Remote Python Automation Engineer Jobs in Simi Valley, CA

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Mobile SDET to take full end-to-end ownership of the mobile automation domain for the NX mobile client. This is a strategic role for a high-autonomy engineer who will not just execute, but define the direction of how we validate our mobile product.

We are looking for a Domain Owner-someone who can evaluate our current internal tools, identify their limitations, and drive the transition toward a scalable, industry-standard mobile automation stack. You will lead decisions on tools, frameworks, and infrastructure, ensuring our mobile validation is fast, reliable, and deeply integrated into the development lifecycle.

What you'll be doing

Strategy & Ownership

• Drive the Mobile Strategy: Define and execute a mobile automation roadmap, evolving the current approach into a scalable and reliable system, choosing the right approach for the NX mobile client.
• Tooling Decisions: Evaluate and select automation frameworks and tools based on clear technical tradeoffs (e.g., Appium vs. native vs. custom solutions).
• Scalability & Evolution: Design a scalable testing architecture that balances CI speed, device/emulator usage, and the trade-off between stability and test coverage.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive the long-term evolution of the automation stack, ensuring it keeps pace with the product's growth and system architecture.

Framework Design & Engineering

• Build & Evolve: Architect and maintain robust, scalable automation frameworks that support high-speed, parallel execution.
• System Thinking: Align the automation approach with the overall system architecture, ensuring tests are performed at the most efficient level (API, Integration, or UI).
• Stability First: Proactively engineer solutions to systematically reduce flakiness and improve reliability over time, ensuring the CI pipeline provides a "green" signal that developers can trust.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Bridge the Gaps: Partner closely with Dev, QA, and Infrastructure teams to align mobile automation with CI/CD pipelines and system requirements.
• Identify & Solve: Proactively identify gaps in quality processes across teams and drive the implementation of improvements without waiting for direction.

What you bring

• 5+ years of commercial experience in software engineering or test automation, with a proven track record of owning complex domains.
• Strong Programming Skills: Expertise in modern software design patterns. Python is preferred, but we value general engineering excellence; the ability to ramp up and lead in Python quickly is expected.
• Mobile Expertise: Deep, hands-on experience automating mobile applications on both Android and iOS.
• Infrastructure & Scaling: Experience managing mobile testing environments (real devices, emulators/simulators) and integrating them into high-scale CI/CD pipelines.
• System-Level Thinking: Ability to operate in ambiguity and make architectural decisions based on product constraints and long-term goals.

Nice to Have

• Infrastructure as Code: Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, or GitLab CI for orchestrating mobile test environments.
• Qt Framework Knowledge: Familiarity with testing applications built on Qt.
• Web Automation: Experience with modern web tools like Playwright.
• AI Integration: Real-world experience or strong opinions on using AI-assisted tools to accelerate framework development and maintenance.

Behavioral Expectations

• You operate with a "Driver" mindset: takes full responsibility for the domain and moves forward without needing constant clarity or direction.
• You think in terms of tradeoffs and ROI: knows when to build, when to buy, and what to prioritize for maximum impact.
• You work within real-world constraints (CI limits, device availability, system complexity) and prioritize for maximum impact.
• You act as a technical mentor and consultant for other teams regarding mobile quality and infrastructure.

What we offer

• Competitive compensation  
• Paid time off
• Flexible working hours
• Employer-sponsored health coverage
• Working with top industry experts in our international team

Hybrid or Remote
The position is ideally a hybrid role and the office is located in Burbank, CA. We will also consider candidates in Walnut Creek, CA and Portland, OR. We will also consider fully remote format.

Please note: We do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters or staffing agencies. Any unsolicited resumes sent to our employees or submitted to our careers page or job postings without a formal agreement in place will be considered property of Network Optix, and no fees will be paid in the event that candidate is hired by the company.