Senior Software Development Engineer in Test

About the role

Alpaca is seeking a Senior Software Development Engineer in Test to enhance our automated and manual testing infrastructure. This role is crucial for enabling our developers to release new features with speed and reliability. You will work with Kubernetes, analyze application code, and contribute to the overall quality of our platform.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Create a thorough testing strategy for our API offerings.
• Improve the developer workflow by standardizing tools and infrastructure.
• Collaborate with other teams to boost test coverage, dependability, and execution speed.
• Guide and mentor product engineers, cultivating a team-wide focus on quality and ongoing improvement.
• Conduct performance, stress, and scalability tests to ensure our platform can manage increasing user demand.

Requirements

• Possess at least 5 years of experience as a Software Development Engineer in Test or Senior Quality Assurance Engineer.
• Have experience writing code in strongly typed programming languages, with a minimum of 1 year working with Go.
• Have built and maintained CI pipelines, with familiarity with GitHub Actions and Google Cloud Build.
• Have experience with microservices, understanding the complexities of building reliable integrations and end-to-end tests.
• Have designed and built automated test frameworks.
• Demonstrate proficiency with Kubernetes beyond basic usage, including creating Helm charts and understanding security best practices. Prior work experience or certifications in this area are required.
• Have previous experience working in a startup environment, understanding the need for adaptability, managing technical debt, and completing tasks with limited guidance.
• Be comfortable taking ownership of tasks from inception to completion, including requirements gathering, technical solution implementation, deployment, and monitoring.

Nice to have

• Experience writing code in Python or TypeScript.
• Experience creating efficient Dockerfiles and secure container images.
• Experience implementing load tests using k6 (REST) and ghz (gRPC), and analyzing pprof/trace output.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code deployments using Argo CD or Terraform.
• Familiarity with Google Cloud Platform and Google Kubernetes Engine.
• Experience with Tilt and building Kubernetes Operators.
• Experience testing event-driven systems, particularly with Kafka or Redpanda.

Skills & tools

• Go
• Kubernetes
• Helm
• GitHub Actions
• Google Cloud Build
• Microservices
• CI/CD
• Python (nice to have)
• TypeScript (nice to have)
• Docker (nice to have)
• k6 (nice to have)
• ghz (nice to have)
• Argo CD (nice to have)
• Terraform (nice to have)
• Google Cloud Platform (nice to have)
• Google Kubernetes Engine (nice to have)
• Tilt (nice to have)
• Kafka (nice to have)
• Redpanda (nice to have)

Practical notes

• Competitive salary and stock options.
• Health benefits.
• USD $500 one-time home office setup stipend.
• USD $150 monthly stipend via a Brex Card.