SDET Automation Tester (API & UI)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: SDET Automation Tester (API & UI)

Company: Citi

Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Software Quality Assurance / Test Engineering

Date Posted: March 12, 2026

Experience Level: 3+ Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is a critical component of the Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) function, focusing on the design, development, and maintenance of sophisticated automated test frameworks for both Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and User Interfaces (UIs).

• The position requires a deep understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC) principles, comprehensive testing methodologies, and a commitment to delivering high-quality software within an Agile development environment.

• Key responsibilities include collaborating with cross-functional teams to define test strategies, creating automated test scripts for API and UI validation, and ensuring seamless integration of these tests into continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.

• This role also involves contributing to framework enhancements, defect management, and providing clear, actionable reporting on test execution and product quality to stakeholders, with opportunities for mentorship.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "SDET Automation Tester," the core responsibilities and requirements lean heavily into the "Operations" aspect of quality assurance, particularly in ensuring the reliability and efficiency of software delivery through automation and process integration. This role is crucial for GTM (Go-To-Market) readiness by ensuring stable, high-quality applications.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Test Strategy and Planning: Collaborate with development leads, product managers, and other QA engineers to define comprehensive test strategies, detailed test plans, and robust test cases for new features and existing functionalities across both API and UI layers.

• API Test Automation: Design, develop, implement, and maintain automated API test suites utilizing industry-standard tools and frameworks such as Postman, Rest Assured, Karate DSL, or SoapUI, ensuring thorough validation of RESTful and SOAP services for functionality, performance, reliability, and security.

• UI Test Automation: Develop, maintain, and execute automated UI test suites using leading frameworks like Selenium WebDriver or Playwright, focusing on creating scalable, maintainable, and resilient test scripts that ensure cross-browser and cross-device compatibility for web applications.

• Automation Framework Development: Contribute significantly to the design, development, and continuous improvement of existing automation frameworks, adhering to best practices for modularity, reusability, maintainability, and comprehensive reporting capabilities.

• CI/CD Pipeline Integration: Seamlessly integrate automated test suites into CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps) to enable continuous validation, rapid feedback loops, and support for agile development workflows.

• Defect Management and Root Cause Analysis: Proactively identify, meticulously document, and diligently track software defects, collaborating closely with development teams to facilitate timely resolution and perform root cause analysis to prevent recurrence.

• Collaboration and Mentorship: Foster strong collaborative relationships with developers, product owners, and fellow QA engineers to ensure a shared understanding of requirements, provide constructive feedback, and promote a pervasive culture of quality throughout the development process. Mentor and guide junior QA engineers in automation best practices and framework usage.

• Reporting and Metrics: Generate clear, concise, and insightful test execution reports, key quality metrics, and performance dashboards to effectively communicate test progress, identified risks, and overall product quality status to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize proactive quality assurance and process integration, aligning with GTM operations. The mention of "Test Strategy & Planning" and "Defect Management" highlights the operational rigor expected.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of progressive experience in software quality assurance, with a specialized and demonstrable focus on test automation for both API and UI layers.

• Proven track record of contributing to the design, development, and maintenance of robust, scalable, and reusable test automation frameworks.

Required Skills:

• Programming Proficiency: Strong command of at least one object-oriented programming language such as Java, Python, JavaScript, or C#, essential for developing complex automation scripts and framework components.

• API Test Automation Expertise: Extensive hands-on experience with API test automation tools and frameworks like Rest Assured, Postman (with Newman for CLI execution), Karate DSL, or SoapUI, including schema validation and complex request/response handling.

• UI Test Automation Expertise: Demonstrated experience with leading UI test automation tools and frameworks such as Selenium WebDriver, Playwright, Cypress, or WebDriverIO, with a focus on locator strategies, synchronization, and cross-browser testing.

• Web Technologies: Solid understanding of fundamental web technologies including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and web services (RESTful APIs, SOAP) to effectively test web applications and services.

• Version Control Systems: Proficient in using version control systems, particularly Git, for code management, branching strategies, and collaborative development of automation assets.

• Analytical and Problem-Solving: Exceptional analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with a meticulous attention to detail and a systematic approach to identifying, diagnosing, and reporting defects.

• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate technical concepts clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines using tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, or Azure DevOps.

• Familiarity with performance testing tools and methodologies (e.g., JMeter, LoadRunner).

• Knowledge of security testing principles and tools relevant to API and web application security.

• Experience with containerization technologies like Docker.

• Understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their implications for testing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on programming languages, specific automation tools, and CI/CD integration points to a need for candidates who can operate within a development-centric QA function, contributing to the operational efficiency of the software delivery pipeline.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Automation Framework Design: Showcase examples of automation frameworks you have designed or significantly contributed to, highlighting architectural decisions, modularity, and reusability principles.

