Principal Software Development Engineer in Test

What you'll do

• Define and drive the vision, strategy, and roadmap for backend test automation and quality engineering across services and APIs.
• Architect scalable, resilient test automation solutions for distributed backend systems including microservices and event-driven services.
• Embed quality gates and automated validation throughout CI/CD pipelines in partnership with backend engineering teams.
• Use AI coding tools and agents to build production code, automated tests, and internal quality tooling.
• Lead design reviews and mentor SDETs while transitioning ownership of new tools and practices to other engineers.
• Facilitate root cause analysis on high-severity incidents and communicate findings to leadership.
• Define and track advanced quality metrics such as escape rates, flakiness, and reliability to drive data-driven improvements.
• Execute front-end or client-side test automation when cross-functional priorities or coverage gaps require it.

What we're looking for

• 10+ years of experience in quality engineering, automation, or software development with recent leadership in large, complex backend environments.
• Several years of hands-on experience working within a large-scale consumer streaming architecture like Disney+, Hulu, or a comparable OTT platform.
• Expert-level programming skills in Java, Python, and/or Node/JavaScript with strong computer science fundamentals.
• Proven expertise architecting and scaling test automation for distributed, cloud-native backend systems including microservices, REST/gRPC APIs, and message queues.
• Demonstrated experience using AI coding tools and agents to build production code, automated tests, and engineering tooling.
• Proven track record of setting technical direction beyond a single team and acting as a force multiplier for other engineers.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• B.S. in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience.