Senior Test Automation Engineer (3)

Senior Test Automation Engineer

Spatial Front, Inc. (SFI), a two-time USA Today Top Workplaces awardee and Washington Top Workplaces honoree, is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Test Automation Engineer to join our dynamic development team supporting our client in Suitland, MD. SFI is responsible for providing full life cycle software development / DevOps for a federal agency.

This role will lead the design, development, and implementation of robust automated testing frameworks and drive strategic quality initiatives across the software development lifecycle. As a senior member of the team, you will collaborate closely with developers, product managers, and business analysts from project inception, championing Test-Driven Development (TDD) practices and ensuring quality is embedded into every phase of development. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in Java, hands-on experience with Selenium and/or Katalon Studio, and a strong track record of integrating automated testing into GitLab CI/CD pipelines.

Primary Responsibilities

• Framework & Test Development: Design, build, and maintain scalable, reusable automated testing frameworks using Java, Selenium, and Katalon Studio.
• TDD & Architecture Support: Partner with development teams to promote and implement Test-Driven Development (TDD), ensuring testability is built into system design.
• CI/CD Pipeline Integration: Integrate automated test suites into GitLab CI/CD pipelines to support nightly builds and continuous smoke/regression testing.
• Test Automation Execution: Translate manual test cases, user stories, and acceptance criteria into efficient and reliable automated test scripts.
• Defect Management: Identify, document, and track defects; collaborate with developers to troubleshoot issues and validate fixes.
• Reporting & Metrics: Develop clear, metrics-driven reports and dashboards to communicate product quality and release readiness to stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• Minimum 7+ years in software quality assurance
• At least 4+ years focused on automation testing
• Strong experience with Selenium and/or Katalon Studio
• Proficiency in Java with strong object-oriented programming (OOP) principles
• Hands-on experience with GitLab, including branching strategies and CI/CD pipeline configuration
• Proven experience in Test-Driven Development (TDD) using frameworks such as JUnit
• Experience testing RESTful and SOAP APIs using tools like Postman, Katalon, or RestAssured
• Solid SQL knowledge for data validation and test setup
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting abilities
• Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with cloud-based testing platforms (e.g., Sauce Labs, BrowserStack)
• Familiarity with additional programming languages such as Python, JavaScript, or TypeScript
• QA certifications (e.g., ISTQB Advanced Level Test Automation Engineer)

Other Information

• Clearance: Must be authorized to work in the U.S. and be able to obtain a Public Trust clearance.
• Background checks may include Criminal History, Education Verification, Employment Verification, Professional Certifications, and Credit History. (Public Trust investigations typically take 4–8 weeks and require fingerprinting.)
• Work Environment: Flexible/remote, with occasional on-site support as needed.
• Salary Range: $90,000 – $138,000 annually
• Benefits: SFI offers a comprehensive benefits package. Details available at SFI Careers.
• This is a full-time, W2 position.
• No agencies, third parties, or Corp-to-Corp submissions.
• Spatial Front Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer — all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status.
• SFI participates in E-Verify.