Sr. SDET Engineer with manufacturing client experience

Job Role : Senior SDET / Test Automation Engineer

Location : Chicago, IL Hybrid: 3 days onsite per week (Day 1)

Interview : In-person interview - Mandatory

Future Requirement: onsite (5 days/week) is expected in the future.

Estimated Start Date: July 27, 2026

Interview Process

Two interview rounds

Virtual/Phone interview

Panel and Hiring Manager interviews

Position Overview

Client is seeking an experienced IT Software Engineer 4 (Senior SDET) to join its engineering team in Chicago. This role focuses on designing, developing, and maintaining enterprise-scale automated testing frameworks while ensuring the quality, reliability, and performance of modern software applications.

The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in Java-based test automation, API testing, performance testing, CI/CD, and Agile development practices, along with the ability to mentor engineers and drive testing best practices across projects.

This position is a backfill supporting an existing high-performing engineering team.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and enhance enterprise test automation frameworks using Java.
• Develop automated functional, regression, integration, and API test suites.
• Create automation scripts using existing testing frameworks.
• Develop automation for Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD) pipelines.
• Design and maintain API automation frameworks.
• Perform REST API testing and end-to-end integration testing.
• Develop scenario-based performance testing using JMeter.
• Execute exploratory and manual testing when required.
• Develop test strategies, test plans, test cases, and test data.
• Collaborate closely with Product Owners, Developers, and QA teams.
• Troubleshoot software defects and improve overall product quality.
• Mentor junior test engineers and provide technical leadership.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.
• Review software quality standards and testing best practices.
• Support database validation using SQL.
• Document testing processes and automation solutions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of professional software testing or SDET experience.
• Extensive experience designing enterprise test automation frameworks.
• Strong understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration abilities.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced Agile environment.

Required Technical Skills

Programming & Automation

• Java (3 5+ years)
• Test Automation Framework Design (8+ years)
• Cucumber & Karate - MUST HAVE
• JBehave or other BDD frameworks

API Testing

• REST API Testing
• Web Services Testing
• Integration Testing
• End-to-End System Testing

Performance Testing

• JMeter (3+ years)

Database

• SQL
• Relational Databases

Testing

• Functional Testing
• Regression Testing
• Test Strategy
• Test Planning
• Test Case Development
• Test Data Creation

Preferred Skills

• Python
• AWS Cloud
• Jenkins
• Git
• CI/CD Pipelines
• DevOps practices
• Microservices Architecture
• TDD (Test-Driven Development)
• Code Reviews
• Agile / Scrum
• Lean Methodologies
• Apigee or other API Gateways
• Load Testing
• Performance Testing
• Strong technical documentation skills

Soft Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Strong collaboration skills
• Adaptability in complex technical environments
• Proactive mindset
• Creative problem-solving
• Leadership and mentoring abilities
• Strong organizational and time management skills

Team Environment

• Team size: 20+ engineers
• Cross-functional Agile team
• Close collaboration with Product Owners, Developers, and QA Engineers
• Hybrid work environment based in Chicago

Candidate Value Proposition

Joining Clients offers the opportunity to:

• Build enterprise-scale automation solutions
• Work on modern CI/CD and DevOps practices
• Contribute to mission-critical software platforms
• Collaborate with experienced engineering teams
• Grow technical leadership skills
• Develop expertise in enterprise testing frameworks and cloud technologies

Top Required Skills

• Java Test Automation
• Cucumber / BDD Frameworks
• Karate
• REST API Testing
• Test Automation Framework Design
• JMeter Performance Testing
• SQL
• End-to-End Integration Testing
• CI/CD
• Agile Methodologies
• Java-Based Automation Framework Development

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Python
• AWS
• Jenkins
• Git
• Microservices
• DevOps
• TDD
• Apigee
• Load Testing
• Performance Engineering

Important Candidate Requirements

Candidates must:

• Be local to the Chicago area before Day 1, or clearly state on the resume that they will relocate at their own expense.
• Be comfortable working 3 days onsite immediately, with the expectation of transitioning to 5 days onsite in the future.
• Demonstrate stable employment history (avoid frequent job changes).

Candidates will be disqualified if they:

• Require 100% remote work.
• Are unwilling to relocate before the start date.
• Have excessive job hopping without reasonable explanation.

Regards,

Adam Jones (Azam)

Direct:

Email: Adam (@) pullskill (dot) com