Mattermost is seeking a visionary Staff Software Design Engineer (SDE) in Testing Infrastructure to lead a company-wide transformation of test automation and quality engineering. In this highly visible role, you will serve as the technical lead for software testing and quality, partnering directly with Mattermost’s founders, CEO, and engineering leadership to define and execute the next evolution of our testing strategy and infrastructure.
As a Staff SDE in Testing Infrastructure, you will define the technical vision and architecture for test infrastructure, frameworks, and processes, enabling every engineer to deliver high-quality, reliable software with speed and confidence. Your work will shape how the entire organization approaches testing and quality—establishing standards, designing scalable systems, and fostering a culture where quality is owned by all.
You will collaborate with engineering leadership to ensure testing systems are deeply integrated, observable, and intelligent, including designing AI-driven systems that accelerate test coverage, manage test reliability autonomously, and progressively automate how tests are generated and maintained. The goal: a single successful pass of the full automated test suite provides fast feedback and a high-confidence signal of product stability so that every commit meets the bar for release. Your impact will extend beyond infrastructure—this is a strategic, cross-functional leadership role that ensures our products meet the highest standards of reliability and security demanded by mission-critical industries such as defense, intelligence, and critical infrastructure.
Responsibilities Include:
- Lead a company-wide transformation of test automation and quality engineering strategy, working directly with Mattermost’s founders and engineering leadership.
- Define and own the vision and roadmap for Mattermost’s testing and quality engineering infrastructure — from establishing strong observability and meaningful test signals, through making quality the path of least resistance, to an AI-first future where machines generate, maintain, and verify tests.
- Architect scalable, intelligent testing frameworks and infrastructure spanning server, web, mobile, and desktop — progressively shifting testing from manual authorship toward machine-driven generation, maintenance, and analysis.
- Lead the integration of AI/LLM technologies into testing strategy—from test generation and autonomous flakiness management to coverage gap detection, and beyond as the technology evolves
- Partner with engineering leadership to align testing strategies with product and platform roadmaps.
- Establish and enforce testing standards, quality metrics, and quality gates across the SDLC — automated in CI/CD so quality is the path of least resistance.
- Build visibility and trust in quality signals through unified observability — dashboards, metrics, and alerting that provide actionable insight into product reliability and drive accountability.
- Design systems, tooling, and processes that empower developers to easily create, run, and maintain high-quality automated tests.
- Influence and mentor engineers to adopt shift-left testing, testability-focused design, and quality-first development practices.
- Drive continuous improvement by researching, evaluating, and championing emerging testing methodologies and technologies.
Requirements:
- BS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field with 8+ years of experience in software testing, quality engineering, or test infrastructure development.
- Proven track record of defining and executing quality engineering strategy or leading test infrastructure initiatives for complex, full-stack systems.
- Strong programming background in TypeScript, React, React Native, Go, and PostgreSQL.
- Deep understanding of CI/CD pipelines, distributed systems, and cloud-based test environments.
- Experience designing or architecting testing frameworks and developer tools that scale across large engineering organizations.
- Strong expertise in end-to-end testing frameworks (e.g., Playwright, Cypress, Detox) and best practices in automation architecture.
- Experience with API testing, performance testing, and security testing methodologies.
- Knowledge of containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) and their application to automated testing.
- Strong conviction that AI will fundamentally transform software testing, and the drive to lead that transformation — staying current with emerging AI capabilities and proactively identifying where they can accelerate quality.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex testing strategy for audiences from individual engineers to executive leadership.
- Experience mentoring engineers and leading quality-focused technical initiatives across multiple teams.
Preferences:
- Experience applying AI/ML technologies to software testing — test generation and intelligent test analysis
- Contributions to open-source projects
- Knowledge of accessibility testing and inclusive design principles
- Has worked fully remotely with global teams
- Expertise in defense, intelligence, or security-focused workflows and the reliability standards these environments demand
Compensation
Salary range: $144,000 – $220,000
Mattermost takes a market-based approach to pay. Compensation is determined based on skills, experience, qualifications, and work location. Ranges may be updated as market conditions evolve.
U.S. Eligibility & Compliance
This role may require obtaining and maintaining a U.S. government security clearance. Candidates must meet federal eligibility requirements to be considered. For more information visit Security Clearances — United States Department of State
Applicants must meet eligibility requirements for access to export-controlled information as defined by U.S. export control laws, including EAR and ITAR. For more information visit the Bureau of Industry and Security and the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.
