Senior QA Automation Engineer

At Morningstar, helping investors is what brings us together and drives our work. We're looking for a Senior QA Automation Engineer to join our Individual Investor team and play a key role in driving the quality of our financial applications.
About the role
In this role, you'll leverage your automation expertise to enhance and scale our automation framework, enable comprehensive test coverage, and work closely with cross-functional teams to ship high-quality software. As an experienced member of the team, you will also mentor junior QA engineers, share best practices, and contribute to the continuous improvement of our testing infrastructure and processes. With a growth mindset and openness to feedback, you're committed to building a team culture centered on collaboration, innovation, and meaningful impact. If you are driven by quality, love solving complex problems, and thrive in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment, we'd love to have you on our team! This position is based in our Chicago office. We follow a hybrid policy of at least 4 days onsite.
Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.
Key Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable automation frameworks to enhance test coverage, reliability, and efficiency
• Create and execute comprehensive automated test suites, covering both UI and API layers
• Document test plans and strategies and execute manual test cases on new features with an eye to automating them
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams-including developers, product managers, and QA peers-to define effective test strategies aligned with product goals
• Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines to support fast and stable releases
• Participate in code reviews to uphold quality standards and ensure maintainable test scripts
• Advocate for and implement shift-left testing by working closely with development teams early in the SDLC
• Conduct performance testing to uncover bottlenecks and ensure systems stability
• Generate clear, actionable test reports and dashboards to communicate key quality metrics
• Continuously evaluate and optimize testing processes for greater performance and scalability
• Guide and mentor junior QA engineers, sharing best practices and technical expertise in automation
• Engage in Agile ceremonies such as daily stand-ups, sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives to support team alignment and delivery
• Research, assess, and implement new tools and technologies to continuously evolve QA and automation practices

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related technical field
• 6+ years of experience in software quality assurance, with at least 3-5 years focused on test automation
• Proven experience with JavaScript (or TypeScript), with hands-on experience using Playwright or similar UI automation tools
• Proficient in API testing (manual and automated) using tools/frameworks such as REST Assured, ReadyAPI, or equivalent
• Demonstrated experience building or significantly enhancing automation frameworks from the ground up
• Solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines and integrating automated tests into DevOps workflows
• Experience with performance testing using tools like JMeter (or similar), and working knowledge of security testing practices
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies (Scrum or Kanban) and tools like Jira and TestRail
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with high attention to detail
• Proven ability to lead initiatives, mentor teammates, and work effectively within cross-functional teams

Preferred:

• Experience working with cloud platforms, especially AWS
• Familiarity with version control systems like Git, and CI tools such as Jenkins, CircleCI, or GitHub Actions
• Understanding of advanced QA practices, exploratory testing and risk-based testing

Total Cash Compensation Range
$92,525.00 - 157,275.00 USD Annual
Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive
Compensation and Benefits
At Morningstar we believe people are at their best when they are at their healthiest. That's why we champion your wellness through a wide-range of programs that support all stages of your personal and professional life. Here are some examples of the offerings we provide:

• Financial Health
  • 75% 401k match up to 7%
  • Stock Ownership Potential
  • Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission

• Physical Health
  • Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions (up to $500-$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages
  • Additional medical Wellness Incentives - up to $300-$600 annual
  • Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance

• Emotional Health
  • Trust-Based Time Off
  • 6-week Paid Sabbatical Program
  • 6-Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave
  • Competitive 8-24 Week Paid Parental Bonding Leave
  • Adoption Assistance
  • Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
  • Annual Education Stipend
  • Tuition Reimbursement

• Social Health
  • Charitable Matching Gifts program
  • Dollars for Doers volunteer program
  • Paid volunteering days
  • 15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups

Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.