QA Automation Engineer (UI and API) (m/f/d)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: QA Automation Engineer (UI and API) (m/f/d)

Company: applike group

Location: Hamburg, Germany

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Quality Assurance / Software Engineering

Date Posted: April 23, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive product quality by developing and maintaining comprehensive end-to-end test suites for both UI and API layers, leveraging Playwright and TypeScript.

• Ensure robust API integrity through sophisticated integration and contract testing, validating request/response payloads and data consistency across microservices.

• Integrate AI tools to enhance test script authoring, generate synthetic data, and implement self-healing UI tests, accelerating the QA process.

• Guarantee flawless Offerwall rendering across diverse web-views and mobile browsers, employing visual regression tools to detect UI discrepancies and maintain brand consistency.

• Validate frontend actions by directly querying datastores (DynamoDB, Redis, MySQL), ensuring data accuracy and integrity.

• Act as a critical quality gate within the CI/CD pipeline, providing fast and reliable feedback to the engineering team.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level QA Automation Engineer, focusing heavily on both UI and API testing within a full-stack context. The emphasis on AI tools, direct datastore interaction, and proactive system monitoring suggests a highly technical and integrated QA function within the development lifecycle. The mention of "Catalog team" implies a focus on product features and content delivery.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop, execute, and maintain automated end-to-end test suites using Playwright with TypeScript for both UI and API functionalities.

• Design and implement sophisticated API tests, including integration and contract testing, to ensure microservice communication and data integrity.

• Leverage AI tools for test script generation, synthetic data creation, and the implementation of self-healing test capabilities to improve efficiency and resilience.

• Perform visual regression testing to ensure consistent and accurate rendering of the Offerwall across various browsers and web-views.

• Directly query and validate data in datastores such as DynamoDB, Redis, and MySQL to confirm that frontend actions are correctly reflected.

• Own and manage the quality gate within the CI/CD pipeline, ensuring timely and accurate test feedback to the engineering team.

• Test and validate the JavaScript-to-Native bridge, ensuring seamless Offerwall interactions and correct SDK event triggering (e.g., completions, reward pings, user attribution).

• Design and implement automated testing solutions, collaborating with the infrastructure team for seamless integration into the CI/CD build pipeline.

• Proactively monitor system behavior, including network transfer rates, file size optimization, and database architecture efficiency, to identify performance bottlenecks.

• Actively participate in sprint and release planning, identifying missing requirements and potential architectural risks early in the development lifecycle.

• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of adjoe's business model and the mobile advertising industry to contribute effectively to product strategy and quality initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a proactive and integrated QA approach. Beyond standard test execution, the role involves deep system understanding, performance monitoring, and early risk identification during planning phases. The inclusion of testing JS-to-Native bridge and direct datastore interaction indicates a complex and interconnected technical environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field is implied by the technical requirements. Equivalent practical experience will also be highly valued.

Experience: 3+ years of professional experience in Quality Assurance Automation.

Required Skills:

• Professional-grade proficiency in Playwright and TypeScript/JavaScript.

• Extensive experience testing RESTful APIs using tools like Postman, Insomnia, or Playwright's native API testing capabilities.

• Deep understanding of HTTP protocols and API communication.

• Experience designing and implementing automated tests using frameworks like Testmo or similar.

• Comfort and experience working with APIs and datastores such as MySQL, DynamoDB, and Redis.

• Ability to translate complex technical bugs into actionable feedback for developers and stakeholders, both verbally and in writing.

• Strong analytical skills to probe for potential issues, accurately gauge risks, and prioritize bugs based on business and user impact.

• Aptitude for organizing workflows, structuring test plans, and ensuring comprehensive documentation.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AI coding assistants for test script authoring and optimization.

• Familiarity with visual regression testing tools.

• Experience with CI/CD pipeline integration for automated testing.

• Knowledge of JS-to-Native bridge testing.

• Understanding of microservices architecture and contract testing principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize hands-on technical skills with specific tools (Playwright, TypeScript) and a strong understanding of backend interactions (APIs, datastores). The "fluent in HTTP" and "don't just test the happy path" statements highlight a need for deep technical understanding and a thorough, critical approach to testing. The mention of AI tools suggests a forward-thinking QA environment.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrations of end-to-end test suite development using Playwright, showcasing both UI and API test cases.

