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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for QA Software Engineer

💰 $85,000 - $130,000

Software EngineeringQuality AssuranceTechnologyIT

🎯 Role Definition

Are you passionate about building flawless software and ensuring an exceptional user experience? We are searching for a highly motivated and skilled QA Software Engineer to join our innovative engineering team. In this pivotal role, you will be the champion of quality, responsible for designing, developing, and executing comprehensive testing strategies. You will collaborate closely with developers, product managers, and DevOps engineers to embed quality throughout the entire software development lifecycle. This is an opportunity to make a significant impact, drive our automation efforts forward, and ensure the delivery of robust, scalable, and high-quality software solutions that our customers love.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Junior QA Analyst
  • Software Developer in Test (SDET)
  • Manual QA Tester with automation experience

Advancement To:

  • Senior QA Software Engineer
  • QA Lead / Test Manager
  • Test Architect

Lateral Moves:

  • DevOps Engineer
  • Product Owner
  • Software Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Design, develop, and maintain robust, scalable, and reusable automated test frameworks for web applications, mobile apps, and backend services.
  • Author and execute comprehensive test plans and test cases, covering functional, non-functional, integration, and end-to-end testing scenarios.
  • Collaborate closely with software developers and product managers within an Agile/Scrum environment to understand requirements and ensure features are delivered with high quality.
  • Integrate automated tests into the CI/CD pipeline (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps) to enable continuous testing and rapid feedback loops.
  • Perform thorough regression testing when bugs are resolved and new features are implemented to prevent unintended side effects.
  • Identify, record, document thoroughly, and track software defects using bug tracking systems like JIRA or Azure DevOps.
  • Develop and execute API-level tests using tools like Postman, REST Assured, or custom scripts to validate backend services and integrations.
  • Conduct performance, load, and stress testing using tools such as JMeter or Gatling to ensure system reliability, scalability, and performance under load.
  • Champion a "quality-first" culture by advocating for best practices in testing, code quality, and defect prevention across engineering teams.
  • Analyze test results, generate detailed test reports, and provide actionable insights to stakeholders to help improve the software development lifecycle.
  • Participate in code reviews for both application code and test automation code to ensure adherence to coding standards and best practices.
  • Set up and manage test environments, including test data generation and management, to support various testing activities.
  • Investigate and debug complex issues, working with development teams to pinpoint root causes and verify fixes.
  • Evaluate and implement new testing tools, technologies, and methodologies to enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the quality assurance process.
  • Perform manual exploratory testing to uncover usability issues and edge cases that may not be covered by automated tests.
  • Define and monitor key quality metrics (e.g., defect density, test coverage, test pass rate) to track and improve the quality of the product over time.
  • Develop testing strategies for new application features and functionalities, ensuring comprehensive coverage from the outset.
  • Mentor junior QA engineers and team members on testing best practices, automation techniques, and tool usage.
  • Ensure that all software releases meet stringent quality standards and are ready for production deployment.
  • Drive the shift-left testing approach by getting involved early in the design and development phases to identify potential issues sooner.
  • Create and manage a comprehensive test data strategy that supports a wide range of positive and negative testing scenarios.
  • Validate data transformations and migrations to ensure data integrity across different systems and environments.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc testing requests and exploratory testing sessions for urgent releases.
  • Contribute to the organization's overall quality strategy and technology roadmap.
  • Collaborate with product and development teams to refine acceptance criteria and user stories.
  • Participate actively in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospective ceremonies within the agile team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficiency in at least one object-oriented programming language such as Python, Java, C#, or JavaScript.
  • Extensive experience with modern test automation frameworks like Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, or Appium.
  • Strong knowledge of API testing tools and libraries (e.g., Postman, REST Assured, Swagger).
  • Hands-on experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps).
  • Solid understanding of SQL and experience with relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) for data validation.
  • Familiarity with performance and load testing tools such as JMeter, Gatling, or K6.
  • Knowledge of version control systems, particularly Git and branching strategies like GitFlow.
  • Experience working in a cloud environment (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
  • Understanding of containerization technologies like Docker and orchestration with Kubernetes.
  • Proficient in using bug tracking and project management tools like JIRA and Confluence.
  • Experience with different testing methodologies, including BDD (Behavior-Driven Development) and TDD (Test-Driven Development).

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities.
  • Strong attention to detail and a meticulous approach to work.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • A collaborative mindset and a strong team player.
  • High degree of ownership and a proactive, self-starter attitude.
  • Ability to manage time effectively and handle multiple priorities.
  • A continuous learning mindset to stay updated with the latest industry trends.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in a technical field.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Software Engineering
  • Information Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3-5+ years of professional experience in a Quality Assurance or Software Development in Test (SDET) role.

Preferred:

  • Proven experience building and maintaining a test automation framework from scratch.
  • Demonstrable experience working in a fast-paced, Agile software development environment.
  • Experience testing microservices architectures and distributed systems.
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