Software Design Engineer in Test

Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)

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About Scitara

digital transformation for scientific laboratories

cutting-edge software + real-world science

Role Summary

Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)

not a traditional QE role

ambiguous, fast-evolving environments

Key Outcomes (First 612 Months)

• Design or enhance automation frameworks achieving

  80%+ coverage

  for regression-critical paths.
• Implement

  API, WebSocket, backend, and UI automation

  integrated into CI/CD pipelines.
• Reduce manual regression effort by

  40% or more

  through automation replacement.
• Build reusable

  test utilities, harnesses, and validation libraries

  for Node.js-based services.
• Improve automation stability to achieve

  <2% flaky test rate

  .
• Contribute to

  validation test coverage

  aligned with GxP and informatics compliance.
• Establish and evangelize

  SDET best practices

  across the engineering organization.

Responsibilities

Engineering-Driven Test Development

• Design, develop, and maintain

  automation frameworks

  using JavaScript/TypeScript.
• Write clean, maintainable, and scalable automation code following

  OOP principles and test design patterns

  .
• Build comprehensive

  integration and system-level test harnesses

  for backend services.

System, API & Integration Testing

• Automate testing of

  REST APIs, event-driven systems, and WebSocket-based interactions

  using Postman, Newman, and custom Node.js scripts.
• Validate complex workflows involving multiple services, data flows, and external integrations.
• Identify edge cases, failure scenarios, and quality risks early in the development cycle.

CI/CD & DevOps Integration

• Integrate automated test suites into

  CI/CD pipelines

  (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Travis CI).
• Enable fast, reliable feedback loops for developers.
• Continuously improve test execution speed, reliability, and observability.

Collaboration & Quality Ownership

• Partner with developers, architects, and product teams during

  design, code reviews, and sprint planning

  .
• Participate fully in Agile ceremonies and influence quality strategy at sprint and release levels.
• Communicate technical quality risks and automation strategies clearly across teams.

Compliance & Domain Awareness

• Ensure automation and validation approaches align with

  data security, privacy, and GxP-regulated workflows

  .
• Support systematic conversion of manual validation scenarios into automated coverage.

Must-Have Skills

Strong Technical Foundation

• 6+ years of experience as an

  SDET, Automation Engineer, or Full-Stack QE

  .
• Strong coding skills in

  JavaScript / TypeScript

  with Node.js.
• Strong understanding of:
• API testing and backend validation
• WebSocket and asynchronous systems
• Object-oriented design and test architecture

Learning Agility (Ability + Motivation)

• Ability to rapidly learn

  new systems, architectures, and tools

  .
• Comfortable working in an

  AI-forward, evolving engineering environment

  .
• Proactively adopts better automation techniques and tooling.

Problem Solving & Resourcefulness

• Strong debugging and root-cause analysis skills in complex distributed systems.
• Ability to design effective test strategies under real-world constraints.
• Demonstrated ownership of quality outcomes, not just test execution.

Ability to Operate in Ambiguity

• Thrives in environments with evolving requirements and incomplete documentation.
• Can independently define test scope and priorities when specifications are unclear.
• Makes sound technical trade-offs to balance speed, coverage, and reliability.

Good-to-Have Skills

• Mocha, Jest, Playwright/Cypress
• Experience with

  AWS, Azure, or GCP

  .
• Knowledge of

  Docker, Kubernetes, and microservices testing

  .
• Experience with CI/CD tooling and infrastructure automation.
• Familiarity with test management tools
• Exposure to

  regulated systems, data integrity, or validation testing

  .

Success Indicators

• High-quality, maintainable automation code treated as a core engineering asset.
• Stable, low-flakiness automated test suites.
• Faster, safer release cycles with reduced escaped defects.
• Strong trust and collaboration with developers and product teams.
• Visible impact on platform quality and engineering velocity.

Why Join Scitara

• Build

  real engineering-quality systems

  , not just test scripts.
• Work on complex, integration-heavy platforms that power global science.
• Be part of an

  automation-first, AI-forward engineering culture

  .
• Clear growth paths into

  technical leadership and architecture roles

  .
• High ownership, autonomy, and respect as an engineering peer.