Senior Quality Assurance Engineer

Job Description

Senior Level - K1X Next Platform

We are seeking a Senior Quality Engineer to join our Next Platform team — K1X's latest and most advanced application. In this role, you will be a technical leader responsible for defining and implementing automation strategies, building scalable testing frameworks, and establishing quality standards. You will develop deep expertise in the Next Platform and its underlying tax domain, becoming a subject matter expert (SME) who guides both manual and automated testing strategies. This individual will architect comprehensive automated testing solutions while also performing critical manual testing for complex scenarios and new features, serving as the quality authority for the application.

This team member must be a proven technical leader with deep expertise in test automation and quality engineering. You are an excellent communicator who can bridge technical and business stakeholders, translating quality metrics and risks into actionable insights. You are detail-oriented with exceptional troubleshooting abilities, capable of diagnosing complex system issues across multiple layers of the application stack. You demonstrate self-direction and can drive initiatives from concept through implementation with minimal oversight.

Responsiblities

Domain Expertise & Application Knowledge

• Develop comprehensive understanding of the Next Platform application, its architecture, and business workflows
• Master K-1 partnership and S-corporation tax forms, tax processing rules, and related financial documents
• Understand and articulate complex tax domain concepts to guide testing strategy and prioritization
• Serve as the quality authority for application functionality, user workflows, and business requirements
• Collaborate with Product Management to ensure requirements are testable and complete
• Identify gaps in requirements and advocate for clarity before development begins

Manual & Exploratory Testing

• Perform sophisticated manual testing for complex scenarios, new features, and critical business workflows
• Design and execute exploratory testing sessions to uncover edge cases and usability issues
• Conduct deep-dive testing of integrations with external tax systems and data sources
• Validate document processing accuracy, including PDF generation and tax form calculations
• Test complex user journeys end-to-end to ensure seamless experience

Automation & Tooling Strategy

• Design, architect, and implement comprehensive test automation frameworks using Playwright as the primary E2E and API testing framework
• Leverage Claude Code (AI-assisted development) to accelerate test case generation, maintain test suites, and improve overall automation output
• Lead the integration of Playwright-based automated tests into CI/CD pipelines, ensuring seamless deployment validation
• Establish Playwright and Claude Code best practices, coding standards, and reusable patterns for the QA team
• Drive the adoption of shift-left testing practices across development teams, using Claude Code to generate and validate tests early in the SDLC
• Build reusable Playwright test libraries, page object models, and utilities to accelerate automation development
• Evaluate and integrate additional testing tools and technologies as needed to complement the Playwright + Claude Code foundation

Test Planning and Strategy

• Define and implement QA strategies aligned with Next Platform goals and timelines
• Conduct risk-based regression analysis and establish testing priorities for releases
• Develop comprehensive test plans and strategies for functional, regression, integration, API, and security testing
• Leverage AI tools and techniques for requirements analysis, test case generation, and quality validation
• Establish quality metrics and KPIs to measure testing effectiveness

Technical Leadership

• Lead testing efforts for complex features and system integrations
• Provide technical guidance on test architecture, design patterns, and best practices
• Drive continuous improvement in QA processes, tools, and methodologies
• Champion quality throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC)
• Influence engineering decisions with a quality-first perspective

Test Execution and Defect Management

• Design and execute sophisticated test scenarios for end-to-end (E2E), API, and integration testing
• Balance automation and manual testing based on feature complexity, risk, and return on investment
• Identify, document, and track defects using Jira, ensuring timely resolution and thorough root cause analysis
• Collaborate with development teams to reproduce complex issues and validate fixes
• Work with Production Support to improve bug response times and establish proactive monitoring strategies
• Apply application knowledge to assess defect severity and business impact accurately

Mentorship and Collaboration

• Mentor and guide QA team members in automation development, manual testing techniques, and domain knowledge acquisition
• Lead technical discussions and code reviews for test automation
• Share expertise across the team through documentation, training sessions, and pair testing/programming
• Act as a QA representative in cross-functional meetings, providing insights on quality metrics and risk mitigation
• Foster a whole-team approach to quality across the organization

Test Case Management

• Build and maintain comprehensive test case repositories for the Next Platform
• Organize test cases systematically to support efficient regression testing and release planning
• Ensure test documentation is current, comprehensive, and accessible to the team
• Establish traceability between requirements, test cases, and defects

Reporting and Analytics

• Generate detailed test reports and communicate results, risks, and recommendations to stakeholders
• Monitor and analyze testing metrics to identify trends, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities
• Provide visibility into quality status and testing progress through dashboards and regular updates

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent experience)

Experience

• 7+ years of experience in QA or Quality Engineering roles
• 3+ years of hands-on experience building and maintaining test automation frameworks
• Strong foundation in manual testing with ability to design and execute complex test scenarios
• Proven track record of becoming a subject matter expert on applications and business domains
• Experience leading testing efforts for complex applications
• Experience mentoring and guiding team members in testing practices and automation

Technical Skills

Required

• Expert-level proficiency in Playwright for E2E, API, and integration test automation — this is our primary automation framework
• Hands-on experience with Claude Code (AI-assisted development) for test case generation, test maintenance, and automation acceleration
• Strong programming skills in TypeScript or JavaScript, aligned with our Playwright + Claude Code stack
• Strong manual testing skills with ability to design comprehensive test cases and execute exploratory testing
• Deep understanding of API testing tools and methodologies (e.g., Playwright API testing, Postman, REST Assured)
• Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Jenkins)
• Strong knowledge of QA methodologies, test design patterns, and best practices
• Ability to quickly learn complex business domains and become a subject matter expert
• Proficiency with Jira for defect tracking, test case management, and project coordination
• Experience with version control systems (Git, GitHub) including branching strategies and code review practices
• Experience working with JSON and XML data formats
• Solid understanding of software architecture and system design principles

Preferred

• Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
• Familiarity with performance and security testing tools (e.g., SonarQube, OWASP tools, JMeter, k6)
• Experience with additional scripting languages or frameworks
• Knowledge of Agile/Scrum methodologies and experience working in agile environments
• Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Experience testing documents for accuracy
• Experience with PDF processing and validation
• Experience with tax software or financial applications
• Experience using Claude Code or similar AI-assisted development tools for automated test generation and quality workflows
• Familiarity with prompt engineering techniques for effective AI-assisted testing — we actively use Claude Code as part of our QA toolchain
• Experience with test management tools (e.g., TestRail, Zephyr)
• Knowledge of database testing and SQL

Soft Skills

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to troubleshoot complex technical issues
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to present to technical and non- technical audiences
• Proven leadership abilities with experience influencing without direct authority
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment while driving independent initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize multiple initiatives and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Self-motivated with strong ownership mentality and accountability for outcomes
• Strategic thinker who can balance long-term quality goals with immediate delivery needs

What Sets This Role Apart

This position offers the opportunity to shape the quality strategy for K1X's Next Platform — our most advanced and strategic product. As a Senior Quality Engineer, you'll have significant influence over technical direction, tooling decisions, and quality standards. You'll balance strategic automation initiatives with hands-on testing of critical features, working with a collaborative team that values innovation, continuous improvement, and technical excellence. If you're passionate about automation, enjoy learning complex business domains, love solving challenging technical problems, and want to build something meaningful from the ground up, this role offers exceptional growth and impact opportunities.

Benefits

• Unlimited Vacation Policy + Sick Time
• Fully Remote Opportunity
• Benefits/401K
• Growing Startup Culture
• Unlimited Vacation Policy + Sick Time + Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Fully Remote Opportunity
• Healthcare Benefits and 401K
• Growing Startup Culture