Senior Software Test Engineer III

We are seeking a Senior Software Test Engineer to join PNNL’s TestOps team, leading quality engineering efforts that assure the reliability, performance, and mission readiness of innovative systems spanning agentic AI platforms, large-scale data orchestration, and real-time intelligence processing. This is an excellent opportunity for experienced test engineers to lead test strategy and execution across teams, mature automated quality practices, and drive end-to-end system validation across APIs, data pipelines, and production-like environments supporting mission-critical national security applications. 

Who You Are 

You’re a senior test engineer with 5+ years of experience developing and owning test strategies, test artifacts (test plans, test cases, and test reports), and building/maintaining scalable test automation. You routinely lead cross-functional quality efforts, translate ambiguous requirements into measurable acceptance criteria, and use risk-based approaches to define release readiness. You’re known for strong debugging and systems thinking, and you communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. You mentor others, raise the bar on engineering quality, and help teams ship confidently. 

What You’ll Do 

Test Strategy, Planning, and Quality Leadership 

• Own and lead end-to-end test strategy for programs and/or multiple components, including scope, coverage goals, environments, release criteria, and quality gates
• Partner with engineering, product, and stakeholders to refine requirements into testable acceptance criteria, traceability, and measurable quality outcomes
• Drive risk-based test planning across functional, integration, system, regression, and performance testing; prioritize quality work based on mission impact
• Produce executive-ready quality summaries (coverage, results, trends, residual risk) and recommend go/no-go decisions with clear rationale
• Establish and improve test standards (definitions of done, test naming/structure, flake management, reporting expectations) across the team 

Team Leadership, Mentorship, and Execution 

• Lead and coordinate testing efforts for a small team or a complex initiative; align work across developers, DevOps/platform teams, and data science partners
• Mentor Level 1–2 engineers in test design, automation patterns, debugging, and quality communication; provide guidance through reviews and pairing
• Champion a culture of quality: shift-left practices, defect prevention, and pragmatic automation that increases delivery speed and confidence
• Influence roadmaps by identifying quality risks early and proposing mitigation plans (technical and process) 

Test Automation, CI/CD, and Engineering Excellence 

• Architect and maintain automation across API, UI, integration, end-to-end, and regression layers; emphasize reliability and maintainability
• Implement and standardize automated tests using Cypress.io, Playwright, or similar frameworks; drive down flakiness with robust test design and environment controls
• Integrate test tooling into CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitLab/GitHub) with reporting, metrics, and enforced quality gates
• Validate workflows across APIs, databases, pipelines, and services using SQL and/or GraphQL where appropriate; ensure automation provides actionable diagnostics 

AI/ML and Data-Intensive System Validation (Leadership Focus) 

• Lead validation approaches for models, data, and end-to-end AI workflows, including strategies for non-deterministic outputs and regression detection
• Define and operationalize AI quality attributes (accuracy, precision/recall, relevance, bias/fairness, robustness/consistency) and verify guardrails/safety/explainability expectations
• Drive data quality validation (completeness, correctness, drift, representativeness, label quality) and incorporate checks into pipelines and release processes
• Partner with engineers/data scientists to design repeatable evaluation harnesses and automated regression approaches aligned to mission needs
• Work with AI agents/skills and MCP servers to support test automation workflows and system validation at scale 

Platform, Cloud, and Reliability Readiness 

• Lead quality practices for cloud and containerized deployments; apply strong working knowledge of cloud concepts (AWS/Azure) and container tooling (Docker/Podman, Kubernetes fundamentals)
• Use observability (logs/metrics/traces) to debug failures, validate monitoring coverage, and improve testability and operational readiness
• Drive performance and reliability validation (latency, scalability, stability) and ensure results feed back into design decisions and release gates 

