Lead Software Engineer in Test

Golden Pet Brands is committed to creating a world where pets live longer, healthier lives. They are seeking a Lead Software Engineer in Test who will own the test automation strategy, design scalable frameworks, and mentor teams to ensure quality is built into the delivery process.

Responsibilities:

• Own the end-to-end test automation strategy across unit, integration, acceptance, and non-functional testing layers
• Design and maintain scalable automation frameworks for APIs, web, and mobile platforms
• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines for rapid feedback
• Leverage AI-powered tools to accelerate test creation, expand coverage, and reduce test maintenance burden
• Champion a culture where quality is a shared responsibility across engineering
• Lead exploratory and usability testing practices throughout the delivery process
• Advocate for testable, loosely coupled architecture in design reviews and technical planning
• Analyze application logs, monitoring data, and production incident patterns to inform and expand test coverage strategy
• Reduce change failure rate and shorten lead time by improving test coverage and feedback speed
• Identify and eliminate testing bottlenecks that slow the delivery pipeline
• Report quality trends and risk to engineering leadership; serve as escalation point for QA matters
• Provide technical leadership through code reviews, framework design guidance, and best-practice documentation
• Foster a learning culture: run knowledge-sharing sessions, stay current on testing tools, and drive adoption of AI-assisted test generation to multiply the team’s output

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• 5+ years in QA/test engineering, with 3+ years in a lead or senior IC automation role
• Hands-on experience designing and building automation frameworks (not just writing scripts)
• Strong proficiency in at least one programming language (Typescript, Javascript, Python, Java, C#)
• Expertise with modern test frameworks (e.g., Playwright, Jest, Selenium, Cypress, Appium, RestAssured)
• Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI)
• Demonstrated experience using AI-powered tools (e.g., LLM-based code assistants, AI test generators) to create, maintain, or expand automated test suites
• Experience using observability tools (logs, monitoring, APM) to identify production issues and inform test strategy
• Strong understanding of TDD and BDD practices
• Proven ability to mentor engineers and influence testing culture across an organization
• Technical depth with strategic thinking — Can architect frameworks and also zoom out to align testing strategy with business delivery goals
• Quality ownership mindset — Views quality as a system-level outcome; advocates for building quality in rather than inspecting it out
• Coaching & influence — Elevates the testing capability of QA engineers through pairing, mentoring, and clear documentation
• Cross-functional collaboration — Works effectively across Development, DevOps, Product, and Security to embed quality throughout delivery
• Data-driven decision making — Uses metrics (coverage, defect trends, pipeline health) to prioritize improvements and communicate quality posture
• Continuous improvement orientation — Relentlessly improves processes, tools, and test suites; never satisfied with the status quo
• Communication — Translates technical quality concepts into business-relevant language for stakeholders at all levels
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• 7+ years in QA/test engineering, with 3+ years in a lead or senior IC automation role
• Load testing experience
• Microservices and distributed systems testing
• Security testing integration (shift-left security)
• Experience in regulated environments or with compliance requirements