• API Test Automation Case Studies: Provide detailed case studies of API automation projects, demonstrating your approach to testing various endpoints, data variations, error conditions, and performance aspects. Include examples of API test scripts and reporting outputs.

• UI Test Automation Case Studies: Present case studies of UI automation projects, illustrating your strategy for handling dynamic elements, complex user flows, cross-browser compatibility, and creating maintainable scripts. Include examples of UI test scripts and visual evidence of test execution.

• CI/CD Integration Examples: If possible, provide examples or descriptions of how you have integrated automation tests into CI/CD pipelines, demonstrating your understanding of automated build, test, and deployment processes.

• Metrics and Reporting: Include examples of test execution reports, defect analysis, and quality metrics dashboards you have developed, showcasing your ability to communicate test results and product quality effectively.

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate experience in documenting test processes, including test strategy documents, test plans, test case designs, and automation framework guidelines.

• Showcase your ability to define and optimize workflows for test automation development, execution, and maintenance, ensuring efficiency and scalability.

• Highlight your understanding of how to document processes for CI/CD integration, including setup, configuration, and execution steps for automated test runs.

📝 Enhancement Note: For SDET roles, a portfolio is crucial to demonstrate practical application of skills beyond just listing them. It should highlight the candidate's ability to build and maintain robust automated testing solutions, which is a core operational function for quality assurance.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Includes medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to support employee well-being.

• Retirement Savings Plan: Access to a competitive pension or retirement savings plan (e.g., RRSP matching) to support long-term financial security.

• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, personal days, and paid holidays to ensure work-life balance.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for ongoing training, certifications, and conference attendance to enhance technical skills and career growth in automation and testing.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential counseling and support services for employees and their families.

• Life and Disability Insurance: Protection against unforeseen events.

Working Hours:

• Full-time position, typically operating on a standard 40-hour work week. While core business hours are expected, some flexibility may be available depending on team needs and project deadlines, especially for critical CI/CD pipeline integrations or urgent defect resolution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is specific to the Mississauga, Ontario, Canada location. Benefits are typical for large financial institutions like Citi and are crucial for attracting and retaining skilled operations talent.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services / Technology

Company Size: Citi is a global financial services corporation with a vast employee base, indicating a robust infrastructure, established processes, and significant resources dedicated to technology and operations. This scale often means opportunities for specialization and impact across large-scale systems.

Founded: 1812 (as City Bank of New York). Citi's long history signifies stability, a deep understanding of financial markets, and continuous adaptation to technological advancements and regulatory changes.

Team Structure:

• Operations Focus: The SDET role is embedded within the broader Technology or Applications Development group, likely interacting closely with Agile development teams, product owners, and potentially other QA engineers or architects.

• Reporting Structure: Typically, an SDET will report to a QA Manager, Test Lead, or Engineering Manager, with direct collaboration across development teams.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: A strong emphasis on working collaboratively with developers, business analysts, product managers, and potentially DevOps engineers to ensure quality is integrated throughout the entire software development lifecycle.

Methodology:

• Agile & DevOps: Citi likely operates using Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and embraces DevOps principles, meaning a focus on continuous integration, continuous delivery, and a culture of shared responsibility for quality and operational stability.

• Data-Driven Quality: Expect a data-driven approach to quality assurance, utilizing metrics from automated tests, defect trends, and performance monitoring to inform decision-making and process improvements.

• Standardized Processes: Given the size and nature of Citi, there will be established processes for test automation development, framework maintenance, release management, and defect tracking, with an expectation for adherence and contribution to their refinement.

Company Website: https://www.citi.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Citi's status as a major financial institution implies a rigorous, process-oriented environment where quality, security, and reliability are paramount. This context is essential for understanding the operational demands of an SDET role.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an experienced individual contributor, likely mid-level (3+ years of experience), focusing on specialized technical skills in test automation. It requires a blend of software development and quality assurance expertise.

Reporting Structure: The role typically reports into a QA Lead or Engineering Manager, with significant day-to-day collaboration with software development teams and product management.

Operations Impact: The SDET plays a crucial role in ensuring the operational readiness and stability of applications before they reach end-users or clients. By automating testing, they directly contribute to faster, more reliable software releases, reducing production incidents and enhancing customer experience, which is vital for GTM success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in advanced test automation techniques, performance engineering, security testing, or specific programming languages and frameworks.

• Lead/Architect Roles: Progress into roles such as Senior SDET, Test Automation Architect, or Principal Engineer, where you would lead framework design, mentor teams, and define automation strategies across multiple projects.

