growth and development.

• Prioritize Effectively: By identifying critical tasks, aligning them with business goals, and tackling them first, top performers ensure they make the most impact with their time and effort.

• Embrace Agile Principles: Fully embracing Agile methodologies, including flexibility and adaptability, helps in efficiently responding to changes and ensures alignment with the rapid development cycles of the project.

• Cultivate a Customer-Centric Mindset: Understanding the needs and expectations of the end-users, and incorporating them into the testing strategy, ensures that the final product aligns with user requirements and expectations.

• Invest Time in Code Reviews and Feedback: Regularly participating in code reviews and giving and receiving constructive feedback fosters a culture of continuous improvement and maintains high coding standards.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor's or master’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field

• Years of Experience: Minimum 7 to 10 years of hands-on experience in developing, maintaining, and executing automation test scripts and frameworks. 

Technical Qualifications

• Proficiency in programming languages such as Java, Python, C++, or Golang, essential for creating and maintaining automation scripts.

• Extensive experience working within Agile development environments, including familiarity with Scrum, Kanban, or other Agile frameworks.

• Knowledge of continuous integration and continuous deployment practices and tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, etc.

• Familiarity with popular test automation tools like Postman, Newman, Playwright, Selenium, JUnit, TestRail, or similar tools.

• In-depth understanding of various stages of SDLC and how testing aligns with them.

• Demonstrated ability to lead or mentor teams, set technical direction, and collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to diagnose complex issues and develop effective solutions.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to facilitate clear communication within the team and with other stakeholders.

• Certifications (Optional but Preferred): Certifications like ISTQB, Certified Agile Tester, or others related to software testing and Agile methodologies can be an advantage.

• Awareness of relevant industry standards, regulations, and best practices in testing.

• Experience working closely with customers or client teams, understanding their requirements, and ensuring that the product aligns with their expectations.

• A willingness to adapt to new technologies and methodologies and a commitment to continuous learning to stay current with industry trends.

• Proven ability to work effectively within cross-functional teams, fostering collaboration, and alignment.

• Knowledge of version control systems like Git or SVN.

• Familiarity with tools like JMeter, K6, LoadRunner, or similar for performance and stress testing.

• Experience with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP, especially concerning automated testing in the cloud.

• Understanding of containerization technologies like Docker, Kubernetes, etc.

• Proficiency in SQL and experience with relational and NoSQL databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc.

• Awareness of security best practices and tools for vulnerability scanning and security testing.

• Familiarity with API testing tools like Postman, SoapUI, etc.

• Experience in automating mobile application tests using tools like Appium, Espresso, etc.

• Understanding of DevOps principles, practices, and tools, and how they align with automated testing.

• Knowledge of industry standards and regulatory compliance related to software testing (e.g., ISO, IEEE).