QA Test Automation Engineer

PURPOSE

Primary responsibility is to design, build, and scale automated testing infrastructure for ibml software-particularly C# Blazor web applications-while maintaining thick-client automation. This role supports the company by reducing regression risk through a layered automation strategy (Unit, API, Integration, UI), ensuring traceability between features and automated tests, integrating automation into CI/CD, and establishing performance/load/stress baselines to detect regressions early.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

* Design, build, and maintain a modular test automation framework in C# for Blazor and other web-based applications (Playwright preferred; Selenium acceptable as needed).
* Maintain and enhance existing thick-client automation using Selenium with WinAppDriver (legacy knowledge of CodedUI is a plus).
* Leverage current AI tools to accelerate automation development (e.g., code generation, test data creation) and continuously adapt to new AI technologies for process improvement and efficiency gains.
* Work within an Agile development team to implement automation solutions with maintainability, scalability, and best practices in mind.
* Gather test requirements and develop test plans and automated test cases independently and through team collaboration.
* Expand automated coverage of prioritized function points using the "right test for the right job" approach (unit, integration, API, and UI automation).
* Implement API-level automation to reduce UI fragility and improve reliability and execution speed.
* Ensure automated tests are traceable to specific features and/or requirements for coverage of visibility and reporting.
* Develop and execute performance, load, and stress testing strategies (multi-user/concurrency) and establish baseline thresholds for regression detection.
* Improve automation reliability (reduce flakiness) through better design, selector strategies, intelligent wait mechanisms, and parallel execution where appropriate.
* Execute and analyze automated test runs in CI/CD pipelines; triage failures and collaborate with developers to determine root cause (test issue vs product defect).
* Document software defects in Azure DevOps with clear reproduction steps and strong technical detail; monitor resolution progress and verify fixes.
* Participate in product/design reviews to provide input on testability, functional requirements, risk areas, and quality impacts.
* Review relevant software documentation to ensure technical accuracy, compliance, and completeness as it relates to test coverage and operational risk.
* Coordinate with other departments as needed to validate fixes/enhancements and ensure shared documentation and expectations remain accurate.
* Support production systems by reproducing defects and creating automated regression coverage for corrective actions when appropriate.
* Communicate alternatives, additions, risks, constraints, and technical design decisions clearly to stakeholders.

PREFERRED SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

* Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, MIS, or equivalent professional experience.
* 4-7 years of QA experience with a heavy focus on test automation engineering and framework development.
* Strong proficiency in C# and the Microsoft .NET ecosystem; daily development and debugging in Visual Studio.
* Proven experience building automation frameworks from scratch using Playwright, Selenium, or similar tools.
* Experience testing modern web applications (Blazor preferred).
* Experience testing both web applications and client-server/thick-client applications.
* Strong experience with Microsoft SQL Server and T-SQL, including complex queries, stored procedures, and data validation for test scenarios.
* Experience with API-level test automation and integration testing approaches.
* Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated test execution (Azure DevOps preferred).
* Experience with performance/load/stress testing tools or platforms (k6, JMeter, Azure Load Testing) and ability to define baselines and interpret results.
* Strong version control skills (Git/ADO), including branching, pull requests, reviews, and merge conflict resolution.
* Understanding of the testing pyramid and ability to select the appropriate level of testing (unit vs API vs UI) to maximize coverage and stability.
* Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments.
* Excellent planning, observation, written, and organizational skills; realistic scheduling and observance of deadlines.
* Strong communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences; ability to collaborate in a team-based environment.
* Ability to multi-task, be detail-oriented, and prioritize work independently.
* Flexibility and a positive attitude toward change, improvement, and evolving automation architecture (including AI-assisted workflows).
* Entity Framework experience is a plus.
* Cross-browser validation experience is a plus.
* Experience with asynchronous operations requiring intelligent wait strategies is a plus.

ADDITIONAL NOTES