Lead Software Development Engineer in Test

Role: Lead Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)

Location: Chicago, IL - Hybrid onsite – Initially 2-3 onsite with possibility of full 5 days in few months

Duration: 12+ Month Contract

Must Have Skills/Attributes: API, AWS, Cucumber, Java, Jenkins, Python, REST, SQL

Experience Desired:

Experience in full-stack testing, integration testing with 3rd parties, and end-to-end system integration (10 Years);

Experience with DevOps tools (CI/CD, Jenkins, Git) (10 Years);

Strong experience developing test scripts, test cases, and test data (10 Years);

Ability to write queries in SQL or other relational databases (10 Years)

Required Minimum Education: Bachelor’s Degree

**Only those lawfully authorized to work in the designated country associated with the position will be considered.

**Please note that all position start dates and durations are estimates and may be reduced or lengthened based upon a client’s business needs and requirements.

Job Description

Required Education

·        Degree: Bachelor's degree (required).

·        Total Experience: 10+ years of overall professional experience.

·        Leadership Tenure: 5+ years in a Lead role (with minimum experience leading 5 QE folks at a time).

Required Skills

·        Test Automation Framework: 8+ years of experience in test automation framework design.

·        Programming: 5+ years of strong design and development experience in Java.

·        BDD Tools: 3–5 years of experience with Cucumber, JBehave, or other BDD testing frameworks.

·        API Testing: 3–5 years of strong experience testing Web Services (REST APIs).

·        Database: Ability to write queries in SQL or other relational databases.

·        Testing Scope: Proven experience in full-stack testing, integration testing with 3rd parties, and end-to-end system integration testing for software platforms.

·        DevOps: Experience with CI/CD concepts and tools (e.g., Jenkins, Git).

·        Test Artifacts: Proven experience developing test scripts, test cases, and test data.

Desired Technical Skills (Nice-to-Have):

·        Hands-on experience with Python.

·        Development experience in AWS Cloud technology.

·        3+ years of experience in scenario-based performance testing using JMeter.

·        Experience with Apigee or other API gateways.

·        Experience with TDD, continuous integration, and code review practices.

·        Understanding of microservice architecture.

·        Experience with load and performance testing.

·        Strong documentation skills.

Required Soft Skills:

·        Ability to adapt quickly to a complex environment.

·        Pro-active, flexible, and creative mindset.

·        Very strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with developers and business users.

Critical Disqualifiers (Skill/Logistics Related):

·        Choppy tenure / consistent job hopping.

·        Absolutely no 100% remote work – must be willing to work in the Chicago office (eventually 5x/week).

·        If not local, must relocate at their own expense and be onsite Day 1 (must be stated clearly on the resume).

Job Description

·        This role supports the VL Autonomy program – a new initiative under Fleet Management at Caterpillar.

·        This is a new headcount request. The resource will serve as the Lead Software Engineer/SDET to spearhead this effort.

·        The primary mission is to expand the SIT (System Integration Testing) automation framework and drive the overall test strategy for the program.

·        Develop test automation code for Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD) of systems, infrastructure, and test frameworks.

·        Plan, design, develop, and maintain the API test automation framework to facilitate scripting, execution, and results analysis.

·        Provide technical leadership and mentoring for test engineers across multiple applications/projects (onshore and offshore); train team members to create, execute, analyze, and maintain automated regression suites.

·        Coordinate with the Product Owner to resolve open issues, enhancements, upgrades, and understand specific functionality usage.

·        Develop automated functional scripts using tools such as Java, Karate, and JMeter.

·        Perform exploratory and manual testing of the product suite as appropriate.

·        Provide expertise in testing methodologies, best practices, and standards.

·        Works within a larger team of 20+ members.

·        Participates in AVT calls, design discussions, and coordinates with several other cross-functional teams.

·        Position is hybrid onsite (Chicago office) starting Day 1, with a full return to office (5 days/week) expected eventually.