Software Developer Contract Jobs in Castro Valley, CA

Why Sony Interactive Entertainment?
Sony Interactive Entertainment isn't just the Best Place to Play - it's also the Best Place to Work. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is the company behind the PlayStation brand. As a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, we're part of a proud legacy of innovation and excellence. SIE is a dynamic technology company, delivering cutting-edge hardware and network services to more than 100 million people and an entertainment leader, home to some of the most beloved and recognizable intellectual properties (IP) in the world. Our role at SIE is to create and nurture the experiences under the PlayStation brand, a name synonymous with entertainment excellence and creativity.
Software QA Engineer (Contract)
Join PlayStation's global initiative to build innovative test automation systems in a sophisticated environment. Engage with engineers, product owners, and designers to ensure high-quality products for millions of users.
Responsibilities:
Design, develop, and execute comprehensive test strategies, test plans, and test cases across UI, API, and backend systems to ensure high-quality feature delivery.
Collaborate closely with software engineers, product managers, and cross-functional teams to define test coverage and quality goals early in the development lifecycle.
Build, maintain, and scale robust automation frameworks for UI, API, service-level,and end-to-end testing, including device and performance testing.
Design and build testing infrastructure to enable automated service validation, shifting quality efforts beyond traditional UI testing and into backend systems.
Continuously improve quality engineering practices by introducing new standards, tools, and processes, and driving their adoption across teams.
Develop reusable test utilities, APIs, and libraries to improve efficiency and consistency in automation.
Maintain and enhance existing automation frameworks (Python, Selenium, etc.) for scalability, reliability, and performance.
Partner with infrastructure teams to design, implement, and optimize CI/CD pipelines and quality gates.
Analyze test results, identify root causes of defects, and work with development teams to drive timely resolution.
Support release readiness activities by validating features, assessing quality risks, and providing actionable recommendations.
Advocate for a shift-left testing approach, embedding quality practices throughout the software development lifecycle.
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
5+ years of experience in software testing, including designing and executing test plans and test cases.
3+ years of hands-on experience building and maintaining automated tests for web, mobile, APIs, and/or backend services.
Proficiency in at least one programming language such as Python (preferred), Java, or JavaScript.
Strong experience testing REST APIs and service-oriented architectures, including API validation, integration testing, and contract testing.
Experience with contract testing frameworks such as Pact or similar consumer-driven contract testing solutions.
Familiarity with gRPC services, Protocol Buffers, and service-to-service testing methodologies.
Experience with test automation frameworks such as Selenium and/or Appium.
Strong experience with API testing tools and frameworks (e.g., Postman, REST Assured, GraphQL, gRPC).
Familiarity with modern development and DevOps tools (e.g., Git, Jenkins, Docker).
Solid understanding of software development lifecycle, CI/CD practices, and test methodologies.
Strong analytical, debugging, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, agile environment with minimal supervision.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
Test or development experience on a non-PC device (phone/game console/set-top box, etc.).
Experience with React Native.
Experience with event-driven architectures and messaging systems.
Experience with test containers, mocking frameworks, and service virtualization.
Exposure to microservices architecture and distributed system testing strategies.
Experience with performance, load, and scalability testing tools and practices.
At SIE, working with our partners, we consider several factors when setting each role's base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Please note that the individual base pay range may vary based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
In addition, this role is eligible for benefit offerings that include medical, dental, and vision. Click here to learn more.
The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below, this is an hourly rate.
$60-$80 USD
Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.
Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.
Equal Opportunity Statement:
Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.
We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.
Sony Interactive Entertainment is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.