Quality Software Developer

Software Guidance & Assistance, Inc., (SGA), is searching for a Software Quality Developer for a contract assignment with one of our premier SaaS clients in San Jose, CA .

We are seeking a strong Software Engineer in Quality who can design and implement automated tests for complex backend systems. You will primarily focus on building API and end-to-end (E2E) automated tests in Java, collaborating closely with engineering to ensure our platform releases with the highest level of quality. This role is ideal for someone who approaches QA as an engineering discipline and wants to influence quality strategy through automation.

Responsibilities:

• Automation Development
  • Build and maintain API-level automated tests for REST-based and distributed services.
  • Develop end-to-end (E2E) automated workflows spanning multiple microservices.
  • Write maintainable, production-quality test automation in Java.
  • Contribute to the expansion and evolution of our automation framework (built around Cucumber).
  • Create supporting libraries, test utilities, and test data management tools.
• Quality Ownership
  • Partner with backend engineers to define test plans, acceptance criteria, and testing strategy.
  • Participate in design/code reviews with a focus on testability and quality risk.
  • Conduct root cause analysis for failures, uncovering issues in distributed systems.
  • Ensure strong test coverage for new features at API and E2E layers.
• Manual & Exploratory Testing
  • Perform exploratory and functional testing where automation is not yet available.
  • File detailed, actionable bug reports and collaborate with developers to resolve them.

Required Skills:

• Strong proficiency in Java (required).
• Proven experience writing API test automation (REST, JSON, authentication, error validation).
• Experience developing end-to-end automated tests in distributed/microservices environments.
• Strong understanding of testing methodologies: integration, regression, contract testing, negative testing.
• Experience with HTTP libraries, REST-assured, or similar API testing tooling.
• Experience using Git and CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills.
• Education: Degree in Computer Science / Experience in Software Quality

Preferred Skills:

• Hands-on experience with Cucumber, BDD frameworks, or Gherkin-based test development.
• Experience with large-scale distributed systems (Kafka, Redis, Spark, NoSQL, etc.).
• Familiarity with test frameworks or tools such as Selenium, Playwright, or Cypress.
• Experience with performance testing tools (JMeter, K6, Locust).
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, or cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform).
• Experience with observability/monitoring tools (Splunk, Grafana, Datadog, etc.).

SGA is a technology and resource solutions provider driven to stand out. We are a women-owned business. Our mission: to solve big IT problems with a more personal, boutique approach. Each year, we match consultants like you to more than 1,000 engagements. When we say let's work better together, we mean it. You'll join a diverse team built on these core values: customer service, employee development, and quality and integrity in everything we do. Be yourself, love what you do and find your passion at work. Please find us at .

SGA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of Race, Color, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Religion, National Origin, Disability, Veteran Status, Age, Marital Status, Pregnancy, Genetic Information, or Other Legally Protected Status. We are committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, and our services, programs, and activities. Please visit our company to request an accommodation or assistance regarding our policy.