Principal Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)

Career Category

Information Systems

Job Description

ABOUT AMGEN

Amgen harnesses the best of biology and technology to fight the world’s toughest diseases, and make people’s lives easier,   fuller   and longer. We discover, develop,   manufacture   and deliver innovative medicines to help millions of patients. Amgen helped   establish   the biotechnology industry more than 40 years ago and   remains   on the   cutting-edge   of innovation, using technology and human genetic data to push beyond what’s known today.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Role Description:

The   Principal Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)   position offers a unique opportunity to join a fun, innovative engineering team within the AI & Data Science (AI&D) - organization.   Y ou will lead the design, development, and evolution of enterprise-wide Quality Engineering and Test Automation capabilities supporting Applied AI, Intelligent Automation, and   AI -native applications.

This role   is responsible for   defining and implementing scalable automation frameworks, modern testing strategies, and engineering best practices across complex enterprise   solutions . You will work closely with software engineers, solution architects, product teams, DevOps engineers, and business stakeholders to ensure high-quality, secure, compliant, and resilient software delivery.

The ideal candidate   possesses   extensive experience in software engineering, automation framework architecture, API and UI automation, cloud technologies, CI/CD, Computer System Validation (CSV), and Agile software delivery. This role requires deep technical   expertise , strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to influence engineering teams by driving automation-first and quality engineering practices across the software development lifecycle.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Build out test engineering practices, standards,   community   and lead by execution in creating a new culture around the test automation   demeanor .

Design, develop, and   maintain   scalable enterprise test automation frameworks for UI, API, database, integration, and end-to-end testing.

Define and implement enterprise Quality Engineering standards, automation best practices, reusable libraries, coding standards, and governance.

Develop automated test solutions using modern frameworks and tools including Selenium, Playwright, UiPath Test Suite, REST Assured, Postman, and similar technologies.

Build automated regression, smoke, integration, performance, and validation test suites that support continuous delivery.

Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or similar DevOps platforms.

Collaborate with software engineers, architects, DevOps teams, and product owners to implement shift-left quality engineering practices.

Validate AI/ML-enabled systems, intelligent automation solutions, and Agentic AI applications to ensure functionality,   evals,   reliability, explainability, compliance, and data integrity.

Support Computer System Validation (CSV) activities for   GxP   applications, ensuring compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11, and enterprise validation standards.

Serve as Scrum Master for Cross-Functional Agile teams, leading sprint planning, daily stand-ups, retrospectives, and backlog grooming to ensure   timely   delivery of automation and AI solutions.

Mentor engineers on automation framework development, software engineering best practices, and modern Quality Engineering methodologies.

Evaluate and introduce emerging testing technologies, AI-assisted testing tools, and automation innovations that improve software delivery efficiency.

Basic Qualifications and Experience:

Any degree with 12 - 17 years of experience in Business, Engineering,   IT   or related   field

Functional Skills:

Must-Have Skills:

Extensive   software engineering experience with Java, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, C#, or similar languages, and a proven   track record   of designing and developing enterprise-scale test automation frameworks.

Deep   expertise   in Quality Engineering and Test Automation, including UI, API, integration, database, and end-to-end testing using modern automation tools such as Selenium, Playwright, UiPath Test Suite, Postman, or equivalent technologies.

Strong experience with cloud-native application testing, microservices, distributed systems, and CI/CD pipelines using tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Docker, and Kubernetes.

Comprehensive understanding of Computer System Validation (CSV),   GxP   compliance, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11, and risk-based validation methodologies within regulated environments.

Demonstrated technical leadership in defining Quality Engineering strategies,   establishing   automation standards, mentoring engineers, and driving engineering excellence across Agile and   DevSecOps   delivery teams.

Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and communication skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional engineering teams and deliver high-quality, scalable, and compliant software solutions.

Good-to-Have Skills:

Experience with performance and load testing tools such as JMeter, Gatling, LoadRunner, or k6.

Familiarity with Kubernetes, Docker, AWS   Cloud Platform.

Familiarity with security testing concepts including SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, and OWASP best practices.

Experience with AI-assisted software development and AI-powered test generation tools.

Experience   validating   Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) applications, Agentic AI systems, and intelligent automation platforms.

Familiarity with observability tools including Grafana, Splunk, Datadog, or similar monitoring platforms.

Professional Certifications:

ISTQB Advanced Test Automation Engineer or equivalent certification (preferred)

Computer System Validation Professional (CSV) Certification (preferred)

Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) or   SAFe   Scrum Master (SSM) (preferred)

Soft Skills:

Strong technical leadership with the ability to influence engineering decisions and quality practices.

Excellent analytical thinking, debugging, and complex problem-solving skills.

Passion for engineering excellence, automation, and continuous improvement.

Strong collaboration skills with cross-functional engineering, product, DevOps, and architecture teams.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Ability to mentor and coach engineers on software quality and automation best practices.

Strong attention to detail with a focus on reliability, maintainability, and scalability.

Ability to prioritize multiple initiatives in a fast-paced Agile environment.

Self-motivated with a continuous learning mindset and passion for emerging technologies.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Amgen is an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider you without regard to your race,   color , religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation to   participate   in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

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