QA Automation Engineer

Applaudo Studios

About The Position

Applaudo is seeking a hands-on QA Automation Engineer to build and maintain reliable, maintainable test automation while staying connected to the product and its users. The role combines automation development with functional, exploratory, and regression testing as project priorities evolve. The engineer will explore applications, understand user workflows and business requirements, identify quality risks, and design meaningful tests for critical business scenarios. The position requires availability to work from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM US Eastern Time. The engineer will develop scalable Playwright test suites and reusable automation components using maintainable architecture and practices such as the Page Object Model. The role also involves test data management, selector strategy, flaky-test handling, and integrating tests into CI/CD workflows. The engineer will collaborate with Developers, Technical Leads, and QA team members to clarify requirements, investigate defects, improve testability, communicate risks, and continuously improve testing practices. AI-assisted testing tools may be used when appropriate, with generated tests evaluated for quality and meaningful coverage. Applaudo describes itself as an AI-native organization where teams across design, development, cloud, data, and artificial intelligence build and scale solutions. Its stated culture is grounded in Empowering Excellence, Collaborative Teamwork, Unsolicited Respect, Consistent Transparency, and Efficient Communication.

Requirements

Hands-on experience designing, building, and maintaining automated test suites using Playwright.
Experience establishing test automation framework structures, including reusable components and maintainable test architecture.
Proficiency in JavaScript, TypeScript, or a comparable programming language.
Strong knowledge of test design principles, including the Page Object Model, stable selectors, flaky-test management, and test data strategies.
Hands-on experience performing functional, exploratory, and regression testing of web applications.
Experience using version control and code review workflows with GitHub, Azure DevOps, or similar tools.
Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, including identifying quality risks, challenging assumptions, and prioritizing meaningful test coverage.
Ability to quickly understand new products, user workflows, and business requirements before designing automated tests.
Strong communication skills and ability to explain technical decisions, ask relevant questions, and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
Strong ownership, adaptability, and willingness to continuously improve testing practices.
Practical understanding of AI-assisted testing tools, including evaluating generated test quality and identifying limitations.
Strong verbal and written English communication skills.
Availability to work from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM US Eastern Time.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field; equivalent professional experience is also noted.
Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines, including Azure Pipelines or similar tools.
Familiarity with Azure DevOps and Azure Test Plans.
Experience using Playwright MCP or similar AI-assisted testing tools.
Strong understanding of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP).
Working knowledge of SQL and relational databases such as PostgreSQL.
Experience with API testing, including Playwright’s built-in API testing capabilities.
ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) certification.
Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments and participating in planning, refinement, and retrospectives.
Ability to communicate quality risks and test results to non-technical stakeholders.
Experience working remotely with distributed teams and communicating asynchronously.

Responsibilities

Perform exploratory testing to understand application functionality, user workflows, and critical business scenarios before developing automation.
Design, build, and maintain scalable Playwright test suites using the Page Object Model and established automation best practices.
Develop automated regression and core workflow tests based on documented test cases and the team’s automation strategy.
Build reusable test components and maintain reliable automation structures through effective selectors, test data management, and flaky-test handling.
Integrate automated tests into existing CI/CD workflows to support continuous quality validation.
Execute functional, exploratory, and regression testing for new features, bug fixes, and application changes as needed.
Identify test coverage gaps, unreliable automated tests, and quality risks, communicating findings and recommendations to QA leadership.
Collaborate with Developers, Technical Leads, and QA team members to clarify requirements, investigate defects, and improve testability.
Prioritize testing efforts based on user impact, business risks, and project requirements.
Review and improve automation code to ensure readability, maintainability, and long-term reliability.
Use AI-assisted testing tools when appropriate, validating generated tests to ensure they provide meaningful coverage.
Document testing activities, automation decisions, execution results, and identified defects.
Adapt between automation development and hands-on testing according to team priorities and delivery needs.