Senior Technical Engineering Manager, SDET

Position OverviewAs a Senior Technical Engineering Manager, SDET at Alkami, you will lead, mentor, and scale a team of Software Development Engineers in Test (SDETs) responsible for delivering high-quality, scalable, and reliable automation frameworks and testing solutions.This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on technical execution — requiring you to stay close to the codebase and contribute directly to framework design, automation architecture, and quality infrastructure (approximately 20–30% hands-on coding and reviews).You will own and evolve Alkami’s quality engineering strategy, driving quality-first practices across multiple product domains. Working closely with Engineering, Product, DevOps, and Security teams, you’ll embed quality early in the development lifecycle through shift-left testing, continuous validation, and observability-driven feedback loops.Key ResponsibilitiesLead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of SDETs focused on full-stack automation across Web, Mobile, and API layers.Contribute directly to the design, architecture, and development of test automation frameworks, tools, and libraries (~20–30% hands-on coding).Architect and evolve scalable automation frameworks and testing infrastructure to improve reliability, maintainability, and velocity.Define and execute enterprise-level quality strategies across functional, regression, integration, exploratory, performance, and reliability testing.Partner with Development, Product, DevOps, and Security teams to design and implement holistic testing strategies ensuring high-quality releases.Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions) to ensure early defect detection.Lead and analyze performance, load, and scalability testing (JMeter, Gatling), incorporating observability data into quality metrics.Define and track key metrics (e.g., defect escape rate, automation coverage, stability) to drive continuous improvement.Champion modern testing practices: shift-left, mocking, service virtualization, contract testing, and risk-based validation.Ensure robust test environments, data management, and automation infrastructure supporting rapid delivery cycles.Lead hiring, onboarding, and professional development for SDETs, fostering a culture of ownership, inclusion, and continuous improvement.Represent Quality Engineering in enterprise programs, influencing architecture and design for reliability, performance, and customer trust.QualificationsRequired:Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.10+ years in software or quality engineering, including 5+ years in technical leadership roles leading SDET/QA teams.Strong proficiency in Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, or Python.Deep expertise in automation tools: Playwright, Selenium, Appium, JUnit/TestNG, RestAssured, Postman.Proven success in designing and scaling automation frameworks in microservices/cloud-based architectures.Experience integrating automation within CI/CD (Jenkins, GitHub Actions).Understanding of performance testing (JMeter, Gatling) and interpreting system-level metrics.Strong foundation in testing pyramid, mocking, service virtualization, and test data management.Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.Data-driven mindset with proven ability to improve product quality and release velocity.Preferred:Experience in cloud-native environments (AWS preferred — Lambda, EKS, CloudFront, etc.).Familiarity with observability and monitoring tools (Datadog, Grafana, CloudWatch).Experience in regulated domains (e.g., FinTech) with exposure to compliance testing and secure test data management.Understanding of reliability and resilience practices, including chaos engineering, contract testing, and canary deployments.