QA Automation & Performance Analyst

SMART TECH SKILLS LLC•Denver, CO

3d•$40 - $47•Remote

About The Position

The QA Automation Engineer / SDET develops, executes, and maintains automated and manual test strategies across the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC). This role combines robust test automation (Playwright, TypeScript, Java, k6, AI-assisted testing) with exploratory testing, performance validation, and deep-dive technical debugging (log analysis, DevTools, API traces). The engineer collaborates closely with software development and engineering teams to identify quality risks early, manage test data, and ensure robust software reliability and performance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
3 or more years of professional experience in software quality engineering, automated testing, and manual testing.
Strong hands-on proficiency writing and maintaining automated test scripts using Playwright, TypeScript, Java, or similar modern frameworks.
Experience designing and executing performance and load tests using tools such as k6.
Demonstrated technical debugging skills using Google DevTools, application logs, stack traces, and network protocol inspection.
Solid understanding of core testing principles, test design techniques (boundary value analysis, equivalence partitioning), and defect lifecycles.
Experience working with relational and NoSQL databases, SQL queries, and test data management platforms.
Proficiency using test management and issue-tracking platforms such as Zephyr Scale or GitLab.

Nice To Haves

Experience with AI-assisted testing tools, Model Context Protocol (MCP), or modern testing copilots.
Experience conducting heap dump analysis, memory profiling, and advanced performance tuning.
Familiarity with CI/CD pipeline integrations and automated test orchestration.

Responsibilities

Write, execute, and maintain automated test scripts for functional, regression, API, and performance testing using Playwright, TypeScript, Java, k6, and AI-assisted testing tools.
Design realistic performance and load testing scenarios by scripting user journeys, parameterizing data, and building load models.
Identify automation candidates and integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines and test management frameworks (e.g., GitLab, Zephyr Scale).
Translate high-level business and functional requirements into comprehensive, detailed test plans and test cases utilizing boundary value analysis and equivalence partitioning.
Execute structured manual test suites and conduct unscripted exploratory testing to uncover edge-case defects and usability flaws.
Manage and profile test data across relational and NoSQL databases, utilizing specialized test data management and governance platforms.
Investigate, isolate, and debug software defects using developer tools (Google DevTools, stack traces, heap dumps, and HTTP network requests/responses).
Log, track, and manage defect lifecycles, performing root-cause analysis and providing actionable diagnostic detail to developers.
Assess quality risks, evaluate their impact and likelihood, and formulate proactive mitigation strategies early in the development lifecycle.