Staff software engineer jobs in Cranston, RI

This role leads a group of SDET/QA automation engineers responsible for validating software quality across functional, integration, and performance layers. The leader in this position develops and oversees modern testing strategies, ensuring the team delivers reliable, high-performing applications prior to release. They guide test design, automation architecture, and execution, leveraging domain expertise to ensure solutions meet user needs. The position collaborates with engineering, product, and cross-functional teams to enforce high quality standards, introduce process improvements, and drive automated coverage across the testing lifecycle. This individual is hands-on, involved in coding, framework evolution, and coaching the team toward consistent automation practices aligned with engineering standards. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES Quality Leadership & Testing Strategy Advocate for automation-centric testing approaches that include positive, negative, and edge-case scenarios. Identify dependencies across teams and ensure coordinated testing for features spanning multiple squads. Facilitate post-incident reviews and convert learnings into improved test coverage or testing processes. Apply a deep understanding of the testing pyramid and ensure appropriate use of unit, service, and UI-level automation. Confirm all work meets agreed-upon readiness and completion criteria. Promote test-first methodologies such as BDD and TDD. Innovation & Future-Focused QA Practices Explore and introduce AI-driven enhancements to test creation and automation efficiency. Develop strategies on how generative AI can reshape the QA function. Incorporate persona-based, workflow-driven, and customer-centric testing techniques. Automation Engineering & Framework Ownership Enhance and refine automation frameworks to support scalability, shared configuration, and maintainability. Review automation code, provide feedback, and ensure adherence to robust coding standards. Contribute hands-on automation across all layers-API, UI, integration, performance, and backend systems. Integrate automated suites into CI/CD processes and monitor execution results. Lead end-to-end validation efforts spanning multiple system components. Agile Delivery & Team Enablement Support Agile ceremonies and reinforce strong Scrum practices. Estimate work accurately and plan capacity based on sprint goals. Implement continuous-improvement initiatives stemming from retrospectives. Business & Domain Expertise Build a strong understanding of the application domain and user workflows; incorporate this knowledge into testing approach. Encourage the team to adopt customer-focused testing, using personas and real-world use patterns. Identify gaps in team knowledge and recommend targeted training to strengthen expertise. Attain subject-matter proficiency sufficient to explain, demo, and train others on the system. Framework & Tooling Development Understand how to architect and extend testing frameworks to support multiple technologies and platforms. Enhance reusable tools supporting REST/API, UI, performance, ETL/big-data testing, and custom test solutions. Introduce new technologies or AI-driven tools that advance productivity and quality. Tier 3 Technical Support & Troubleshooting Understand how production systems are deployed, configured, and monitored. Prioritize escalated issues and delegate investigation across the team. Contribute to root-cause identification through deep technical debugging. QUALIFICATIONS Education & Experience Bachelor's or Master's degree in a technical discipline (Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics preferred). 10+ years in software development, automation engineering, or technical QA leadership. Hands-on experience with CI/CD, BDD/TDD practices, and automation languages such as C#, Python, or JavaScript. Familiarity with relational databases and test frameworks. Experience with performance testing tools (e.g., JMeter, Neoload). Experience with Playwright or comparable automation frameworks. Proven ability to mentor and lead teams in Agile environments with CI/CD pipelines. Background in financial services or similar regulated industries. Exposure to using generative AI in a development or QA workflow. CORE COMPETENCIES Client Focus: Demonstrates an understanding of customer needs and incorporates this perspective into testing and decision-making. Builds trust through consistent communication and delivery. Collaboration: Works effectively across functions; values input from others; promotes a cooperative environment; willing to compromise to achieve shared goals. Commitment to Quality: Sets high standards for accuracy and thoroughness; proactively checks work for completeness; encourages quality-driven behaviors within the team. Initiative: Acts without waiting for direction; identifies inefficiencies and proposes improvements; takes ownership of opportunities to enhance process or product quality. Results Orientation: Establishes ambitious but realistic objectives; mobilizes resources; adapts when challenges arise; maintains focus on outcomes. Technical Mastery: Maintains strong expertise in QA automation and software development practices; stays current on emerging tools and methodologies; independently solves complex technical problems; prioritizes effectively.