Lead Python Test Automation Engineer

We are seeking a Lead Python Test Automation Engineer to drive the technical vision, architectural strategy, and delivery across our quality engineering organization. In this role, you will define enterprise-grade Python test automation frameworks, architect cloud-scale performance, API, and functional testing infrastructure, design autonomous AI agent workflows to scale test generation, and establish engineering benchmarks across multi-interface distributed systems (Web, API, Microservices, DB). You will act as a key technical authority—mentoring engineers, directing overall test strategies, leading client-facing discussions, and steering the disciplined adoption of cloud and GenAI capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Define, architect, and lead the implementation of complex, scalable Python test automation frameworks across Web UI, microservices, APIs, and data layers using pytest, Robot Framework, Playwright, and Selenium
• Architect end-to-end API testing and integration testing strategies across complex microservice architectures, establishing standards for contract validation, service virtualization, and data integrity
• Define and standardize automated data verification strategies, test data management (TDM), and state validation architectures across relational database engines (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Amazon RDS)
• Architect and oversee end-to-end performance and scalability engineering strategies (utilizing distributed Locust, k6, or JMeter clusters), defining SLAs, load models, and infrastructure bottleneck analysis
• Design and govern enterprise cloud testing architectures on AWS, GCP, or Azure, optimizing infrastructure costs, containerized parallel test grids, and serverless execution pipelines
• Establish strategies and governance for integrating GenAI and autonomous coding agents into the testing lifecycle (prompt workflows, agentic CI/CD pipelines, automated failure analysis, self-healing tests)
• Standardize version control workflows (Git/Gitflow) and establish quality gates, traceability, and metric reporting across test management platforms (Jira, TestRail, Zephyr)
• Set team-wide coding standards, lead rigorous code reviews, and ensure high test execution reliability, performance, and maintainability across frameworks and custom test engines
• Own end-to-end quality strategy, test automation metrics, ROI measurement, effort estimation models, and continuous delivery integration in enterprise CI/CD ecosystems
• Drive client technical engagements, workshops, architectural proposals, and pre-sales evaluations, serving as an authoritative quality and cloud architecture advisor
• Resolve complex, non-standard automation challenges that exceed off-the-shelf library capabilities through custom tooling, pytest plugins, Robot Framework libraries, and solution accelerators
• Lead, mentor, and evaluate engineers, conducting seniority assessments and technical interviews to grow organizational automation competency

Requirements

• 5+ years of software engineering experience in test automation or software engineering, demonstrating expert-level Python architecture skills (Level 4 equivalent)
• Expert mastery of Python, advanced design patterns, test runners (pytest internals/custom plugins, Robot Framework core extensions), and distributed test execution architectures
• Deep hands-on expertise across multiple application layers: Web UI (Playwright, Selenium), extensive API testing and integration testing (REST/gRPC/Microservices), and Database/Backend systems
• Strong expertise in SQL and relational database testing, including query optimization for test fixtures, schema validation, transaction rollback strategies, and testing against managed databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Amazon RDS)
• Strong, production-level expertise with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure), including VPCs, container orchestration (ECS, EKS, GKE, AKS), cloud CI runners, and cost-effective on-demand test execution
• Extensive experience architecting performance and load testing frameworks from the ground up, establishing performance baselines, profiling distributed microservices, and setting up automated regression gates
• High proficiency with version control systems (Git) and advanced administration/integration of test management platforms (Jira, TestRail, Zephyr)
• Proven track record of operationalizing GenAI tools and agent pipelines to measurably enhance test automation efficiency and lifecycle velocity
• Advanced experience with CI/CD infrastructure, containerization (Docker), cloud services, and Linux-based automated execution environments
• Demonstrated capability in defining automation strategy, scope, estimation models, defect tracking systems, and executive quality reporting
• Strong leadership, client-management, and negotiation skills, with experience steering client interactions and technical decision-making
• Self-directed problem solver with strong verbal and written communication skills, comfortable presenting to clients and cross-functional teams

Nice to have

• Experience testing and integrating with distributed NoSQL datastores and document databases (MongoDB, Amazon DocumentDB, DynamoDB)
• Practical experience architecting agentic development workflows and deploying autonomous agents using cloud AI frameworks (e.g., AWS Bedrock Agents, Azure AI Studio, LangGraph, AutoGen, CrewAI) for synthetic data generation or intelligent test automation
• Practical experience building evaluation pipelines for GenAI/LLM-driven software (eval frameworks, prompt regression, hallucination detection, Ragas, DeepEval)
• Experience developing custom pytest plugins, reusable internal libraries, or open-source test tooling
• Proven background participating in pre-sales initiatives, technical discovery workshops, or quality competency center leadership
• Formal certifications (ISTQB Full Advanced/Expert, AWS Certified DevOps Engineer / Solutions Architect Professional, GCP Professional Cloud Architect, or Azure DevOps Expert)

• International projects with top brands
• Work with global teams of highly skilled, diverse peers
• Healthcare benefits
• Employee financial programs
• Paid time off and sick leave
• Upskilling, reskilling and certification courses
• Unlimited access to the LinkedIn Learning library and 22,000+ courses
• Global career opportunities
• Volunteer and community involvement opportunities
• EPAM Employee Groups
• Award-winning culture recognized by Glassdoor, Newsweek and LinkedIn

EPAM is a leading global provider of digital platform engineering and development services. We are committed to having a positive impact on our customers, our employees, and our communities. We embrace a dynamic and inclusive culture. Here you will collaborate with multi-national teams, contribute to a myriad of innovative projects that deliver the most creative and cutting-edge solutions, and have an opportunity to continuously learn and grow. No matter where you are located, you will join a dedicated, creative, and diverse community that will help you discover your fullest potential.