Hybrid Lead Software Development Engineer in Test, SDET

at Neara

• Job title: Lead Software Development Engineer in Test, SDET
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Senior
• Salary: Not specified
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Tech skills: Cloud, Cypress, JavaScript, Jenkins, Python, Selenium
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Sydney, Australia

About the role

• Lead, Software Development Engineer in Test to establish and lead Neara’s QA Automation practice. Architecting a robust testing framework across UI, API, and backend with modern tools.

Responsibilities

• Build & Lead Test Automation
• Design, build, and own Neara’s automated testing framework for acceptance and integration testing, ensuring coverage across UI, API, and backend layers.
• Select and implement modern test automation tools (e.g. Selenium, Playwright, Cypress), integrating them into our CI/CD pipelines for continuous validation.
• Translate product test plans into efficient, maintainable automation scripts that enhance release reliability and developer confidence.
• Define the testing architecture, infrastructure, and documentation that will scale with the product and the business.
• Engineer for Quality & Velocity
• Embed quality early in the development lifecycle by collaborating closely with engineers and product managers.
• Analyse results, identify root causes, and drive the resolution of quality issues through proactive test design.
• Build quality metrics and dashboards that clearly communicate release readiness and product health.
• Balance automation with smart manual testing and designing efficient processes for areas that require human validation.
• Run and champion “Test Parties” to engage teams in collective quality ownership.
• Shape the Future of QA at Neara
• Establish and scale the company’s QA automation function from the ground up: Defining the tools, processes, and standards that will guide quality for years to come.
• Continuously evolve QA practices to reduce customer-facing bugs, prevent regressions, and validate the accuracy of complex calculations in a sophisticated SaaS environment.
• Serve as Neara’s trusted quality advisor, ensuring that testing strategies align with business outcomes and product goals.
• Drive a measurable increase in release confidence and a reduction in manual testing overhead through automation coverage.

Requirements

• Strong software engineering fundamentals with the ability to write clean, maintainable code in Python or JavaScript
• Deep hands-on experience with modern test automation frameworks (Selenium, Playwright, Cypress)
• Proven experience in API test automation using Postman, Insomnia, or custom scripts
• Working knowledge of CI/CD environments (e.g. Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions)
• Experience testing complex, cloud-based SaaS platforms
• Experience leading or mentoring others in QA automation is a plus, as we expect this function to scale over time
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; or equivalent hands-on experience.
• 3–5+ years in a software development or test automation role.

Benefits

• Competitive salary + ESOP
• Fully flexible working arrangements with a well-stocked office in Redfern
• Highly meritocratic, non-bureaucratic, and no-ego work culture
• Significant career development and growth opportunities
• The opportunity to work on complex, meaningful products and real-world problems
• The opportunity to play a direct, critical role in the trajectory of a high growth company