Senior Automation Tester

Description

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior Automation Tester to architect, develop, and maintain next-generation test automation solutions using industry-leading frameworks and engineering best practices. This senior-level role requires deep expertise in Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) and Test-Driven Development (TDD) methodologies, with a strong command of Java, Selenium, Cucumber, Gherkin, and REST Assured. The ideal candidate will drive automation quality across functional, regression, and API testing while contributing to framework design, grid configuration, and continuous integration pipelines within an Agile delivery environment.

Work Location: On-Site — Woodlawn, MD (5 days/week)

Clearance Requirement: Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance

Education & Experience: Master’s 5 years | Bachelor’s 7 years | 13 years in lieu of degree

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, design, develop, and implement next-generation test automation solutions using software engineering best practices and the latest testing technologies.

• Provide technical leadership and guidance for the development and maintenance of automation artifacts, including the automation framework, Selenium Grid, and automation test scripts.

• Design and develop automation tests leveraging core Java, Selenium WebDriver, Cucumber, and Gherkin to implement Feature files, Test Scenarios, and Step Definitions within a customized test automation framework.

• Build and maintain Selenium automation frameworks using JUnit/TestNG and develop Maven targets to execute automation suites efficiently.

• Develop and execute automation test scripts for REST API validation using REST Assured and other Java-based libraries.

• Utilize Parasoft for functional and API testing as well as environment virtualization and service simulation.

• Configure and maintain Selenium Grid to support parallel test execution and enable cross-platform and cross-browser testing.

• Create, execute, and document manual test scripts, test results, and defect reports as needed to complement automation coverage.

• Apply BDD and TDD methodologies to drive test design, promote collaboration between development and QA teams, and ensure requirements traceability.

• Integrate automated regression suites with Jenkins CI/CD pipelines to support continuous testing and delivery workflows.

• Perform SQL queries against relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, DB2, Oracle) to validate data integrity and verify test results.

• Leverage Web Services technologies including REST, SOAP, XML, and JSON to design and execute comprehensive API and integration test coverage.

• Collaborate actively within Scrum and/or Kanban Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, backlog grooming, daily stand-ups, retrospectives, and demonstrations.

• Maintain source code versioning, manage branches, and conduct Pull Requests using Git/Stash to ensure code quality and team collaboration.

• Perform all other duties as assigned or directed in support of the software quality and delivery mission.

Preferred / Desired Qualifications

• Experience configuring and executing automated regression suites using Jenkins CI/CD pipelines or Selenium Grid.

• Experience with source code versioning, branch management, and Pull Requests using Git and Stash.

• Familiarity with modern enterprise development toolchains including Git/Stash, VersionOne (Agility), Confluence, SonarQube, and Checkmarx.

• Experience with cloud or virtualization technologies such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Docker.

• Experience with additional automation tools such as Playwright (preferred), Cypress, or UiPath.

• Exposure to AI-assisted test automation development and AI-driven test generation techniques.

• Experience building self-healing automation frameworks that adapt to UI or application changes.

• Knowledge of synthetic data generation methods, with or without AI tooling.

• Experience configuring and executing automation tests within containerized environments.

Core Competencies   

• Test Automation Architecture — designing scalable, maintainable frameworks using Java, Selenium, and Cucumber.

• BDD/TDD Methodology — applying behavior- and test-driven approaches to promote quality from the earliest stages of development.

• API & Web Services Testing — REST Assured, Parasoft, and web services validation across REST and SOAP interfaces.

• CI/CD Integration — Jenkins pipeline configuration and Selenium Grid setup for continuous, parallel test execution.

• Agile Collaboration — active participation in Scrum/Kanban ceremonies with strong cross-functional communication skills.

• Data Verification — SQL proficiency for querying relational databases to confirm test data integrity and accuracy.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• 7 years of experience developing automation tests using core Java or Java-based test frameworks.

• 5 years of experience developing automation tests with Cucumber and Gherkin.

• 5 years of experience automating functional and regression test suites with Selenium WebDriver.

• In-depth knowledge of Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) and Test-Driven Development (TDD) approaches to automation testing.

• Extensive practical experience in software development using Java (preferred); JavaScript, TypeScript, or Python also considered.

• Experience developing Selenium automation frameworks with JUnit/TestNG and Maven for suite execution management.

• Experience developing automation test scripts for REST API testing using REST Assured or comparable Java-based libraries.

• Experience utilizing Parasoft for functional testing, API testing, and environment virtualization.

• Experience creating and executing manual test scripts and thoroughly documenting test results and defects.

• Knowledge of relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, DB2, Oracle) and proficiency in SQL for test data verification.

• Experience in setting up and maintaining Selenium Grid for parallel execution and cross-platform test coverage.

• Knowledge of Web Services technologies (REST, SOAP, XML, JSON) and experience testing web services and APIs.

• Comprehensive knowledge of Scrum and/or Kanban Agile development processes and ceremonies.