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Principal Software Engineer In Test Jobs in California

Stuut

Lead Software Engineer in Test

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$180K - $220K/yr

The Role We're hiring a Lead Software Engineer in Test to drive the strategy, architecture, and execution of automated testing across our platform. You'll build and scale the systems that ensure ...

Apple

Software Engineer in Test, Cocoa

Cupertino, CA · On-site

As a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET), you will help with developing and maintaining CoreData/SwiftData test applications, automated test suites for exercising various APIs of these ...

Plaud

Software Development Engineer in Test

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$59 - $76/hr

Software Engineer In Test (SDET) Plaud is building the real-world AI interface for professionals to amplify intelligence, elevate productivity and performance, loved by over 2,000,000 users worldwide ...

Plaud

Software Development Engineer in Test

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$59 - $76/hr

Software Engineer In Test (SDET) Plaud is building the real-world AI interface for professionals to amplify intelligence, elevate productivity and performance, loved by over 2,000,000 users worldwide ...

KBR

Principal Software Engineer

El Segundo, CA · On-site +1

$143K - $192K/yr

Design, develop, test, and maintain mission-critical software applications across front-end, ... Engineering Excellence: Promote best practices in software design, code quality, testing ...

Apple

Software Engineer in Test, Cocoa

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$150K - $277K/yr

As a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET), you will help with developing and maintaining CoreData/SwiftData test applications, automated test suites for exercising various APIs of these ...

KBR, Inc.

Principal Software Engineer

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$143K - $192K/yr

Design, develop, test, and maintain mission-critical software applications across front-end, ... Engineering Excellence: Promote best practices in software design, code quality, testing ...

KBR, Inc

Principal Software Engineer

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$143K - $192K/yr

Design, develop, test, and maintain mission-critical software applications across front-end, ... Engineering Excellence: Promote best practices in software design, code quality, testing ...

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Principal Software Engineer In Test information

What is a principal software engineer in test?

A Principal Software Engineer In Test is a senior-level professional responsible for designing, developing, and overseeing complex testing strategies and frameworks for software applications. They lead test architecture, mentor testing teams, and ensure high standards of quality and reliability in software releases. This role often collaborates closely with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders to integrate automated testing into the software development lifecycle. Principal Software Engineers In Test also drive innovation in test automation tools, processes, and best practices. Their expertise is critical in maintaining scalable, maintainable, and efficient testing solutions in large-scale environments.

How does a principal software engineer in test typically influence the overall quality strategy within a development team?

A Principal Software Engineer In Test plays a critical leadership role in shaping the quality strategy by designing robust testing frameworks, mentoring junior team members, and collaborating closely with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders. They often set best practices for automated and manual testing, ensure test coverage aligns with business goals, and drive the adoption of new tools or processes to improve efficiency. Their influence extends beyond their own tasks, as they are usually involved in architectural decisions and advocate for a quality-first mindset across the team and organization.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal software engineer in test, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal Software Engineer In Test, you need deep expertise in software testing methodologies, programming (such as Java, Python, or C#), and a strong background in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with test automation frameworks (like Selenium or Cypress), CI/CD tools, and industry certifications such as ISTQB are highly valuable. Leadership, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication distinguish top performers in this role. These skills ensure the delivery of high-quality, reliable software products while setting strategic direction and mentoring teams.

What cities in California are hiring for Principal Software Engineer In Test jobs?

Cities in California with the most Principal Software Engineer In Test job openings:

Lead Software Engineer in Test

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Stuut
See more jobs at Stuutexternal

$180K - $220K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 3 days ago

Job description

Stuut is transforming accounts receivable for B2B companies—making collections smarter and faster for companies that have historically relied on manual processes that are labor intensive and costly. Our platform is gaining traction with finance teams across industrials, chemicals, and manufacturing sectors from Fortune 10 brands to scaling midmarkets. We're backed by top-tier investors including a16z, Khosla, Activant, 1984 Ventures, Page One and Microsoft.

The Role
We’re hiring a Lead Software Engineer in Test to drive the strategy, architecture, and execution of automated testing across our platform. You’ll build and scale the systems that ensure every release is reliable, high-quality, and ready for customers. From designing automation frameworks to stabilizing pipelines to shaping quality practices within product teams, you’ll own the tooling and engineering rigor that enable us to ship fast with confidence.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role for an engineer who excels at building scalable test automation, influencing engineering quality culture, and guiding teams toward high-impact, high-reliability outcomes. You’ll turn strong test engineering into real customer value — creating the guardrails that empower rapid innovation.

What You’ll Do

  • Set the Quality & Automation Strategy: define the long-term vision for automated testing, including frameworks, tooling, coverage strategy, and quality gates.

  • Build & Scale Automation Frameworks: design and implement robust, maintainable automation across integration, UI, and end-to-end layers.

  • Drive Test Coverage Planning: lead test planning with product squads, ensuring critical functionality is identified, prioritized, and automated effectively.

  • Stabilize Pipelines & Reduce Flakiness: own the health, speed, and reliability of test pipelines — leading efforts to reduce flaky tests and strengthen feedback loops.

  • Architect & Maintain Test Environments: collaborate with Infrastructure to build and maintain scalable, realistic test environments aligned with customer use cases.

  • Improve Developer Velocity: optimize CI/CD test stages, reduce cycle times, and introduce automation and tooling that accelerates safe deployments.

  • Automate New Feature Testing: partner with engineering teams throughout the development lifecycle to define test strategy and build automation for new features.

  • Lead Root Cause Analysis & Triage: guide teams through systematic debugging of failures, ensuring issues are resolved at their true source.

  • Influence Engineering Quality Culture: promote strong testing patterns, testability principles, and quality-first thinking across teams.

  • Mentor & Level Up the Team: coach engineers in automation best practices, framework design, troubleshooting, and quality ownership.

You Might Be a Fit If You…

  • Have 7+ years of experience in test automation or software engineering, with at least 3 years in a senior or lead test engineering role.

  • Have architected or maintained large-scale automation frameworks supporting rapid iteration across backend, frontend, and async systems.

  • Are fluent in Python and TypeScript/JavaScript, and experienced with tools such as Playwright, Cypress, pytest, or REST API testing frameworks.

  • Understand how to design high-signal, low-maintenance automated test suites for modern stacks including FastAPI, Vue.js, and event-driven systems like Inngest.

  • Have improved reliability of CI pipelines in environments using Turborepo, Docker, Vercel, and AWS EKS.

  • Are comfortable with cloud-native infrastructure (AWS, Kubernetes, RDS PostgreSQL) and testing distributed systems.

  • Have a strong understanding of CI/CD and know how to optimize automation workflows for speed, signal, and stability.

  • Can convert product requirements into a clear, executable test strategy across multiple layers of the stack.

  • Enjoy collaborating with Product, Backend, Frontend, and DevOps teams to elevate quality and reliability.

  • Thrive in a role that combines technical depth, automation architecture, and leadership influence in a fast-moving environment.

Compensation

  • Top-of-market salary and equity package

  • Benefits (for U.S.-based full-time employees)

  • Medical, dental & vision insurance coverage for you

  • 401(k) & Match

  • Equity

  • Flexible PTO

  • Parental Leave

Compensation Range: $180K - $220K