About the Role

Our client is looking for an experienced Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) based in Costa Rica to work closely with U.S.-based engineering teams.

This is a high-ownership role focused on ensuring quality across complex, distributed systems. Our client is not looking for someone who only writes automated tests—they are looking for a quality engineer who can think critically about risk, proactively identify gaps, and elevate the quality bar across teams.

Given the nearshore nature of the role, strong English communication skills are essential, as you will collaborate daily with engineers, product managers, and SREs in real time.

What You Will Do

Own the quality strategy for major features and initiatives
Design and maintain robust automated test coverage across APIs, services, and UI
Identify risk areas and propose practical mitigation strategies
Reduce test flakiness and improve signal-to-noise in CI pipelines
Ensure systems are observable, testable, and measurable
Partner early with engineers during design phases to improve testability
Continuously improve test coverage, reliability, and execution speed
Help define and drive what “good quality” means across teams

AI & Modern Testing Practices

Leverage AI-assisted tools to accelerate test creation and maintenance
Apply risk-based testing and intelligent test selection
Explore AI-driven approaches to improve coverage analysis and defect detection
Experiment with modern automation and quality engineering techniques

Tech Stack

Backend: Kotlin, Java, Spring Boot
Frontend: TypeScript, React
Testing: Cypress, Playwright
Infrastructure: Kubernetes
Tools: GitHub, GitHub Actions (CI/CD)

What We’re Looking For

Strong experience in test automation (APIs, services, end-to-end workflows)
Deep understanding of test strategy, not just execution
Hands-on experience working in CI/CD environments
Ability to identify quality gaps and drive improvements independently
Strong English communication skills
Experience working with distributed or nearshore teams

Who You Are

You take initiative and ownership—you don’t wait to be told what to fix
You focus on outcomes, not just tasks
You are collaborative, humble, and open to feedback
You think in terms of systems and risk, not just test cases
You are pragmatic, knowing when to automate, investigate, or improve processes

Nice to Have

Experience with distributed systems or cloud-native applications
Familiarity with Kubernetes environments
Experience improving flaky test suites at scale
Background in mentoring or guiding quality practices
Exposure to AI-assisted development or testing workflows

Why join this opportunity? You’ll have the chance to work on high-impact cybersecurity simulation platforms within a team that values ownership, clarity, and continuous improvement. This role offers the opportunity to influence engineering quality at an organizational level while collaborating closely with U.S.-based engineering and product teams.

If you are a quality-driven engineer who values ownership, communication, and continuous improvement, we would love to hear from you.

Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)