Stakeholder Partnership and Continuous Improvement 

• Serve as a quality leader with end users and stakeholders to prototype, configure, refine, verify, and troubleshoot systems to meet intended use
• Evaluate and introduce new test tools/technologies; build adoption plans and standards that improve quality outcomes and team efficiency
• Establish quality metrics and trend reporting (defect escape rate, test effectiveness, flake rate, automation ROI) and use them to guide improvements 

Collaboration & Professional Growth 

• Lead technical discussions and reviews around test strategy, design, and implementation; influence architecture for testability
• Communicate complex technical risk clearly—written and verbal—tailored to engineers, leadership, and mission stakeholders
• Incorporate feedback from defects and incidents to drive preventive actions and measurable improvements across teams and releases 

National Interest Project Examples 

• Detect and prevent smuggling of drugs and contraband at ports of entry [Link]
• Develop large data pipelines to thwart funding for terrorists, nuclear proliferators, drug cartels, and rogue leaders [Link]
• Applying big data solutions to national security problems [Link]
• Applying image classification for nuclear forensics analysis [Link]
• Develop capabilities for scalable geospatial analytics [Link] 

This position is based in Richland, WA or Seattle, WA and requires an onsite presence Monday through Thursday, with Friday as required by business needs. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD and 1 year of Software Engineering experience -OR-
• MS/MA and 3 years of Software Engineering experience -OR-
• BS/BA and 5 years of Software Engineering experience -OR
• AA and 14 years of Software Engineering experience in designing, architecting, programming, deploying, and automating software solutions in support of scientific research or consumer digital product development -OR-
• HS/GED and 16 years of Software Engineering experience in designing, architecting, programming, deploying, and automating software solutions in support of scientific research or consumer digital product development

Preferred Qualifications:

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
• Experience implementing automated tests using Cypress.io, Playwright, or similar testing frameworks
• Experience using AI-assisted development tools within an IDE, such as VS Code, to write automated tests and troubleshoot issues
• Experience in JavaScript, Python programming languages
• Knowledgeable in using SQL or GraphQL
• Experience developing software test plans, test cases, and test reports
• Knowledge of software engineering best practices and software development lifecycles
• Experience with DevOps and MLOps, including automated tests within CI/CD processes such GitLab or GitHub
• 1+ years of experience using AI tools (i.e. Cline, Roo Code, etc.) within an IDE to write automated tests and/or troubleshoot issues
• Familiarity with AI models such as Claude, Co-Pilot. Knowledgeable in using MCP servers, AI skills, and AI agents
• Experience in validating models, data, and end-to-end workflows/integrations (APIs, databases, pipelines) using data/model validation plus integration, E2E, and regression testing, including handling non-deterministic outputs and real-world/edge/failure scenarios
• Experience in assessing AI quality attributes (accuracy, precision/recall, relevance, bias/fairness, robustness/consistency), data quality (completeness, correctness, representativeness, drift, label quality), plus safety/explain ability/guardrails and performance (latency, scalability, reliability)
• Experience with cloud computing (AWS/Azure)
• Familiar with containerization using Docker/Podman/Kubernetes
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills with attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Not applicable. 

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance (Q/SCI).

A security clearance background investigation includes review of your employment, education, financial, and criminal history, as well as interviews with you and your personal references, neighbors, and co-workers to determine trustworthiness, reliability, and loyalty to the United States.  The investigation also examines your foreign connections, drug and alcohol use, foreign influence, and overall conduct. 

Requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship
• Background Investigation: Applicants selected will be subject to a Federal background investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter in accordance with 10 CFR 710, Appendix B.
• Drug Testing: All Security Clearance positions are Testing Designated Positions, which means that the applicant selected for hire is subject to pre-employment drug testing, and post-employment random drug testing. In addition, applicants must be able to demonstrate non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for the 12 consecutive months preceding completion of the requisite Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP). 

Note: Applicants will be considered ineligible for security clearance processing by the U.S. Department of Energy if non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for 12 months cannot be demonstrated.

