Automation Program Manager Jobs in Meriden, CT (NOW HIRING)

Description

About Tradewind:

Tradewind Aviation is a leading Part 135 commuter and on-demand private charter operator with operational bases at the Waterbury/Oxford, CT (OXC), Westchester, NY (HPN), Stuart, FL (SUA) and San Juan, PR (SJU) airports. Founded by aviation enthusiasts in 2001 on the premise that all flights deserve the highest quality aircraft, crew, and service, Tradewind provides personal air travel-both private and scheduled service-throughout North America and the Caribbean. 

For more details visit www.flytradewind.com  

ABOUT THE CANDIDATE / ROLE

We are seeking a Quality Engineer (Automation & UAT) to help ensure the reliability, scalability, and overall quality of our internal and customer-facing software systems. This role is a hands-on engineering position with a strong emphasis on test automation, regression coverage, and end-to-end business process validation.

The ideal candidate enjoys building repeatable test automation through partnering closely with developers and product teams, and validating complex operational workflows in a regulated, real-world environment. While UAT and manual testing remain important responsibilities, this role goes beyond traditional UAT testing to actively reduce manual test effort through automation and improved quality practices.

EXPERIENCE IN AVIATION, TRANSPORTATION, OR OTHER OPERATIONALLY COMPLEX INDUSTRIES IS A STRONG PLUS.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Design, implement, and maintain automated test suites (UI, API, and/or integration-level) to support regression and release validation.
• Identify opportunities to replace manual UAT test cases with automated coverage over time.
• Collaborate with development teams to improve testability of applications and integrations.
• Contribute to establishing and refining quality engineering standards, tools, and best practices.
• Develop and execute UAT test plans and scenarios based on business requirements, system designs, and real-world operational workflows.
• Validate end-to-end business processes across interconnected systems to ensure solutions meet user needs and operational expectations.
• Partner with business stakeholders to confirm readiness for production releases and participate in go/no-go decisions.
• Identify, document, track, and help triage defects using tools such as Jira or similar systems.
• Work closely with developers, QA partners, and project managers to ensure defects are clearly understood and resolved efficiently.
• Provide clear, concise testing status and risk assessments to stakeholders.
• Continuously evaluate and improve test coverage, test efficiency, and overall release quality.
• Quickly learn proprietary systems and complex workflows to ensure comprehensive testing coverage.
• Support the evolution of testing practices as systems, integrations, and scale grow.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE FOR ANY OF THESE ADDITIONAL SKILLSETS:

• Experience in aviation, transportation, logistics, or other operationally complex or regulated environments.
• Exposure to Agile and Waterfall development methodologies.
• Experience testing integrated systems (e.g., APIs, data flows, third-party platforms).
• ISTQB or similar testing certification.
• Interest in growing toward broader quality engineering or automation ownership.

Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 3-6 years of experience in QA, test engineering, UAT, or automation-focused testing roles.
• Hands-on experience with test automation tools or frameworks (e.g., Selenium, Cucumber, Playwright, Cypress, API testing tools, or similar).
• Experience executing and supporting UAT and end-to-end workflow testing in collaboration with business users.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong attention to documentation.
• Familiarity with defect tracking and test management tools (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps, HP ALM, or equivalent).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to lift / push or pull, greater than or equal to 15 lbs.
• Available to work weekends, holidays, and provide after-hours accessibility to personnel and leadership.
• Ability to communicate effectively on the phone and in meetings (in person or virtual)
• Ability to use to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and standard office equipment

Tradewind Aviation offers a competitive pay and benefits program for full-time team members:

• Comprehensive health and voluntary insurance plans
• Retirement plan with company match
• Paid time off
• Standby travel on select Tradewind Aviation scheduled flights
• Discounted standby travel benefits on numerous major and regional US and international airlines
• A rewarding career path with opportunities for growth and advancement throughout the organization