Senior/Staff Software Engineer, Testing (U.S. Air Force)

Skylight

7h•$150,000 - $203,000•Remote

About The Position

Skylight is hiring a Senior/Staff Software Engineer, Testing to support a U.S. Air Force program office responsible for a portfolio of civil engineering systems used by civil engineering, security forces, and services personnel. The program currently relies on manual regression testing, conducts security reviews after development, and can take a month or more to move from code freeze to production. The role will help transition the program to an outcome-driven model by embedding test automation and security in the delivery pipeline, beginning with migrating the first application to a DoD software factory. The engineer will own test strategy across the application portfolio, determine what to automate first, build regression suites, integrate automated testing into CI/CD, and help the team make clear, reliable release-readiness decisions. They will also lead a shared pool of four test engineers starting in February and coach government engineers and testers so these practices continue after Skylight’s engagement. The first 30 days will focus on learning current delivery, testing, and security processes with Skylight and government personnel. This is new work replacing a traditional support model, and tools and processes may change as the work develops. The position is contingent on Skylight receiving the underlying contract award. This is a full-time, exempt, fully remote role. Work must be conducted within the United States, excluding U.S. territories. Occasional travel to Montgomery, Alabama, and other U.S. Air Force bases is expected. U.S. citizenship, eligibility to obtain a Common Access Card (CAC) and any required special access, and successful completion of a company background check are required. The targeted start date is November 30, 2026, pending contract award.

Requirements

Ability to write clean, working, reusable code.
Familiarity with building secure, compliant software and defending against common vulnerabilities.
Understanding of software system components and how to fit them together while considering performance, reliability, and availability.
Ability to center users in the work and consider the impact and implications of code.
Experience designing test strategy and building automated regression suites for web applications.
Experience leading testers or a testing effort.
Experience working in a government or regulated environment with formal security authorization (ATO).
Experience working on cross-functional teams spanning product, design, engineering, and operations in iterative delivery.
A track record of staying aligned and accountable on remote teams.
A mindset and work approach aligned with Skylight’s core values.
U.S. citizenship.
Ability to obtain a Common Access Card (CAC) and any special access required for the contract.
Successful completion of a company background check.
All work must be conducted within the U.S., excluding U.S. territories.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Selenium or behavior-driven test tools such as Cucumber, and test case management in Zephyr Scale.
Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD, ideally GitLab CI.
Experience testing COTS-based systems such as Esri or IBM TRIRIGA.
Experience using AI-assisted tools for test generation with disciplined review.
Experience delivering technology in government, regulated industries, or other public-benefit settings.

Responsibilities

Design the test strategy for a portfolio of web applications and pragmatically decide what to automate first.
Build automated regression suites and integrate them into the CI/CD pipeline.
Transition the team from manual to automated regression testing and reduce the time from code freeze to production.
Lead a shared pool of four test engineers starting in February and support their professional growth.
Communicate release confidence clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
Pair with and coach government testers and engineers so automated testing practices continue after Skylight’s engagement.

Benefits

Medical insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance.
Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
Life and AD&D insurance.
Dependent care FSA, healthcare FSA, and health savings account.
Dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match up to 10% of salary, with no vesting period.
Flexible paid-time-off policy, generally around 25 days per year, plus 11 paid federal holidays.
Up to 12 weeks of paid time off for eligible new birth, adoption, or foster parents.
Annual salary increases, annual performance bonuses, spot bonuses, and stock options.
Business development and sales bonuses.
Referral bonuses.
Annual $2,000 professional development allowance.
Annual $750 allowance for tech-related purchases.
Annual $100 swag budget.
Flexible, remote-friendly work environment.