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Principal Sdet Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Associate Principal SDET

Milpitas, CA · On-site

$160K - $180K/yr

We are seeking a Associate Principal SDET to lead the architecture and evolution of our automation and quality engineering strategy for Saviynt's cloud-native Identity Security platform. In this role ...

We are seeking a Associate Principal SDET to lead the architecture and evolution of our automation and quality engineering strategy for Saviynt's cloud-native Identity Security platform. In this role ...

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How much do principal sdet jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 20, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal sdet in the United States is $109,393.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $85,000.00 and $125,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Principal SDET?

A Principal SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test) is a senior-level role responsible for driving test automation, quality strategy, and best practices within a development team. They design and implement advanced testing frameworks, mentor engineers, and collaborate with development teams to ensure high software quality. Principal SDETs also analyze complex systems to identify potential risks and improve testing efficiency. Their role often includes evaluating new testing tools, optimizing CI/CD pipelines, and ensuring scalable test automation solutions.

What types of teams and projects does a Principal SDET typically work on?

Principal SDETs frequently lead test automation initiatives and quality strategies across multiple feature teams, often collaborating closely with developers, product managers, and DevOps engineers. You will likely work on complex, high-impact projects such as developing enterprise-scale automation frameworks, optimizing CI/CD pipelines, and mentoring junior SDETs or QA engineers. The work environment is typically highly collaborative and fast-paced, with a strong focus on innovation and continuous improvement of testing practices. As a Principal SDET, you'll have the opportunity to both influence technical direction and help shape quality culture throughout the organization.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Principal SDET position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test), you need deep expertise in software testing, automation frameworks, programming (such as Java, Python, or C#), and a strong understanding of software development lifecycles, often backed by a bachelor's or master's in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools like Selenium, Appium, Jenkins, cloud testing platforms, and certifications such as ISTQB or Certified Agile Tester are highly beneficial. Exceptional problem-solving, leadership, mentorship, and effective communication skills set outstanding Principal SDETs apart. These capabilities enable you to drive testing strategy, ensure high-quality software delivery, and effectively lead and collaborate within cross-functional engineering teams.

Is principal Sdet in demand?

Principal SDET roles are in high demand due to the increasing emphasis on quality assurance and automation in software development. These positions typically require strong skills in test automation tools, programming, and leadership, and are often found in large tech companies and enterprises seeking experienced test engineers. The demand for senior testing professionals continues to grow as organizations prioritize reliable software delivery.
More about Principal Sdet jobs
Infographic showing various Principal Sdet job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 9% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $109,393 per year, or $52.6 per hour.

Principal Software Development Engineer in Test

Doist

Mansfield, MA • On-site

$120 - $160/hr

Other

Posted 15 days ago


Job description

Principal Software Development Engineer in Test

Mansfield, MA

Principal Software Engineer in Test

eClinical Solutions is transforming clinical development with elluminate®, our Clinical Data Cloud, helping life sciences organizations unify, analyze, and unlock the value of their data faster than ever before. By combining a modern cloud platform with expert data services, we empower smarter decisions across the clinical trial lifecycle—accelerating innovation that ultimately improves patient outcomes.

Our engineering teams build enterprise-grade, revenue-generating products at the intersection of cloud, data, analytics, and emerging AI technologies. If you’re excited about building sophisticated software that makes a real-world impact in healthcare, this is the place to do it.

You will make an impact:

The Principal SDET will be a core member of the eClinical Solutions R&D Team. The Principal SDET will be primarily responsible for architecting and evolving automation frameworks and infrastructure, providing technical leadership, mentoring engineers, reviewing automation code quality, driving automation strategy, ensuring scalable and maintainable test automation solutions across the organization, and driving the initiative of migrating existing tests and infrastructure onto a new testing platform. In addition, the Principal SDET will collaborate closely with development, DevOps, architecture, and QA teams to establish best practices for automation, quality engineering, continuous testing, and system reliability. This position will report to the Senior Director, Software Quality Assurance.

