QA Automation Engineer

About YouYou are a hands-on QA Automation Engineer who enjoys building reliable, scalable automation solutions across mobile, backend, and cloud environments. You go beyond writing individual test scripts, bringing the engineering mindset needed to design frameworks, reusable components, and testing infrastructure that teams can rely on. You are comfortable validating complex end-to-end flows across Android applications, APIs, cloud services, containers, and data layers, and you enjoy investigating failures across multiple parts of the technology stack. You bring strong technical ownership, adapt quickly to new environments, and continuously look for ways to improve automation reliability, coverage, maintainability, and overall product quality. Note: This is an on-site contractor role based in Irvine, California. You Bring to Applaudo the Following CompetenciesBachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.5+ years of hands-on experience in Software Quality Engineering, Automation Engineering, SDET, or similar technical automation roles.Strong experience designing and building automation frameworks, reusable libraries, test infrastructure, reporting, and CI/CD integration.Hands-on mobile automation experience with Appium and Android APKs, including physical or virtual device validation.Strong programming skills in Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, or similar languages.Strong experience with REST API automation, AWS/cloud services, S3, Docker/containerized applications, and end-to-end data validation.Ability to work on-site in Irvine, California, operate independently, communicate progress and risks clearly, and deliver against defined project milestones.Advanced English proficiency, with strong verbal and written communication skills for effective collaboration with US-based stakeholders. Nice to HaveExperience with Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, Azure DevOps, or similar pipeline tools.Experience testing restaurant, retail, IoT, or device-integrated technology platforms.Track record improving automation stability, test data strategy, reporting, and maintainability. You Will Be Accountable For The Following ResponsibilitiesDesign, build, and maintain reusable automation frameworks and test components across API, backend, cloud, container, and mobile/tablet layers.Develop mobile automation using Appium and Android technologies, including APK installation, device interaction, synchronization, app state validation, and troubleshooting.Build end-to-end automation that validates data and functionality across AWS services, S3, REST APIs, Docker/containerized services, and mobile/tablet applications.Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines and improve test reliability, execution speed, coverage, reporting, and maintainability.Investigate automation and application failures by analyzing APIs, cloud services, S3 data, container behavior, logs, and device behavior.Partner with QE, Engineering, and Product teams to identify quality risks, improve testability, and align automation with project priorities.Provide documentation, demos, and knowledge transfer so automation assets can be maintained by the internal QE team after the engagement. Qualifications5+ years of Software Quality / Automation Engineering or SDET experience.Proven experience building automation frameworks from the ground up.Hands-on mobile automation experience with Appium and Android.Strong coding skills in Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, or Python.REST API automation, AWS/S3, and Docker/containerized environments.CI/CD integration and end-to-end automation experience.Advanced English proficiency. Additional InformationAll your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. About Us We Are Engineered Different. At Applaudo, talented people design, build, and scale meaningful, AI-powered solutions that create real business impact. As an AI-native organization, we collaborate across design, development, cloud, data, and artificial intelligence to turn ideas into scalable products that transform how companies operate, make decisions, and grow. We are building a high-performance culture grounded in five values: Empowering Excellence, Collaborative Teamwork, Unsolicited Respect, Consistent Transparency, and Efficient Communication. These define how we work, how we support one another, and how we hold ourselves accountable. Applaudo is a place for people who want to learn fast, take ownership, and work alongside strong teams they are proud to belong to. Joining us means being part of an organization that is evolving intentionally, investing in modern ways of working, and leading AI-native transformation at scale.