Principal Software Quality Specialist

AspenTech•Bedford, MA

About The Position

This role drives technical software quality and engineering excellence across the product lifecycle. You will ensure quality is built into development through modern engineering practices, defect prevention, and data-driven insights—all within an Agile/SAFe delivery model.

Requirements

Bachelors degree required in a relevant technical field.
8–10+ years in Software Quality, Quality Engineering, or SDET leadership roles
Experience working in Agile/SAFe environments (ART-level preferred)
Strong hands-on experience in: Test automation frameworks and strategies, CI/CD pipelines and quality gates
Proven ability to drive engineering-led quality improvements at scale.
Deep understanding of SDLC, modern QA practices, and risk-based testing
Experience with Azure DevOps, or equivalent toolsets
Strong analytical, communication, and influencing skills.

Nice To Haves

SAFe experience or certification
Familiarity with observability or monitoring tools
Exposure to AI-driven quality engineering
Working knowledge of ISO/QMS

Responsibilities

Define and drive modern quality engineering practices across the SDLC, including shift-left testing, test automation, and continuous validation.
Partner with engineering teams to improve unit, integration, API, and end-to-end test coverage.
Establish scalable strategies for test automation frameworks, CI/CD quality gates, and release validation.
Ensure strong alignment between architecture, test strategy, and quality outcomes.
Promote best practices in code quality, testability, observability, and resiliency.
Drive adoption of quality engineering standards across distributed teams.
Ensure quality practices are fully integrated into Agile and SAFe workflows, including backlog refinement, sprint execution, and PI planning.
Embed quality criteria into user stories, acceptance criteria, and Definition of Done.
Align quality priorities with business value, customer impact, and delivery commitments.
Enable teams to apply risk-based testing and validation within fast-paced Agile cycles.
Support consistent application of quality standards across ARTs without slowing delivery velocity.
Identify bottlenecks in development and testing workflows and implement lean, high impact improvements.
Drive continuous improvement cycles using retrospectives and Inspect & Adapt forums.
Improve flow efficiency, cycle time, and release predictability without compromising quality rigor.
Champion a quality-first engineering mindset across teams.
Lead adoption of modern quality practices through coaching, training, and influence.
Collaborate across Product, Engineering, and Leadership to align quality with business outcomes.
Build a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.