• DevOps Integration: Transition into roles with a stronger DevOps focus, contributing to CI/CD pipeline optimization, infrastructure as code, and overall release engineering.

• Management Track: With demonstrated leadership and team collaboration, there is a potential pathway into QA management or team leadership roles.

• Cross-functional Mobility: Opportunities to move into other technology or development roles within Citi, leveraging a strong foundation in software engineering and quality principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path for an SDET often involves increasing technical complexity and leadership, directly contributing to the operational efficiency and scalability of software delivery.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site, indicating a collaborative office setting within Citi's Mississauga location.

Office Location(s): Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. This location is a major business and technology hub, offering access to talent and resources.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect a dynamic office environment that encourages collaboration through team huddles, pair programming/testing, and cross-functional meetings.

• Technology and Tools: Access to modern development and testing tools, powerful workstations, and reliable network infrastructure necessary for efficient automation development and execution.

• Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with immediate team members, development teams, product owners, and potentially other stakeholders to ensure alignment and efficient workflow for quality assurance.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule, likely with some flexibility. The nature of CI/CD integration might occasionally require availability outside of standard hours for critical deployments or issue resolution, but this is typically managed and communicated within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement suggests a focus on in-person collaboration and team synergy, which can be beneficial for complex problem-solving and knowledge transfer in a technical role like SDET.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will conduct an initial phone screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Technical Interview(s): Expect one or more technical interviews focusing on:

  • Coding Proficiency: Live coding exercises in a language like Java, Python, or JavaScript, testing your ability to write clean, efficient, and bug-free code for automation scenarios.
  • Automation Concepts: Questions on test automation principles, framework design, API testing strategies, UI testing challenges, and CI/CD integration.
  • Problem-Solving: Scenario-based questions to assess your approach to diagnosing and resolving complex testing issues.

• Portfolio Review: You may be asked to walk through specific examples from your portfolio, explaining your design choices, challenges faced, and the impact of your work.

• Behavioral/Cultural Fit Interview: Questions designed to assess your teamwork, communication, problem-solving approach, and alignment with Citi's values.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader or hiring manager to finalize the decision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 3-4 of your strongest projects that best showcase your skills in API automation, UI automation, framework design, and CI/CD integration.

• Quantify Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem you solved, your specific contributions, the tools and technologies used, and the measurable outcomes (e.g., increased test coverage, reduced regression time, defect escape rate reduction).

• Focus on Design: Be prepared to discuss the architectural decisions behind your frameworks, why you chose specific tools, and how you ensured scalability, maintainability, and reusability.

• Present Clearly: Practice explaining your work concisely. Use diagrams or flowcharts for complex frameworks or processes. Be ready to answer detailed technical questions.

• Demonstrate Problem-Solving: Highlight instances where you encountered significant challenges and how you overcame them through innovative solutions or systematic debugging.

Challenge Preparation:

• Coding Challenges: Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or similar sites, focusing on data structures, algorithms, and object-oriented programming.

• Automation Scenarios: Prepare to design test cases and write automation scripts for common UI elements (e.g., forms, tables, modals) and API endpoints (e.g., CRUD operations, authentication).

• CI/CD Scenarios: Be ready to discuss how you would set up automated tests in a CI/CD pipeline, including common challenges and solutions.

• API Testing Logic: Prepare to explain how you would test various aspects of an API, such as request validation, response assertions, error handling, and performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for an SDET role at a company like Citi will be rigorous, emphasizing both technical depth and practical application demonstrated through a portfolio.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Programming Languages: Java, Python, JavaScript, C# (Proficiency in at least one is required).

• API Test Automation: Rest Assured, Postman (Newman), Karate DSL, SoapUI, JMeter (for performance testing aspects).

• UI Test Automation: Selenium WebDriver, Playwright, Cypress, WebDriverIO.

• Version Control: Git (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Reporting Libraries: Allure Report, ExtentReports, or custom reporting solutions integrated with automation frameworks.

• CI/CD Platforms: Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, CircleCI for pipeline orchestration and test execution visibility.

• Dashboards: Tools like Grafana, or built-in reporting dashboards within CI/CD platforms to visualize test results, coverage, and defect trends.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly managing CRM for sales, understanding how applications integrate with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) might be beneficial for end-to-end testing.

• Defect Tracking: Jira, Azure Boards, or similar tools for managing bugs and test cases.

• Test Case Management: Tools integrated with Jira or standalone solutions for managing test suites and execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in specific tools is critical for this role. The emphasis on both API and UI automation tools, alongside programming languages and CI/CD integration, highlights the blend of development and testing required.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Quality First: A strong commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable, and secure software is paramount in the financial industry.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Emphasis on working effectively with development teams, product managers, and other stakeholders to achieve shared goals.

