Software Engineer in Test

Job Description

SpaceNav is looking for a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) to spearhead the execution of test strategies and elevate product quality by building sophisticated test automation frameworks. This is a high-impact role for an experienced engineer who not only drives deep technical testing initiatives but also helps define and evolve our strategic approach to product quality. SpaceNav develops mission critical flight dynamics applications used to support satellite operations.

As an SDET, you’ll dig deep into SpaceNav’s distributed systems, customer usage patterns, and codebase to uncover gaps in test coverage, extend test automation frameworks, and proactively identify risk areas before our customers ever see them. You’ll partner closely with software engineers to identify complex edge cases, with flight operations engineers to analyze field issues, and with engineering leadership to build long-term roadmaps that strengthen our testing ecosystem.

This role requires both technical mastery and systems-level thinking—you’ll not only solve problems, but also shape how we discover and prevent them.

Responsibilities

• Architect and maintain robust test automation frameworks for web applications and backend services using cutting-edge tools like Playwright.
• Champion product excellence by designing comprehensive test plans that cover everything from intricate UI workflows to high-performance API integrations.
• Collaborate closely with Software Engineers and Flight Dynamics Engineers in an agile environment to resolve complex system malfunctions and streamline the delivery pipeline.
• Drive continuous improvement by integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines, ensuring rapid and reliable software releases.
• Lead technical and strategic initiatives that improve the depth and breadth of our testing coverage across SpaceNav’s product suite
• Perform meta-analysis on customer-reported issues to identify systemic risks and patterns in product usage.
• Define and drive multi-phase roadmaps that enhance our testing environment; balancing short-term improvements with long-term infrastructure and automation goals.
• Mentor other Software Engineers and Flight Dynamics Engineers in advanced test design, system analysis, and debugging best practices.
• Design and evolve the architecture of test frameworks, tooling, and data-driven analysis systems to meet our testing needs that scale with our growing product line.

This position may require occasional stand-by or on-call duties outside of normal business hours, based on business need.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a Software Engineer or SDET, with a Computer Science degree or Software Engineering degree, and/or equivalent technical experience.
• Experience creating and scaling test automation frameworks and automation systems that support both backend and frontend testing. Hands-on experience with test automation frameworks like Playwright, Selenium, Pytest, Jest.
• Strong programming skills in C/C++, Python, TypeScript, or JavaScript to develop scalable automated tests.
• Proven expertise in analyzing complex systems, reading and understanding production code, and designing test strategies for distributed architectures.
• Hands-on experience with cloud and container technologies (Docker, Kubernetes, AWS).
• Modern DevOps knowledge and solid grasp of CI/CD pipelines (Bitbucket, CDK)
• Proficiency in writing SQL/NoSQL database queries
• Proficiency in developing detailed test plans and developing automated tests.
• Author detailed and well-structured test documentation, including test plans, test cases, automated tests, and test reports.
• Maintain and update testing documentation as systems evolve to ensure alignment with organizational requirements.

The salary range for this role is $110,000 - $125,000 per year.