Software Development Engineer in Test II

HackerRank • Full-time • Hybrid in Santa Clara, California, United States • 1d ago

Fast Facts

The role of Software Development Engineer in Test II focuses on leading the automation-first quality strategy across various systems, requiring hands-on experience in test automation, frameworks, and CI/CD integration.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include designing and maintaining automation frameworks, developing test suites for web and API validation, enforcing quality gates, and mentoring teams on automation best practices.

Skills: The position requires strong experience with Playwright, SerenityJS, JavaScript/TypeScript, REST API testing with Postman, CI/CD tools like Jenkins, and a solid knowledge of Git and Docker.

Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include experience with Cucumber BDD, accessibility testing, cloud-native platforms, and the ability to mentor others on quality standards.

Location: This is a hybrid role based in Santa Clara, CA.

Compensation: Not provided by employer. Typical compensation ranges for this position are between $100,000 - $130,000.

About the role

As a SDET, you will play a critical role in shaping and executing our automation-first quality strategy across web, API, and AI-driven systems.

You’ll work closely with Engineering and Product teams to ensure that quality is designed into every feature, enforced through strong automation, and protected by strict release gates. This is a hands-on, technically deep role with real ownership and impact.

What you’ll do

Lead and standardize test automation practices across teams and services
Design, build, and maintain scalable automation frameworks using Playwright and SerenityJS
Develop automated test suites in JavaScript/TypeScript for web, API, and workflow validation
Design and maintain REST API automation using Postman or equivalent tools
Integrate automation deeply into CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins and/or GitHub Actions
Enforce mandatory quality gates, blocking releases on automation or sanity failures
Monitor automation executions, analyze failures, and drive root-cause resolution
Conduct automation code reviews to ensure consistency, reusability, and maintainability
Collaborate during design and story elaboration to define acceptance criteria and risk coverage
Mentor QA and engineering teams on automation frameworks, tooling, and best practices
Contribute to automation metrics, reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives

Who you are

3+ years of experience in QA Automation / SDET roles
Strong hands-on experience with Playwright and SerenityJS (JavaScript/TypeScript)
Proficient in JavaScript/TypeScript for building reliable, maintainable automation
Solid experience in REST API testing using Postman or similar tools
Hands-on experience with CI/CD automation using Jenkins and/or GitHub Actions
Having experience working with the Cucumber BDD framework.
Strong working knowledge of Git (GitHub) and modern version control workflows
Experience working with Docker and Kubernetes-based environments
Exposure to Accessibility (A11y) testing, with an understanding of WCAG principles
Experience with Desktop Automation testing
Strong understanding of regression, integration, system, and end-to-end testing
Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to debug complex automation failures
Strong communication skills and the ability to influence quality across teams

Even better if you have

Use AI agents or tools to perform day-to-day activities or to test AI-powered features.
Familiarity with visual regression testing, cross-browser testing, and performance validation
Experience designing or contributing to automation metrics and quality dashboards
Exposure to cloud-native, large-scale SaaS platforms
Experience mentoring teams and driving the adoption of quality standards across multiple squads

You will thrive in this role if

Believe quality is a shared responsibility across Engineering, QA, and Product
Prefer preventing defects through strong automation and release gates
Enjoy building systems that scale, rather than relying on manual effort
Comfortable enforcing 100% pass-rate mandates for critical workflows
Like working on complex systems involving CI/CD, containers, and AI-driven logic
Care deeply about reliability, trust, accessibility, and real-world user experience