• Continuous Improvement: A culture that encourages learning, adapting to new technologies, and continuously refining processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing metrics and data analysis to inform testing strategies, identify risks, and measure the impact of automation efforts.

• Accountability: Taking ownership of assigned tasks, delivering on commitments, and proactively addressing challenges.

Collaboration Style:

• Agile and Iterative: Working in short cycles, with frequent feedback loops and adaptability to changing requirements.

• Cross-functional Integration: Close partnership with developers, DevOps, and product teams to ensure quality is embedded throughout the development lifecycle.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that promotes sharing best practices, code reviews, and lessons learned to elevate the entire team's capabilities.

• Proactive Communication: Open and transparent communication regarding progress, impediments, and potential risks.

📝 Enhancement Note: Citi's culture, especially within its technology divisions, likely emphasizes rigor, precision, and a strong sense of responsibility, reflecting the critical nature of financial services.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complex Systems: Navigating and testing large, interconnected, and often legacy systems within a major financial institution can be complex.

• Rapid Release Cycles: Balancing the need for thorough testing with the demand for rapid software releases in an Agile/DevOps environment.

• Maintaining Automation Suites: Ensuring automation scripts remain robust, maintainable, and relevant as applications evolve requires continuous effort and adaptation.

• Tool Proliferation: Keeping pace with the ever-evolving landscape of testing tools and technologies and selecting the most appropriate ones for specific needs.

• Cross-Platform/Browser Compatibility: Ensuring consistent quality across a wide range of browsers, devices, and operating systems for web applications.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Automation Techniques: Opportunities to learn and implement more sophisticated automation strategies, such as behavior-driven development (BDD), test data management, and advanced framework design patterns.

• Performance and Security Testing: Develop expertise in performance engineering and security testing methodologies, expanding your skill set beyond functional automation.

• DevOps and CI/CD Mastery: Gain deeper knowledge and practical experience in optimizing CI/CD pipelines and contributing to release engineering.

• Industry Certifications: Pursuing relevant certifications in testing, Agile, or specific technologies to enhance professional credentials.

• Mentorship Programs: Access to senior engineers and leaders for guidance and career development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for large enterprise environments, while the growth opportunities highlight the potential for deep technical development and career progression within a major organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Framework Design: "Describe a test automation framework you designed from scratch. What were the key architectural decisions, and why did you choose those particular tools and patterns?"

• API Testing Approach: "How would you approach testing a complex REST API with multiple endpoints, various authentication methods, and extensive error handling? What tools would you use?"

• UI Automation Challenges: "What are the most common challenges you face with UI automation, and how do you mitigate them? How do you ensure your UI tests are stable and maintainable?"

• CI/CD Integration: "Explain how you would integrate API and UI automated tests into a CI/CD pipeline. What are the benefits, and what potential roadblocks might you encounter?"

• Problem Solving: "Imagine a critical bug was found in production that was missed during testing. How would you investigate? What process changes would you recommend to prevent this in the future?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Citi and its role in the financial industry?"

• "How do you approach collaboration with developers and product managers?"

• "Describe a time you had to advocate for quality when faced with project deadlines."

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with Impact: Begin by stating the overall goal and impact of the project (e.g., "This project aimed to reduce regression testing time by 50% through comprehensive API automation").

• Explain the 'Why': Clearly articulate the business problem or technical challenge the project addressed.

• Detail Your Role and Approach: Describe your specific contributions, the technologies used, and the design decisions made for your automation framework and scripts.

• Showcase Results: Present key metrics, test coverage achieved, defect escape rates, and any ROI achieved through your automation efforts.

• Address Challenges: Discuss any significant hurdles you faced and how you overcame them, demonstrating your problem-solving skills.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your code, framework logic, and testing strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating not just technical skills, but also a strategic understanding of how automation contributes to operational efficiency and business goals, especially in a regulated industry like finance.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this SDET Automation Tester position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Citi careers portal.

• Tailor Your Resume: Customize your resume to highlight your experience with API and UI automation, specific programming languages (Java, Python, JavaScript), and automation tools (Selenium, Playwright, Rest Assured, Postman). Quantify achievements wherever possible (e.g., "Reduced regression test execution time by 60%").

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Gather examples of your automation projects, focusing on framework design, API test scripts, UI test scripts, and any reporting or CI/CD integration examples. Be ready to discuss these in detail during interviews.

• Practice Coding: Brush up on your coding skills, particularly in Java, Python, or JavaScript. Practice solving coding challenges that involve data structures, algorithms, and object-oriented programming.

• Research Citi: Understand Citi's business, its values, and its technological landscape. Be prepared to discuss how your skills align with their operational needs.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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