Quality Assurance Engineer

job summary

As a Senior Software Quality Engineer, you will be a key architect of quality for Amtrak's mission-critical Transportation platform, ensuring the reliability of a high-traffic, distributed microservices ecosystem. Based in Washington, DC, this role focuses on the complex "plumbing" of railway operations-from equipment lifecycles and yard scheduling to real-time event processing. You will move beyond simple UI testing to design sophisticated strategies for state-based systems, event-driven workflows (Kafka), and data-intensive integrations, ensuring that the systems moving America remain resilient, idempotent, and highly performant.

location: Washington, Washington, D.C.

job type: Contract

salary: $35 - 42 per hour

work hours: 9am to 5pm

education: Bachelors

responsibilities

Strategy & Architecture: Design and execute comprehensive, end-to-end test strategies for complex, state-heavy distributed systems.

Automation Development: Build and maintain scalable automated frameworks for both UI and API layers using tools such as Playwright, Selenium, REST-assured, or Karate.

Backend & Middleware Validation: Rigorously test REST APIs, microservices integration points, and asynchronous, message-based workflows (Kafka).

Data Integrity: Perform deep-level database validations (SQL/NoSQL) to ensure referential consistency and correct state transitions across the platform.

Resiliency & Performance: Develop and execute tests for failure handling, retries, and system idempotency; conduct load testing to ensure stability during peak operations.

CI/CD Integration: Embed automation suites directly into DevOps pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub, or Bitbucket) to support continuous delivery.

Observability: Analyze system behavior and troubleshoot issues using logs and monitoring tools like CloudWatch, AppDynamics, or ELK/EFK stacks.

Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with Architects and Product Owners to define quality gates and influence system design from a testability perspective.

qualifications

Education/Experience: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science (or related field) OR 7+ years of relevant experience in software quality engineering.

Automation Expertise: 5+ years of experience in enterprise-level manual and automated testing, with a focus on UI and API layers.

Technical Stack: High proficiency in Java and TypeScript for automation scripting.

Architectural Knowledge: Proven experience testing microservices-based architectures and distributed systems.

Data Skills: Advanced SQL skills with the ability to validate complex relational and NoSQL database structures.

Agile Mindset: Deep experience working within Agile/Scrum frameworks and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, Age, Genetic Information, Disability, Protected Veteran Status, or any other legally protected group status.

At Randstad Digital, we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please contact HRsupport@randstadusa.com.

Pay offered to a successful candidate will be based on several factors including the candidate's education, work experience, work location, specific job duties, certifications, etc. In addition, Randstad Digital offers a comprehensive benefits package, including: medical, prescription, dental, vision, AD&D, and life insurance offerings, short-term disability, and a 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility).

This posting is open for thirty (30) days.