Your day to day:

  • Design, develop, and maintain scalable enterprise-level test automation frameworks from scratch.
  • Lead framework and infrastructure evolution initiatives as part of the global SQA automation team.
  • Drive migration initiatives for existing automation frameworks, test suites, and infrastructure onto modern testing platforms.
  • Provide technical leadership and mentorship to automation engineers and SDET teams.
  • Hands-on experience in automating web-based applications using Playwright (PW) with C#/.NET.
  • Strong experience in automating REST API testing, service validation, and integration testing.
  • Experience validating database integrity, backend data consistency, and end-to-end data flows using SQL-based verification techniques.
  • Drive Shift-Left testing practices by integrating automated quality validation early in the software development lifecycle.
  • Design, build, and maintain ephemeral test environments for scalable and isolated automated testing workflows.
  • Hands-on experience testing applications in ephemeral/containerized environments as part of CI/CD pipelines.
  • Review and audit automation code for quality, maintainability, performance, and adherence to coding standards.
  • Review automation execution reports and proactively follow up on discrepancies and failures.
  • Train and mentor team members on framework usage, coding standards, automation best practices, and engineering principles.
  • Drive adoption of Active Coding practices, clean code principles, and object-oriented programming (OOP) methodologies.
  • Collaborate with development teams, architects, DevOps engineers, and stakeholders to improve product quality and delivery efficiency.
  • Design and implement parallel and distributed test execution capabilities.
  • Contribute to CI/CD pipeline implementation and continuous testing strategies.
  • Work with Docker containerization technologies for scalable automation execution environments.
  • Participate in automation solutioning aligned with modern industry trends including cloud-native technologies, AI/ML-assisted testing, and scalable distributed systems.
  • Support API and integration testing efforts involving HTTP/REST services, authentication, and secure communication protocols including TLS.
  • Provide technical guidance on systems architecture, automation infrastructure, and engineering best practices.
  • Create and maintain technical documentation, standards, architecture diagrams, and Confluence documentation.

Qualifications:

  • BE in Computer Science and/or equivalent.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
  • 8–15 years of hands-on experience in software development engineering in test (SDET), automation engineering, or quality engineering.
  • Strong experience designing enterprise automation frameworks and scalable automation infrastructure
  • Strong understanding of QA concepts, software testing methodologies, automation tools, and modern engineering practices.
  • Expertise in designing and implementing scalable automation frameworks and infrastructure.
  • Strong programming expertise in C#/.NET and object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts.
  • Hands-on experience with Active Coding practices and modern software engineering standards.
  • Strong understanding of SQL and database validation techniques.
  • Good understanding of HTTP/REST APIs, web services, and network communication fundamentals.
  • Knowledge of TLS/security concepts and secure communication protocols.
  • Strong understanding of systems architecture and distributed application design.
  • Hands-on experience with Docker containers and containerized execution environments.
  • Practical experience implementing Shift-Left testing strategies across the SDLC.
  • Strong experience building, managing, and testing within ephemeral environments.
  • Experience integrating ephemeral environments into CI/CD and automated testing workflows.
  • Experience with CI/CD tools, build management systems, cloud-native platforms, and DevOps practices.
  • Experience using source control and project management tools such as Git, Bitbucket, Jira, and AWS services/platforms.
  • Expertise in Playwright (PW) automation including framework design, tooling, infrastructure, and parallel execution.
  • Strong experience in API automation testing using REST services and service-layer validation.
  • Strong understanding of database testing, data integrity validation, and backend system verification.
  • Ability to evaluate and recommend suitable technologies, tools, and automation strategies aligned with current industry trends.
  • Strong competencies in DevOps, Continuous Testing, Continuous Integration, and Continuous Delivery.
  • Ability to analyze complex systems and propose efficient automation solutions.
  • Experience providing end-to-end technical leadership and support for testing engagements.
  • Strong presentation, communication, and technical documentation skills.
  • Ability to lead organization-wide automation capability enhancements and engineering initiatives.
  • Automation Skills: Framework Development, Playwright (PW) with C#/.NET, REST API Automation, Database/Data Integrity Validation, Parallel Test Execution, Shift-Left Testing, Ephemeral Environment Testing, CI/CD Automation
  • Programming Languages & Technologies: C#, .NET, SQL, PL/SQL, REST APIs, HTTP/HTTPS, TLS/Security Fundamentals
  • Architecture & Engineering: Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), Systems Architecture, Distributed Systems Understanding, Docker Containers, Ephemeral Environment Architecture
  • Databases: SQL Server
  • Additional Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Applications and Confluence

Accelerate your skills and career within a fast-growing company while impacting the future of healthcare. We have shared our story, now we look forward to learning yours!

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer that values diversity. Our management team is committed to the principle that employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, culture fit and business need.

We are removing promotional content and application details to focus on the job description and requirements.

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