Principal Software Engineer

Onto

$144K — $216K *
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
  • 8+ years of experience in software testing/quality engineering.
  • 3+ years in a technical leadership or team lead role.
  • Strong programming skills in Java, Python, C#, or JavaScript.
  • Expertise in test automation frameworks like Selenium or Cypress.
  • Experience with API testing and microservices architecture.
  • Hands-on experience with CI/CD tools like Jenkins or Azure DevOps.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and mentor a team of Software Engineers in Test.
  • Define and implement the quality strategy and test architecture.
  • Establish best practices for test automation and quality engineering.
  • Design and maintain scalable test automation frameworks.
  • Conduct root cause analysis for defects and implement preventive measures.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define acceptance criteria.
  • Define and report on quality KPIs and drive improvements.

Benefits

  • Annual bonus opportunities tied to company and individual success.
  • Potential long-term incentives related to performance.
Full Job Description
Job Summary & Responsibilities

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Principal Software Engineer in Test to drive quality engineering practices across our software development lifecycle. This role combines deep technical expertise in test automation with leadership responsibilities, ensuring high-quality, scalable, and reliable software systems. The ideal candidate will lead a team of SDETs, define testing strategies, and collaborate closely with engineering, product, and DevOps teams.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy
  • Lead, mentor, and grow a team of Software Engineers in Test.
  • Define and implement the overall quality strategy, test architecture, and automation roadmap.
  • Establish best practices for test automation, CI/CD integration, and quality engineering.
  • Drive a shift-left testing approach and promote a culture of quality ownership across teams.


Technical Execution
  • Design, develop, and maintain scalable test automation frameworks (UI, API, performance, and integration).
  • Ensure high test coverage through automated testing strategies.
  • Improve test reliability, execution speed, and maintainability.
  • Conduct root cause analysis of defects and implement preventive measures.
  • Contribute to code reviews, ensuring testability and quality standards.


Collaboration
  • Partner with developers, product managers, and DevOps engineers to define acceptance criteria and quality metrics.
  • Participate in sprint planning, backlog grooming, and release planning.
  • Advocate for testability, observability, and resilience in system design.
  • Work closely with CI/CD teams to integrate automated tests into pipelines.


Quality Assurance & Metrics
  • Define, track, and report quality KPIs (defect density, test coverage, automation pass rate, etc.).
  • Drive continuous improvement of testing processes and tools.
  • Ensure compliance with performance, security, and scalability standards.


Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
  • 8+ years of experience in software testing/quality engineering.
  • 3+ years in a technical leadership or team lead role.
  • Strong programming skills in languages such as Java, Python, C#, or JavaScript.
  • Expertise in test automation frameworks (e.g., Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, Appium, RestAssured).
  • Experience with API testing, microservices architecture, and distributed systems.
  • Experience with generative/agentic AI tools like MS Copilot
  • Hands-on experience with CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps).
  • Strong understanding of Agile/Scrum methodologies.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with performance testing tools (e.g., JMeter, Gatling, k6).
  • Knowledge of containerization and cloud platforms (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure).
  • Familiarity with test data management and service virtualization.
  • Experience implementing test strategies in large-scale, enterprise environments.


Compensation & Growth
• Base Salary Range:
$144,000.00 - $216,000.00, offered in good faith and based on experience, location, and qualifications.

  • Additional Rewards: Annual bonus opportunities and potential long-term incentives tied to both company and individual success.

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Onto

  • Senior Systems Engineer
    $115K — $172K *
    Wilmington, MA 01887 (Middlesex County)
    Manufacturing & Automotive
    In-Person
  • Planner 3
    $76K — $114K *
    Milpitas, CA 95035 (Santa Clara County)
    Manufacturing & Automotive
    In-Person
  • Electrical Engineer 3
    $108K — $162K *
    Milpitas, CA 95035 (Santa Clara County)
    Manufacturing & Automotive
    In-Person
  • Senior Applications Engineer
    $115K — $172K *
    Wilmington, MA 01887 (Middlesex County)
    Technical Services
    In-Person
  • Applications Engineer 3
    $96K — $145K *
    Wilmington, MA 01887 (Middlesex County)
    Manufacturing & Automotive
    In-Person

More Information Technology Jobs

Find similar Principal Software Engineer jobs: