Software Development Engineer/TEST - Retail Customer Experience

The Retail Customer Experience group (RCX) owns the software driving large parts of the Amazon retail site. Our group supports the media product lines, including books, music, DVD, and software; as well as the soft lines, including apparel, jewelry, sporting goods, and the recently launched groceries, among others. The existing software is supported by a team of Quality Assurance Engineers and Software Development Engineers in Test. Our challenge is to improve quality while increasing the efficiency of our quality group. To do that we have formed a QA Tools team that is engaged in developing tools and frameworks for the quality assurance space.


 


Job responsibilities may include regularly works with QAEs, developers and project managers using functional specifications to develop and execute test plans in support of project development. Develop and review test cases to validate software design using perl scripts to replace manual intervention in pre-flight regression testing wherever practical. Periodically go on call (typically 1 week in 6-8) for website issues. Work internationally with overseas units to ensure quality is maintained on Amazon's international sites.


 


SDETs should be independent thinkers, fully capable of recognizing functional or performance problem areas and finding effective solutions. They are expected to "look below the surface" to provide in-depth analysis. SDETs are further expected to innovate to reduce test script maintenance and make QA processes simpler, more efficient, more uniform, less prone to failure and more capable of error detection.


 


SDETs are expected to devise regression, functional, performance, load, stress, security and integration tests to ensure web site performance and integrity. SDETs are expected to continually raise the bar for QA practices, establishing and documenting procedures which are applicable company-wide, which may then be shared with other QA groups. SDETs frequently work alone or in a two-person team - usually with a QAE.


SDETs are frequently called upon to mentor others who may have less experience in QA scripting or testing functions. SDETs may be assigned to multiple projects at the same time.




The QA Tools team is looking for self-guided, resourceful and hard working software engineers to develop testing suites for its main body of software. Successful candidates would have:


 


o 3+ years of hands-on experience writing automated tests using C++/Java/Perl, both for web applications and back end services


o Deep background in testing in a Linux environment and using shell scripts


o Experience working with Oracle databases and practical experience with SQL


o Strong problem solving skills and an ability to come up with creative solutions to impossible-to-solve problems


o Good communication skills both in person and in writing