Senior Automation QA Engineer

Senior Automation QA Engineer (Networking/Telecom Domain)

Experience:
4+ years

Location: Kochi/Thirivanathapuram, Hybrid- 4-day office 1 1-day WFH

This is a critical role for our client with a strong background as an Automation QA Engineer or Software Developer in Test (SDET), who is passionate about building, maintaining, and scaling robust automated test solutions for technically complex, high-load, and distributed systems.

Note:
Due to the specialised nature of our client's business, candidates with prior work experience in the
Networking, Telecom, Cybersecurity, or High-Load/Distributed Systems
domain are strongly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

• Automation Framework Leadership:
  Design, develop, and maintain advanced, scalable, and reusable test automation frameworks, with a strong focus on Python and the
  pytest
  ecosystem.
• Coding & Scripting:
  Write high-quality, maintainable test code in Python, applying strong Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) principles and design patterns. Utilize features like mocking, parametrization, and custom fixture layers effectively.
• System Testing:
  Implement comprehensive test automation for UI (Web) and Mobile applications using modern tools like
  Selenium WebDriver, Appium, Playwright, or Cypress
  .
• Distributed Systems Testing:
  Develop and execute automation tests for complex backend systems, including those leveraging message brokers/streaming systems like
  Apache Kafka
  and
  RabbitMQ
  .
• CI/CD Integration:
  Champion a solid CI/CD mindset, integrating automated tests seamlessly into pipelines using tools such as
  Jenkins, TeamCity, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI
  to ensure continuous quality.
• Environment Management:
  Build and manage containerized test environments using
  Docker
  and
  Docker Compose
  , with a working understanding of orchestration platforms like
  Kubernetes (K8s)
  .
• Troubleshooting & Observability:
  Utilize advanced analytical and debugging skills to perform root cause analysis by correlating logs, tracing data, and metrics using observability tools like
  Kibana, Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack, and CloudWatch
  .
• Cloud Proficiency:
  Leverage hands-on experience with cloud platforms (
  AWS, GCP, or Azure
  ) to manage test infrastructure and environments.
• Quality Advocacy:
  Collaborate effectively with Development, DevOps, and Product Management teams, driving a culture of quality and technical excellence.
• Innovation:
  Explore and utilize AI-driven productivity tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude) to enhance test design, documentation, and automation efforts.

Required Skills and Experience

• 4+ years
  of hands-on experience in a dedicated Automation QA Engineer or SDET role.
• 4+ years of strong, hands-on Python experience
  in test automation, including advanced knowledge of OOP, design patterns, and expertise with
  pytest
  (or similar frameworks like unittest).
• Mandatory Domain Experience:
  Proven working experience in the
  Networking, Telecom, Cybersecurity, or High-Load/Distributed Systems
  domain.
• Deep expertise in developing and maintaining automated test frameworks from the ground up (
  Framework Development is a key strength
  ).
• Experience with
  CI/CD
  processes and tools (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, etc.).
• Working knowledge of message brokers/streaming (e.g.,
  Kafka, RabbitMQ
  ).
• Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and cloud services (
  AWS/GCP/Azure
  ).
• Experience with UI/Mobile test automation (Selenium, Appium, Playwright, or Cypress).
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) and collaboration skills.

Bonus Skills

• Experience in multiple programming languages (e.g., JavaScript, Kotlin, Java, or Go).
• Experience with high-load testing and performance engineering.
• Practical experience with AI tools (Cursor, Claude) for coding and productivity.