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Principal Quality Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Principal Quality Engineer

Atlanta, GA · Hybrid

$115 - $135K/hr

Permanent Build a brilliant future with Hiscox Principal Quality Engineer We are seeking an innovative Principal Quality Engineer who will advance our testing capabilities through modern automation ...

Principal Quality Engineer

Boston, MA · Hybrid

$120 - $140K/hr

Permanent Build a brilliant future with Hiscox Principal Quality Engineer We are seeking an innovative Principal Quality Engineer who will advance our testing capabilities through modern automation ...

$99 - $185/hr

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems Sector is seeking a Principal Quality Engineer / Sr. Principal Quality Engineer to join our team in Baltimore, MD . This position will support the AMC Restricted ...

$141 - $192/hr

As a Principal Quality Engineer, this role will serve as the technical leader and subject matter expert for Quality Engineering, Test Automation, and Agentic Testing across the enterprise. The ...

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Principal Quality Engineer information

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$64.5K

$125.5K

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How much do principal quality engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal quality engineer in the United States is $125,478.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $102,500.00 and $150,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a principal quality engineer?

A Principal Quality Engineer is a senior-level professional responsible for overseeing quality assurance and quality control processes within an organization. They develop and implement quality standards, conduct audits, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure product and process compliance. Their role often includes mentoring junior engineers, driving continuous improvement initiatives, and ensuring products meet regulatory and customer requirements.

What are the day-to-day responsibilities of a principal quality engineer?

As a Principal Quality Engineer, your daily responsibilities often include leading quality improvement initiatives, analyzing production or service processes, and conducting root cause investigations to address quality issues. You’ll collaborate closely with engineering, manufacturing, and operations teams to develop and implement quality standards, review product designs, and ensure compliance with industry regulations. The role may also involve mentoring junior quality engineers, facilitating audits, and compiling reports for senior management. This dynamic position requires a balance of hands-on problem-solving and strategic oversight to drive excellence throughout the organization.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal quality engineer?

To thrive as a Principal Quality Engineer, you need deep expertise in quality assurance, process improvement, and engineering principles, usually backed by a relevant bachelor’s or master’s degree and extensive industry experience. Familiarity with quality management systems such as ISO 9001, Six Sigma, root cause analysis tools, and proficiency in statistical analysis software are typically required, along with certifications like ASQ CQE or Lean Six Sigma. Strong leadership, problem-solving abilities, and clear communication skills set outstanding candidates apart in this role. These competencies are crucial for driving continuous improvement, ensuring product reliability, and leading cross-functional teams towards quality objectives.

Are principal quality engineers paid well?

Principal quality engineers typically earn high salaries due to their advanced expertise, leadership responsibilities, and experience in quality assurance and process improvement. Compensation varies by industry and location but generally includes competitive base pay, bonuses, and benefits reflecting their senior role.

What does a principal quality engineer do?

A principal quality engineer leads quality assurance efforts within an organization, developing and implementing testing strategies, ensuring product compliance with standards, and mentoring QA teams. They often utilize tools like test automation software and require strong analytical, communication, and leadership skills to improve product quality and process efficiency.
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What cities are hiring for Principal Quality Engineer jobs?

Cities with the most Principal Quality Engineer job openings:

Who are the top companies hiring for Principal Quality Engineer jobs?

The top employers for Principal Quality Engineer jobs are:

What states have the most Principal Quality Engineer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Principal Quality Engineer jobs include:

Infographic showing various Principal Quality Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 13% Part Time, 4% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 84% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $125,478 per year, or $60.3 per hour.

