SDET Java Ex

ROLE PURPOSE

The Senior Software Test Engineer leads the quality engineering strategy across complex, multi-platform systems encompassing middleware (REST API/) and Web UI. This role owns the test automation architecture, drives quality processes, and provides technical leadership to the QA team. The Senior engineer operates as a quality champion across the engineering organization - influencing delivery teams on testability, shifting quality left, and ensuring robust coverage across the full software stack.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Test Strategy & Architecture

• Define and own the overarching test strategy covering functional, integration, regression and performance, testing.
• Architect, build, and govern scalable test automation frameworks for API (RestAssured/Java) and Web UI (Selenium)
• Establish standards, patterns, and guidelines for test code quality, maintainability, and reusability.
• Drive the test automation roadmap, aligning it with product delivery goals and technology evolution.
• Design end-to-end testing strategies for functional workflows including automation.
• Define AI/GenAI testing strategies - including model validation, prompt engineering testing, bias detection, and quality metrics for LLM-based applications.

Technical Leadership & Delivery

• Lead the technical implementation of complex test scenarios across middleware and UI.
• Drive CI/CD integration, ensuring automated test execution is embedded throughout the delivery pipeline.
• Perform deep-dive root cause analysis on complex system failures and intermittent test issues.
• Champion test environment management strategies - infrastructure-as-code and containerization for consistent environments.
• Define and automate test data management strategies for multi-environment, data-sensitive systems.
• Lead AI-powered testing initiatives - leveraging GenAI tools for test case generation, and intelligent test optimization.

Quality Process & Governance

• Define QA entry/exit criteria, testing policies, and quality gates across the SDLC.
• Own quality metrics and dashboards - coverage, defect trends, automation ROI, and release readiness reporting.
• Drive shift-left quality initiatives - embedding test thinking in requirements, architecture, and design phases.
• Conduct risk-based test planning and communicate quality risk to stakeholders with clarity and evidence.
• Lead test reviews, retrospectives, and continuous improvement of QA processes.
• Establish governance frameworks for AI/ML testing - including model versioning, explainability testing, and compliance validation for AI-driven features.

People & Collaboration

• Mentor, coach, and develop Junior and Mid-level Test Engineers in both technical and professional skills.
• Act as a quality ambassador, fostering a quality culture within Agile delivery teams.
• Collaborate with architects and developers to ensure system designs are testable and observable.
• Represent the QA function in cross-team and stakeholder forums - providing quality assessments and release recommendations.
• Champion AI literacy within the QA team - upskilling engineers on AI testing methodologies, GenAI tools, and emerging AI quality practices.

REQUIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent (or demonstrable equivalent experience).
• 8+ years of software testing experience, with at least 3 years in a senior or technical lead capacity.
• Expert-level Java programming - design patterns (Factory, Strategy, Builder), multi-threading awareness, and clean code principles.
• Deep expertise in Rest Assured - advanced request chaining, dynamic extraction, schema validation, and data-driven strategies.
• Advanced Selenium WebDriver skills - grid management, parallel execution, custom reporting, and complex DOM interactions.
• Deep CI/CD expertise - pipeline design, parallelization of test stages, test result publication, and failure triage automation.
• Solid knowledge of distributed systems and microservices architecture, including experience with AWS.
• AI/GenAI Testing Expertise - Hands-on experience testing AI/ML models, GenAI applications, and LLM-based systems; understanding of model validation, bias detection, prompt engineering testing, and AI-specific quality metrics.
• AI/GenAI Testing Expertise - Hands-on experience on Co-Pilot and similar tools.

PREFERRED / NICE-TO-HAVE

• ISTQB Advanced Level Certification - Test Manager or Test Automation Engineer certification.
• API and Contract Testing - Experience with tools such as Pact, Postman, JMeter, and Gatling.
• Observability Practices - Familiarity with log analysis and distributed tracing (Dynatrace) in a testing context.
• Regulated Industry Experience - Preferably in Airlines/ Retail domains.
• Infrastructure-as-Code and Container Orchestration - Knowledge of Docker and Kubernetes for test environment management.
• AI/GenAI Testing and Automation - Experience with AI-powered testing tools, GenAI for test case generation, or machine learning models for defect prediction and test optimization.

COMPETENCIES

• Strategic quality thinking - the ability to define and drive quality vision aligned with business objectives.
• Technical mastery - recognized as a subject matter expert across test automation
• Leadership and influence - inspires quality culture without direct authority; influences developers and architects.
• Stakeholder management - can articulate quality risk and status in business terms to non-technical audiences.
• Problem ownership - takes end-to-end ownership of complex quality issues and drives resolution.
• Coaching and development - actively invests time in growing the skills of the QA team.
• AI and GenAI Proficiency - Demonstrates expertise in leveraging AI/GenAI tools for test automation, defect prediction, and quality optimization; stays current with emerging AI technologies and their application in quality engineering.