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Sr Software Development Engineer In Test Jobs in Santa Clara, CA

Staff/Senior SDET

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$129K - $168K/yr

Position Overview We are seeking a Staff/Senior SDET to join our growing team. This is a hands-on, builder-first role - you'll spend most of your time testing and writing code: designing and building ...

Showing results 21-40

Sr Software Development Engineer In Test information

See Santa Clara, CA salary details

$26.4K

$147.5K

$192K

How much do sr software development engineer in test jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for sr software development engineer in test in Santa Clara, CA is $147,463.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $129,800.00 and $168,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Sr Software Development Engineer In Test vs Software Development Engineer In Test?

AspectSr Software Development Engineer In TestSoftware Development Engineer In Test
Required CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS or related, experience in automation testingBachelor's in CS or related, focus on automation skills
Work EnvironmentDesigns and develops complex test frameworks, leads testing initiativesDevelops and maintains test scripts, executes testing
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in tech companies, especially in QA and testing teamsCommon in software development companies, focusing on testing automation

The main difference is that a Sr Software Development Engineer In Test typically has more experience, leads testing efforts, and designs complex testing frameworks, while a Software Development Engineer In Test primarily focuses on developing and executing test scripts. Both roles require strong automation skills and are vital in ensuring software quality, but the senior role involves more leadership and strategic testing responsibilities.

What are some common challenges faced by a Sr Software Development Engineer in Test when working on large-scale projects?

Sr Software Development Engineers in Test (SDETs) often encounter challenges such as managing complex test automation frameworks, ensuring comprehensive test coverage for rapidly evolving codebases, and coordinating with multiple development and QA teams. Balancing the need for speed in continuous integration pipelines with maintaining high-quality standards can also be demanding. Additionally, SDETs are frequently responsible for mentoring junior testers and advocating for best testing practices across cross-functional teams, which requires strong communication and leadership skills.

What is a Sr Software Development Engineer in Test?

A Sr Software Development Engineer In Test (Sr SDET) is a senior-level professional responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining automated test frameworks and tools to ensure the quality of software products. They work closely with developers and other QA team members to create robust testing strategies, identify defects, and improve the overall software development process. Sr SDETs have advanced programming skills, deep knowledge of test automation, and often mentor junior team members. Their goal is to enable efficient, reliable, and scalable automated testing throughout the software development lifecycle.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Sr Software Development Engineer in Test?

To thrive as a Sr Software Development Engineer In Test, you need advanced programming skills (such as Java, Python, or C#), deep understanding of software testing methodologies, and a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science or a related field. Expertise with automation frameworks (like Selenium or Cypress), CI/CD tools (Jenkins, Git), and test management systems is typically required, along with certifications such as ISTQB being beneficial. Exceptional problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and strong collaboration and communication skills distinguish standout professionals in this role. These competencies ensure the delivery of high-quality, reliable software products through efficient test automation and seamless teamwork.
What are popular job titles related to Sr Software Development Engineer In Test jobs in Santa Clara, CA? For Sr Software Development Engineer In Test jobs in Santa Clara, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
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What cities near Santa Clara, CA are hiring for Sr Software Development Engineer In Test jobs? Cities near Santa Clara, CA with the most Sr Software Development Engineer In Test job openings:
Infographic showing various Sr Software Development Engineer In Test job openings in Santa Clara, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 78% Full Time, 18% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $147,463 per year, or $70.9 per hour.

Senior Software Development Engineer In Test, ML/AI

PlayStation Global

San Mateo, CA • On-site, Remote

$125K - $163K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 4 days ago


Job description

Senior Software Development Engineer In Test, ML/AI

At SIE, we believe in making play safer for everyone. Within our Information Security team, we protect our people, platforms, and products with smart, scalable, and thoughtful solutions. Our mission is to provide clear, actionable risk and security insights that guide the business and enable amazing player experiences.

We're building a team that thrives on collaboration, curiosity, and delivering real value. Come help us make a difference!

Overview

We are hiring a Sr Software Engineer in Test specializing in ML/AI quality, including automation for model evaluation, LLM-assisted test generation, and validation of AI-powered workflows. The role includes guiding quality strategy and developing automation frameworks. You will also manage implementation for complex, cross-functional, machine learning-powered products and services. This role involves more than test development. You will lead quality initiatives from start to finish, ensuring teams stay synchronized, dependencies are managed, and releases are delivered confidently. You will work closely with ML, engineering, product, and infrastructure teams. You will shape how quality is built, monitored, and expanded while leading embedded QE efforts within projects.

What you'll do
  • Define and complete quality strategies, test plans, and automation coverage for ML-powered services and platform components.
  • Use LLMs and other AI-assisted techniques to generate, expand, and maintain high-value test cases for ML-powered workflows.
  • Design scenario-based test suites for AI features, including adversarial prompts, edge cases, ambiguous inputs, and underrepresented user scenarios.
  • Lead QE efforts for multi-functional projects, driving risk assessment, dependency management, and release readiness.
  • Design, develop, and maintain scalable automation frameworks for backend services, APIs, and ML inference systems using Python and/or Java.
  • Build automated validation for ML and LLM outputs, including ranking behavior, score distributions, prompt/response quality, hallucination indicators, and probabilistic model evaluation.
  • Debug test failures, service anomalies, model inconsistencies, and AI behavior regressions to identify root causes and drive resolution.
  • Perform functional, integration, regression, API, end-to-end, performance, and reliability testing for distributed systems.
  • Improve automation reliability, reduce flakiness, and optimize execution efficiency.
  • Partner with engineering and ML teams to integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines and release workflows.
  • Collaborate across teams to establish scalable quality standards, tooling, and guidelines.
Required qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent
  • 5+ years of experience as an SDET or QE engineer focused on backend and distributed systems.
  • Experience using LLMs to generate, transform, and prioritize test cases for AI-powered experiences.
  • Experience with AI evaluation tooling, prompt evaluation frameworks, model monitoring, or human-in-the-loop review workflows.
  • Strong experience testing RESTful APIs, microservices, and distributed architectures.
  • Proficiency in Python, Java, JS or similar languages for automation development.
  • Hands-on experience with automation frameworks such as pytest, JUnit, Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, or Appium.
  • Experience with CI/CD systems and test pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, etc.).
  • Experience with cloud and container technologies (AWS, GCP, Kubernetes, Docker).
  • Familiarity with databases, monitoring, and observability tools.
  • Strong understanding of SDLC, Agile methodologies, and release processes.
  • Excellent problem-solving, debugging, and communication skills.
Preferred qualifications
  • Experience validating ML outputs using statistical analysis or scenario-based testing approaches.
  • Familiarity with ML infrastructure, data pipelines, or model-serving platforms (Seldon, KServe, Ray Serve, etc.).
  • Prior work in content moderation ML, security, fraud detection, or adversarial ML.
  • Experience testing high-scale, low-latency online services.
  • Experience with Databricks or similar ML platform tooling.
  • Familiarity with Node.js, React, or modern frontend technologies.
  • Experience testing mobile, console, or other non-PC platforms.
What sets you apart
  • Strong combination of automation engineering and delivery ownership.
  • Ability to drive quality across complex cross-functional initiatives.
  • Practical understanding of how to test non-deterministic AI systems and separate model variance from quality regressions.
  • Proven risk management and dependency coordination skills.
  • Ability to influence engineering teams and promote quality guidelines.
  • Passion for scalable, reliable, and maintainable automation systems.