SDET Java Ex

ROLE PURPOSE The Senior Software Test Engineer leads the quality engineering strategy across complex, multi-platform systems encompassing middleware (REST API/) and Web UI. This role owns the test automation architecture, drives quality processes, and provides technical leadership to the QA team. The Senior engineer operates as a quality champion across the engineering organization — influencing delivery teams on testability, shifting quality left, and ensuring robust coverage across the full software stack. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Test Strategy & Architecture ▸   Define and own the overarching test strategy covering functional, integration, regression and performance, testing.▸   Architect, build, and govern scalable test automation frameworks for API (RestAssured/Java) and Web UI (Selenium)▸   Establish standards, patterns, and guidelines for test code quality, maintainability, and reusability.▸   Drive the test automation roadmap, aligning it with product delivery goals and technology evolution.▸   Design end-to-end testing strategies for functional workflows including automation.▸   Define AI/GenAI testing strategies — including model validation, prompt engineering testing, bias detection, and quality metrics for LLM-based applications. Technical Leadership & Delivery ▸   Lead the technical implementation of complex test scenarios across middleware and UI.▸   Drive CI/CD integration, ensuring automated test execution is embedded throughout the delivery pipeline.▸   Perform deep-dive root cause analysis on complex system failures and intermittent test issues.▸   Champion test environment management strategies — infrastructure-as-code and containerization for consistent environments.▸   Define and automate test data management strategies for multi-environment, data-sensitive systems.▸   Lead AI-powered testing initiatives — leveraging GenAI tools for test case generation, and intelligent test optimization. Quality Process & Governance ▸   Define QA entry/exit criteria, testing policies, and quality gates across the SDLC.▸   Own quality metrics and dashboards — coverage, defect trends, automation ROI, and release readiness reporting.▸   Drive shift-left quality initiatives — embedding test thinking in requirements, architecture, and design phases.▸   Conduct risk-based test planning and communicate quality risk to stakeholders with clarity and evidence.▸   Lead test reviews, retrospectives, and continuous improvement of QA processes.▸   Establish governance frameworks for AI/ML testing — including model versioning, explainability testing, and compliance validation for AI-driven features. People & Collaboration ▸   Mentor, coach, and develop Junior and Mid-level Test Engineers in both technical and professional skills.▸   Act as a quality ambassador, fostering a quality culture within Agile delivery teams.▸   Collaborate with architects and developers to ensure system designs are testable and observable.▸   Represent the QA function in cross-team and stakeholder forums — providing quality assessments and release recommendations.▸   Champion AI literacy within the QA team — upskilling engineers on AI testing methodologies, GenAI tools, and emerging AI quality practices.

REQUIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS ▸   Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent (or demonstrable equivalent experience).▸   8+ years of software testing experience, with at least 3 years in a senior or technical lead capacity.▸   Expert-level Java programming — design patterns (Factory, Strategy, Builder), multi-threading awareness, and clean code principles.▸   Deep expertise in Rest Assured — advanced request chaining, dynamic extraction, schema validation, and data-driven strategies.▸   Advanced Selenium WebDriver skills — grid management, parallel execution, custom reporting, and complex DOM interactions.▸   Deep CI/CD expertise — pipeline design, parallelization of test stages, test result publication, and failure triage automation.▸   Solid knowledge of distributed systems and microservices architecture, including experience with AWS.▸   AI/GenAI Testing Expertise — Hands-on experience testing AI/ML models, GenAI applications, and LLM-based systems; understanding of model validation, bias detection, prompt engineering testing, and AI-specific quality metrics.▸   AI/GenAI Testing Expertise — Hands-on experience on Co-Pilot and similar tools.

PREFERRED / NICE-TO-HAVE ▸   ISTQB Advanced Level Certification — Test Manager or Test Automation Engineer certification.▸   API and Contract Testing — Experience with tools such as Pact, Postman, JMeter, and Gatling.▸   Observability Practices — Familiarity with log analysis and distributed tracing (Dynatrace) in a testing context.▸   Regulated Industry Experience — Preferably in Airlines/ Retail domains.▸   Infrastructure-as-Code and Container Orchestration — Knowledge of Docker and Kubernetes for test environment management.▸   AI/GenAI Testing and Automation — Experience with AI-powered testing tools, GenAI for test case generation, or machine learning models for defect prediction and test optimization.

COMPETENCIES ▸   Strategic quality thinking — the ability to define and drive quality vision aligned with business objectives.▸   Technical mastery — recognized as a subject matter expert across test automation▸   Leadership and influence — inspires quality culture without direct authority; influences developers and architects.▸   Stakeholder management — can articulate quality risk and status in business terms to non-technical audiences.▸   Problem ownership — takes end-to-end ownership of complex quality issues and drives resolution.▸   Coaching and development — actively invests time in growing the skills of the QA team.▸   AI and GenAI Proficiency — Demonstrates expertise in leveraging AI/GenAI tools for test automation, defect prediction, and quality optimization; stays current with emerging AI technologies and their application in quality engineering.