Lead Software Engineer in Test

We’re Looking For A(n): Lead Software Engineer in Test

Location: Hybrid (El Segundo CA and/or Burbank/North Hollywood CA)

What You’ll Be Doing: The Lead Quality Engineer is a hands-on technical leader owning test automation strategy. This person designs scalable automation frameworks integrates testing into CI/CD pipelines mentors and directly influences the organization’s ability to ship frequently reliably and with confidence. The role balances strategic test architecture with day-to-day leadership.

Test Strategy & Architecture

• Own the end-to-end test automation strategy across unit integration acceptance and non-functional testing layers
• Design and maintain scalable automation frameworks for APIs web and mobile platforms
• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines for rapid feedback
• Leverage AI-powered tools to accelerate test creation expand coverage and reduce test maintenance burden

Engineering Quality Culture

• Champion a culture where quality is a shared responsibility across engineering
• Lead exploratory and usability testing practices throughout the delivery process
• Advocate for testable loosely coupled architecture in design reviews and technical planning
• Analyze application logs monitoring data and production incident patterns to inform and expand test coverage strategy

• Reduce change failure rate and shorten lead time by improving test coverage and feedback speed
• Identify and eliminate testing bottlenecks that slow the delivery pipeline
• Report quality trends and risk to engineering leadership; serve as escalation point for QA matters

• Provide technical leadership through code reviews framework design guidance and best-practice documentation
• Foster a learning culture: run knowledge-sharing sessions stay current on testing tools and drive adoption of AI-assisted test generation to multiply the team’s output

Qualifications (Note: We strongly encourage you to apply even if you don’t tick ALL of these boxes.):

• Technical depth with strategic thinking — Can architect frameworks and also zoom out to align testing strategy with business delivery goals

• Quality ownership mindset — Views quality as a system-level outcome; advocates for building quality in rather than inspecting it out
• Coaching & influence — Elevates the testing capability of QA engineers through pairing mentoring and clear documentation
• Cross-functional collaboration — Works effectively across Development DevOps Product and Security to embed quality throughout delivery
• Data-driven decision making — Uses metrics (coverage defect trends pipeline health) to prioritize improvements and communicate quality posture
• Continuous improvement orientation — Relentlessly improves processes tools and test suites; never satisfied with the status quo
• Communication — Translates technical quality concepts into business-relevant language for stakeholders at all levels
• Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Software Engineering or related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• Preferred Education: Master’s degree in Computer Science Software Engineering or related field (or equivalent practical experience)

• Required Experience:

  • 5+ years in QA/test engineering with 3+ years in a lead or senior IC automation role.
  • Hands-on experience designing and building automation frameworks (not just writing scripts).
  • Strong proficiency in at least one programming language (Java Python TypeScript or C#).
  • Expertise with modern test frameworks (e.g. Playwright Jest Selenium Cypress Appium RestAssured).
  • Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins GitLab CI GitHub Actions).
  • Demonstrated experience using AI-powered tools (e.g. LLM-based code assistants AI test generators) to create maintain or expand automated test suites
  • Experience using observability tools (logs monitoring APM) to identify production issues and inform test strategy
  • Strong understanding of TDD and BDD practices.
  • Proven ability to mentor engineers and influence testing culture across an organization.

• Preferred Experience:

  • 7+ years in QA/test engineering with 3+ years in a lead or senior IC automation role
  • Load testing experience
  • Microservices and distributed systems testing
  • Security testing integration (shift-left security).
  • Experience in regulated environments or with compliance requirements

• Comprehensive healthcare coverage – We cover 100% of premiums for medical dental and vision plans for employee-only plans.
• Annual bonus
• We match up to 3.5% of your 401k contributions ensuring your retirement savings grow alongside your career.
• 6 paid sick and mental health days an Employee Assistance Program free weekly yoga and meditation classes and additional mental health benefits because we take a holistic approach to your well-being.
• Invest in your future with our Employee Stock Ownership Plan where company contributions fund your retirement plan with company stock. Learn more.
• Reimbursements for a portion of personal cell phone and internet usage for eligible employees.
• Professional development opportunities with mentorship continuous learning programs and performance-based pay increases empowering you to progress and excel in your career.
• Through our charity sponsorships you can make a positive impact on communities worldwide. We’ve donated over $9 million to date.
• Potential for quarterly KPI bonuses.

The base salary range is $124000-$155000 plus bonus potential.

The posted salary range in this job posting reflects data based on California's cost of labor analysis. This salary range is subject to change per state; please click here to find the pay differential in your state of residence if the role is remote. 

Salary is based on a wide range of factors that include relevant experience knowledge skills other job-related qualifications and geographical location.

What We Do

Golden Pet Brands is leading America’s pet health revolution by making longevity-focused nutrition simple for pet parents and rewarding for pets through product excellence education and storytelling.

Why Work With Us

We’re 100% dedicated to creating and fostering a safe collaborative supportive and creative workplace where everyone has a voice. Our energetic work space offers a fun environment with plenty of opportunity to work as part of a fantastic and uplifting team