Senior Software Test Automation Engineer

Role: Senior Software Test Automation Engineer

Location: Kochi, Kerala (On-Site)

Role Overview

• Lead an automation-first quality engineering strategy for SaaS and AI-native platforms.
• Define and enforce automation coverage targets (80%+ regression), eliminating manual dependency.
• Drive end-to-end UI, API, and backend automation embedded into engineering workflows.
• Own CI/CD quality gates and release readiness, ensuring predictable, high-confidence deployments.
• Systematically eliminate repetitive manual testing cycles through scalable automation frameworks.
• Enable faster innovation and safer releases through measurable quality, performance, and reliability controls.

Key Responsibilities

Automation Framework & Quality Strategy

• Design and build automated QA testing frameworks from scratch, covering UI, API, backend, and AI validation layers.
• Define automation coverage targets (unit, integration, regression) and continuously improve coverage.
• Validate unit and integration test coverage in collaboration with engineering teams.
• Drive regression automation, especially after guardrail, security, and model updates.
• Ensure test frameworks are scalable, maintainable, and CI/CD ready.

CI/CD, Quality Gates & Release Control

• Integrate automated QA test suites into CI/CD pipelines.
• Own automated quality gates, including:

Regression, API, and integration test pass/fail thresholds

Performance and latency benchmarks

• Control release readiness based on automated test outcomes.
• Provide fast, reliable feedback on every commit and deployment.

UI, API & Backend Automation

• Develop UI automation using Playwright.
• Implement BDD-based automation using Cucumber where appropriate
• Build fully automated API test suites, including:

Contract and integration testing

API rate-limiting behavior validation

• Perform backend and data validations using SQL.
• Validate timeout handling, incomplete input scenarios, and failure paths.

AI / LLM Quality Engineering & Validation

• Own automated validation of AI/LLM behavior in collaboration with AI and Python engineering teams.
• Validate AI model accuracy and response quality for large-scale models (e.g., 70B parameter models running on NVIDIA platforms).
• Design and execute automation for AI guardrails, including:

Scope control testing (off-topic, restricted advice, HR-sensitive, and competitor-related queries)

Prompt injection and SQL injection prevention testing

• Validate graceful degradation during LLM, vector DB, or backend failures.
• Ensure user-friendly error messaging for AI and system failures.

Multilingual & Compliance-Focused Testing

• Perform automated multilingual testing, with a focus on Arabic language accuracy and RTL behavior
• Validate linguistic correctness, intent preservation, and response consistency across languages
• Execute AI bias and fairness testing across:

Gender, age, ethnicity, education, and EEOC-related dimensions.

• Ensure compliance with internal AI ethics, governance, and regulatory guidelines.

Performance, Scalability & Reliability Testing

• Conduct performance benchmarking across application and AI layers
• Measure and validate:

Response time benchmarks (P95 / P99 latency)

Concurrent user load and stress behavior

Endurance and soak testing under sustained loads

• Validate API throttling, retry mechanisms, and rate-limit enforcement
• Ensure system stability and predictable degradation under peak loads

Metrics, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Define and track automation-driven success metrics, including:

Unit, integration, and regression automation coverage

CI pipeline pass rates and failure trends

Escaped defects to production

Time from commit to release

• Use metrics to continuously refine automation strategy and platform quality.

Required Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of experience in Software Quality Engineering / SDET roles.
• Proven expertise in designing automated QA frameworks from scratch.
• Strong hands-on experience with Playwright for UI automation.
• Experience implementing BDD frameworks such as Cucumber.
• Strong programming skills in JavaScript / TypeScript; Python experience for AI test automation.
• Experience with automated API, contract, and integration testing.
• Solid SQL knowledge for backend and data validation.
• Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines and automated quality gates.
• Hands-on experience with performance and reliability testing.
• Good understanding of AI security, bias, fairness, and ethical testing principles.

Tools & Technologies

• Automation: Playwright, Cucumber
• Programming: JavaScript / TypeScript, Python
• AI Platforms: LLMs (70B scale), NVIDIA-based inference stacks
• API & Backend Testing: Automated frameworks, SQL
• CI/CD: Jenkins, GitLab Actions, GitLab CI
• Defect Tracking: Jira

Nice to Have

• Experience testing AI-native or LLM-powered SaaS platforms
• Exposure to multi-tenant SaaS systems
• Experience with HRMS, ATS, ERP, or compliance-driven platforms
• Familiarity with AI governance, guardrails, and responsible AI frameworks
• Prior experience leading automation-first QA transformations