“Referral Eligible”

This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). The candidate selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing for illegal drugs, including marijuana, consistent with the Controlled Substances Act and the PNNL Workplace Substance Abuse Program. 

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a world-class research institution powered by a highly educated, diverse workforce committed to the values of Integrity, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Courage. Every year, scores of dynamic, driven people come to PNNL to work with renowned researchers on meaningful science, innovations and outcomes for the U.S. Department of Energy and other sponsors; here is your chance to be one of them!
 

At PNNL, you will find an exciting research environment and excellent benefits including health insurance, and flexible work schedules. PNNL is located in eastern Washington State—the dry side of Washington known for its stellar outdoor recreation and affordable cost of living. The Lab’s campus is only a 45-minute flight (or ~3 hour drive) from Seattle or Portland, and is serviced by the convenient PSC airport, connected to 8 major hubs.

Our laboratory is committed to fostering a work environment where all individuals are treated with fairness and respect while solving critical challenges in fundamental sciences, national security, and energy resiliency. We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. PNNL considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), protected veteran status, and any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local laws.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures and in employment. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, contact us at [email protected].

PNNL is committed to a drug-free workplace supported by Workplace Substance Abuse Program (WSAP) and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs.

If you are offered employment at PNNL, you must pass a drug test prior to commencing employment. PNNL complies with federal law regarding illegal drug use. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.  If you test positive for any illegal controlled substance, including marijuana, your offer of employment will be withdrawn. 

As a national laboratory, PNNL is responsible for adhering to the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Department of Energy (DOE) Order 473.1A, which require new employees to obtain and maintain a HSPD-12 Personal Identify Verification (PIV) Credential. To obtain this credential, new employees must successfully complete the applicable tier of federal background investigation post hire and receive a favorable federal adjudication.  The tier of federal background investigation will be determined by job duties and national security or public trust responsibilities associated with the job. All tiers of investigation include a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture within the last 1 to 7 years (depending on the applicable tier of investigation). Illegal drug activities include marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws.

For foreign national candidates:

If you have not resided in the U.S. for three consecutive years, you are not eligible for the PIV credential and instead will need to obtain a favorable Local Site Specific Only (LSSO) Federal risk determination to maintain employment. Once you meet the three-year residency requirement thereafter, you will be required to obtain a PIV credential to maintain employment. The tier of federal background investigation required to obtain the PIV credential will be determined by job duties at the time you become eligible for the PIV credential.

Please be aware that the Department of Energy (DOE) prohibits DOE employees and contractors from having any affiliation with the foreign government of a country DOE has identified as a “country of risk” without explicit approval by DOE and Battelle. If you are offered a position at PNNL and currently have any affiliation with the government of one of these countries, you will be required to disclose this information and recuse yourself of that affiliation or receive approval from DOE and Battelle prior to your first day of employment.

Employees and their families are offered medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, robust telehealth care options, several mental health benefits, free wellness coaching, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, basic life insurance, disability insurance*, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, tuition assistance, relocation, backup childcare, legal benefits, supplemental parental bonding leave, surrogacy and adoption assistance, and fertility support. Employees are automatically enrolled in our company-funded pension plan* and may enroll in our 401 (k) savings plan with company match*. Employees may accrue up to 120 vacation hours per year and may receive ten paid holidays per year.

* Research Associates excluded.

**All benefits are dependent upon eligibility.

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PNNL lists the full pay range for the position in the job posting. Starting pay is calculated from the minimum of the pay range and actual placement in the range is determined based on an individual’s relevant job-related skills, qualifications, and experience. This approach is applicable to all positions, with the exception of positions governed by collective bargaining agreements and certain limited-term positions which have specific pay rules.

As part of our commitment to fair compensation practices, we do not ask for or consider current or past salaries in making compensation offers at hire. Instead, our compensation offers are determined by the specific requirements of the position, prevailing market trends, applicable collective bargaining agreements, pay equity for the position type, and individual qualifications and skills relevant to the performance of the position.