SDET Engineer with Python Scripting || Only Locals of Texas can Apply || Only EAD's

JOB TITLE: SDET Engineer

LOCATION: On-site in Austin, TX only Locals

DURATION: 6-month contract RATE RANGE: $60/hour on C2C

NOTES: Screen candidates on the below notes. The main question that needs to be asked is whether the person has/can write object-oriented Python code and perform API testing. I would avoid those who are doing Python scripts or whose experience is primarily UI testing or using Selenium.

• Need Very Strong Candidates

• Final Round Will Be Onsite

• Please share genuine hands-on candidates with a good company background.

• Only two-page resumes

• Anything over 8 10 years of experience no more than 12 YOE

SDET:

• Software developer primarily creating infrastructure-focused solutions

• They need to be able to identify problems that need automation

• Develop infrastructure that is not there

• Need someone to guide the AI to come up with better infrastructure

• Language does not matter as long as they have strong development experience

• Strong automation

• Created frameworks in the past

• Feedback on the one candidate she is interested in: Anastasia

  • Because she worked on AI in a lot of projects

  • Created integrations with Jenkins in CI/CD for designing tests

  • It wasn t about her experience with Python, Selenium, or Playwright

• NEED to know SQL VERY IMPORTANT

• Not exactly like a forward-deployed engineer, but they do overlap

• 80 90% Developer automate each and every manual task

• Software developer but need a QA mindset curious software developer

• Python or Playwright is a plus

• She would rather see a software developer than a QA

POSITION SUMMARY:

As a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET), you focus on our backend software. This role involves a mix of software development and quality assurance (QA) skills to ensure the reliability and performance of our software products. You are therefore responsible for writing, designing, and implementing automated and manual tests across various software layers, including unit, integration, and system levels. It is an exciting and demanding position that requires you to multitask, prioritize, and work in an extremely fast-moving, collaborative environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design, develop, and execute test plans and test cases to evaluate software performance, functionality, and usability

• Explore and analyze existing and new features, processes, and user flows to design comprehensive and effective test scenarios

• Analytical and problem-solving skills to diagnose issues and develop testing solutions

• Demonstrate curiosity in uncovering edge cases, rare situations, and hidden dependencies to improve overall software resilience

• Collaboration and teamwork skills to work in agile, cross-functional teams

• Positive attitude towards continuous improvement and learning, as well as mentoring others in test automation best practices

• Strong time management and organizational skills to handle fast-paced environments and to meet deadlines

QUALIFICATIONS:

• 5 8+ years' experience in software testing, test automation, or development is required

• 2+ years of experience with Python

• Strong experience with the latest backend web stack technologies such as .NET Core, C#, Python, or Java

• Experience with frontend web frameworks like React and Angular

• Experience with test automation tools and frameworks such as Selenium, Playwright, TestNG, Appium, or similar

• Knowledge of databases and SQL for querying and verifying data integrity during testing

• Ability to integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines effectively

• Proficiency with version control systems like Git

• Understanding of RESTful web services and API testing

• Fluent English communication skills (both written and verbal) are required, along with flexibility in working hours to collaborate with teams across different time zones

IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE

Technical Requirements

• 60 70% Python development

  • Building internal automation tools and frameworks

  • Python scripting is the primary skill

• 30 40% testing/release support

  • Manual testing responsibilities fluctuate depending on release schedules

• Playwright preferred

  • Team migrated from Selenium last year

  • Selenium experience is acceptable if candidate can transition

• Basic SQL knowledge required

  • Advanced SQL not necessary

• Comfortable using AI tools to improve productivity and automation development

WHAT THE MANAGER WANTS

The manager is specifically looking for engineers who:

• Build automation frameworks and internal tooling

• Write production-quality Python code

• Support QA through automation rather than performing primarily manual testing

They are not looking for:

• Traditional manual QA Engineers

• Candidates whose experience is mostly manual testing

• Candidates with fewer than approximately 3 years of experience

INTERVIEW PROCESS

Round 1 Phone Screen (40 45 minutes)

• Resume review

• Technical discussion

• 20-minute coding exercise

  • Easy to medium difficulty

  • Junior Software Engineer-level coding

  • More coding-focused than traditional QA interviews

Round 2 Onsite

Round 3 Onsite

Each interview includes coding exercises focused on Python/problem solving.

CANDIDATE FEEDBACK

• 18 years of experience

• Concern:

  • May be overqualified

  • Potential retention risk

• Manager is still willing to interview.

• Approximately 2 years of experience

• Less experienced than preferred

• Manager is interested because of his software development background and will interview.

Rejected because they were:

• Too junior (<3 years)

• Primarily manual QA

• Lacked strong development experience

RECRUITING STRATEGY

SDET candidates:

• Software Engineers with testing backgrounds

• Strong Python + Playwright experience