Principal Quality Assurance Engineer

Principal Quality Assurance Engineer

📍 Location: Santa Ana, CA, US

🏢 Industry: Food and beverages manufacturing

💼 Work Setting: Hybrid

Are you a QA Automation leader with deep expertise in test framework development, ERP testing, CI/CD integration, and enterprise quality engineering?

We are seeking a Principal IT QA Automation Engineer to lead the design and development of scalable test automation frameworks, drive enterprise testing strategy, and establish best practices that improve software quality, increase automation coverage, and strengthen release readiness. This is a highly technical, hands-on role focused on automation architecture, quality governance, ERP validation, API testing, performance testing, and stakeholder collaboration.

The ideal candidate combines expertise in Python/Java automation development, Playwright, PyTest, TestNG, CI/CD, ERP testing, API testing, performance engineering, and quality strategy with strong leadership and communication skills.

Key Responsibilities

Test Automation Framework Development

• Design and build enterprise-grade test automation frameworks from the ground up.
• Develop scalable, reusable, and maintainable automation solutions.
• Establish automation standards, coding practices, and framework governance.
• Improve automation coverage across critical business applications.
• Drive continuous improvement of test automation capabilities.

Core Technologies

• Python
• Java
• Playwright
• Selenium
• PyTest
• TestNG

Enterprise Testing Strategy

• Define and champion enterprise-wide QA standards and best practices.
• Develop comprehensive:
• Test Strategies
• Testing Frameworks
• Quality Standards
• Automation Roadmaps
• Promote shift-left testing practices.
• Increase software reliability and release confidence.
• Support quality engineering transformation initiatives.

CI/CD & DevOps Integration

• Design and implement automated testing within CI/CD pipelines.
• Integrate test automation into development and release workflows.
• Support continuous testing practices throughout the SDLC.
• Develop automated quality gates and release validation processes.

Tools

• Jenkins
• GitHub Actions
• QMetry (Preferred)
• CI/CD Platforms

API Testing & Validation

• Develop and execute automated API testing solutions.
• Validate service functionality, reliability, and integration points.
• Support API regression and integration testing activities.
• Ensure application interoperability and data integrity.

Tools

• Postman
• SoapUI
• REST API Testing Frameworks

Performance & Load Testing

• Design and execute performance testing strategies.
• Develop automated simulation and load-testing scripts.
• Evaluate scalability, stability, and system responsiveness.
• Identify bottlenecks and performance risks.

Tools

• Apache JMeter
• LoadRunner

ERP Testing Leadership

• Lead testing activities for enterprise ERP solutions.
• Support end-to-end business process validation.
• Design automation around critical ERP workflows.
• Ensure business processes function correctly across integrated systems.

ERP Platforms

• Oracle Fusion (Preferred)
• Oracle ERP
• SAP
• JDE EnterpriseOne

Business Process Testing

Develop and validate testing coverage for enterprise business functions such as:

Supply Chain

• Inventory Management
• Manufacturing
• Procurement
• Distribution

Financial Processes

• General Ledger
• Accounts Payable
• Accounts Receivable
• Financial Reporting

End-to-End Business Flows

• Order-to-Cash (O2C)
• Procure-to-Pay (P2P)
• Supply Chain Execution

Test Planning & Governance

• Develop:
• Test Plans
• Test Scenarios
• Test Cases
• Regression Suites
• Automation Strategies
• Review testing approaches with business and technology stakeholders.
• Establish quality metrics and release readiness criteria.
• Drive testing consistency across projects and teams.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

• Coordinate UAT activities with business stakeholders.
• Ensure testing reflects real-world operational scenarios.
• Validate business requirements and process outcomes.
• Facilitate issue resolution and sign-off processes.
• Improve user confidence in system releases.

Defect Management & Quality Assurance

• Analyze and validate test execution results.
• Confirm resolution of reported defects.
• Support root-cause analysis of quality issues.
• Recommend process improvements and alternative testing strategies.
• Ensure defects are properly documented and tracked.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work closely with:

• Business Stakeholders
• Development Teams
• Product Owners
• ERP Functional Teams
• Offshore QA Teams
• DevOps Teams
• Project Managers

Support alignment between quality objectives and business priorities.

Project Coordination & Reporting

• Estimate testing effort and resource requirements.
• Coordinate priorities with development teams.
• Track testing progress and quality metrics.
• Communicate daily and weekly testing status.
• Provide visibility into risks, issues, and release readiness.

Qualifications

Education

Preferred

Bachelor's Degree in:

• Computer Science
• Software Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Information Systems
• Related Technical Discipline

Experience

Required

• 5+ years of experience in Software QA Automation.
• Experience developing automation frameworks from scratch.
• Hands-on experience with:
• Python or Java
• Playwright or Selenium
• PyTest or TestNG
• Experience supporting enterprise application testing.
• Experience leading automation and quality initiatives.

Preferred

• ERP implementation and testing experience.
• Oracle Fusion testing experience.
• Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) or Foodservice industry experience.

Technical Skills

Automation Testing

• Python
• Java
• Playwright
• Selenium
• PyTest
• TestNG

CI/CD & DevOps

• Jenkins
• GitHub Actions
• Continuous Testing
• Build Pipelines
• Release Automation

API Testing

• REST APIs
• Postman
• SoapUI
• Integration Testing

Performance Testing

• Apache JMeter
• LoadRunner
• Load Testing
• Performance Analysis

ERP Systems

• Oracle Fusion
• SAP
• Oracle ERP
• JDE EnterpriseOne

Test Management

• QMetry
• Defect Tracking
• Test Planning
• Regression Testing
• UAT Coordination

Business Knowledge

Strong understanding of:

• Supply Chain Processes
• Manufacturing Operations
• Order-to-Cash (O2C)
• Procure-to-Pay (P2P)
• Financial Workflows
• ERP Business Processes

Core Competencies

• QA Automation
• Test Framework Design
• Python Automation
• Java Automation
• Playwright
• Selenium
• PyTest
• TestNG
• CI/CD
• Jenkins
• GitHub Actions
• Oracle Fusion
• ERP Testing
• API Testing
• Postman
• JMeter
• Performance Testing
• Quality Engineering
• UAT Leadership
• SDLC