Principal Quality Engineer

Hiscox

Atlanta, GA • Hybrid

$115 - $135K/hr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 24 days ago


Job description

Job Type:

Permanent

Build a brilliant future with Hiscox

Principal Quality Engineer

We are seeking an innovative Principal Quality Engineer who will advance our testing capabilities through modern automation and AI-driven methodologies. This position is responsible for establishing an automation-centric approach, designing sophisticated test frameworks, and ensuring quality is integrated throughout the software development lifecycle by utilizing artificial intelligence for efficient test generation, anomaly detection, and predictive analytics. Reporting directly to the Director of Quality Engineering, the successful candidate will support and guide scrum teams, exemplify best practices, and champion ongoing improvement initiatives. The ideal applicant will demonstrate a strong commitment to scalable automation, effective cross-functional collaboration, leveraging AI in testing strategies, and addressing complex testing scenarios.

Key Responsibility Areas:

Quality Engineering Leadership & Execution:

  • Lead the design, implementation, and evolution of automation frameworks using Playwright, and Cucumber.

  • Drive an automationfirst mindset, ensuring new features are supported by robust automated tests across UI, API, integration, and regression layers.

  • Partner with developers to improve code quality through testability reviews, shiftleft practices, and continuous testing.

  • Own test strategy for assigned value streams, ensuring coverage, reliability, and alignment with CI/CD pipelines.

Framework & Tooling Ownership:

  • Build and maintain scalable, reusable automation frameworks that support multiple teams and applications.

  • Integrate automated tests into modern CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, or similar).

  • Establish standards for test data management, mocking, and service virtualization.

  • Evaluate and introduce new tools that improve speed, stability, and observability of automated tests.

Process Engineering & Quality Governance:

  • Define and enforce best practices for test automation, defect triage, rootcause analysis, and quality gates.

  • Partner with QE leadership to standardize tooling, reporting, and quality metrics across teams.

  • Track and communicate key quality indicators such as automation coverage, flakiness, performance trends, and release readiness.

CrossFunctional Collaboration & Enablement:

  • Work closely with Engineering, Product, Architecture, and Security to embed testing early in the development lifecycle.

  • Lead enablement sessions on Playwright, Cucumber, TypeScript best practices, and continuous testing.

  • Support performance testing, security testing, and observability initiatives as needed.

Qualifications:

  • 10+ years of experience in software test automation or software engineering, with at least 5+ years in a principal or lead role.

  • Deep handson expertise with TypeScript, Playwright, Cucumber, and modern automation frameworks.

  • Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines, cloudnative application testing, and DevOpsaligned QA workflows.

  • Experience designing automation frameworks from scratch and scaling them across teams.

  • Solid understanding of performance testing, API testing, and test observability tools.

  • Familiarity with Agile/SAFe practices; insurance or financial services domain experience is a plus.

  • Excellent communication, collaboration, and technical leadership skills.

What We Offer:

  • Competitive salary and bonus (based on personal & company performance)

  • 401(k) with competitive company matching

  • Comprehensive health insurance, vision, dental and FSA plans (medical, limited purpose, and dependent care)

  • Company paid group term life, short- term disability and long-term disability coverage

  • 24 Paid time off days plus 2 Hiscox days, 10 paid holidays plus 1 paid floating holiday, and ability to purchase 5 PTO days

  • Paid parental leave

  • 4 week paid sabbatical after every 5 years of service

  • Financial Adoption Assistance and Medical Travel Reimbursement Programs

  • Annual reimbursement up to $600 for health club membership or fees associated with any fitness program

  • Company paid subscription to Headspace to support employees' mental health and wellbeing

  • Recipient of 2024 Cigna's Well-Being Award for having a best-in-class health and wellness program

  • Dynamic, creative and values-driven culture

  • Modern and open office spaces, complimentary drinks

  • Spirit of volunteerism, social responsibility and community involvement, including matching charitable donations for qualifying non-profits via our sister non-profit company, the Hiscox USA Foundation

Salary: $115-$135k

The actual salary for this position will be determined by a number of factors, including the scope, complexity and location of the role; the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; and other conditions of employment.

**Please note that this position is hybrid and requires two (2) days in our office weekly**

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