• Examples of API testing strategies, including integration and contract test examples, with clear documentation of request/response validation.

• Case studies or examples of how AI tools were utilized to enhance test automation efficiency, script generation, or self-healing capabilities.

• Visual regression testing examples, highlighting the capture and comparison of UI elements across different environments.

• Evidence of direct datastore interaction within test scripts (e.g., SQL queries for MySQL, NoSQL queries for DynamoDB) to validate data integrity.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow design and optimization for test automation frameworks, detailing how test suites are structured and maintained for scalability and reliability.

• Implementation of AI-driven testing methodologies and automation techniques, with documentation on deployment and performance impact.

• Measurement and analysis of test execution results, including reporting on defect trends, test coverage, and the impact of automated tests on release cycles.

• Documentation of test plans, test cases, and bug reports that clearly communicate technical issues and their business impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is crucial for this role, showcasing practical application of the required technical skills. The emphasis on AI integration, direct datastore interaction, and CI/CD integration suggests a need for a portfolio that reflects a modern, efficient, and data-driven QA approach.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the mid-level experience requirement (3+ years) and the location in Hamburg, Germany, a competitive salary range for a QA Automation Engineer would typically fall between €55,000 and €75,000 annually. This estimate considers the company's investment in ad-tech and its international presence, as well as local market rates for skilled tech professionals in Germany.

Benefits:

• Invest in Your Future: Comprehensive development program and regular feedback to support career growth and skill expansion.

• Relocation and Visa Support: Assistance for visa applications and a relocation bonus to help with settling into Hamburg.

• Flexible Work Environment: Hybrid work setup with core office days (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday) and flexible working hours.

• Generous Time Off: 30 vacation days per year.

• Remote Work Flexibility: Up to 3 weeks of remote work per year.

• Wellness and Health: Free access to an in-house gym with various fitness classes, mental health support, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

• Modern Workspace: Central office location with Alster lake views, top-notch equipment, collaborative open spaces, and complimentary snacks and drinks.

• Community Engagement: Participation in regular team and company events, including hackathons and social gatherings.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are implied to be 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered through "flexible working hours" and a hybrid model.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on industry benchmarks for mid-level QA Automation Engineers in Germany, considering the specific tech sector and company profile. The benefits package is comprehensive, with a strong emphasis on employee well-being, professional development, and work-life balance, including significant support for international hires.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Mobile Ad-Tech. applike group, through its brands like adjoe, operates at the intersection of mobile applications, advertising technology, and data analytics, leveraging AI to optimize user engagement and monetization strategies for app publishers and advertisers globally.

Company Size: The description doesn't explicitly state the current size but mentions offices in Hamburg, Boston, Singapore, and Tokyo, backed by a $100 million investment. This suggests a rapidly growing, well-funded organization likely in the mid to large-sized category within the tech sector.

Founded: The company description implies a relatively recent founding, as it is "redefining the future" and "breaking into programmatic advertising," with a significant investment suggesting a growth phase. The provided "Company Founded" field was null, but the context suggests a company established within the last decade.

Team Structure:

• The role is within the "Catalog team," which is UI-heavy, indicating a focus on product features and user-facing elements.

• The QA Automation Engineer will work within a cross-functional engineering team, collaborating closely with developers, product managers, and potentially other QA specialists.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decisions: The company utilizes advanced AI and first-party data to power its solutions, implying a strong emphasis on data analysis and measurable outcomes in all operational aspects, including QA.

• Agile Development: The mention of "sprint and release planning" strongly indicates an Agile development methodology, where QA is integrated throughout the development cycle.

• Automation First: The core of this role is automation, suggesting a culture that prioritizes efficiency, speed, and reliability through technology.

Company Website: applike-group.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to be dynamic, innovative, and focused on growth, driven by technology and data. The ad-tech industry context means a focus on performance, scalability, and user experience is paramount, which directly influences the QA function's objectives.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This position is classified as a Mid-Level QA Automation Engineer. It requires a solid foundation of practical experience (3+ years) and the ability to work independently on complex tasks. The role involves not just executing tests but also contributing to test strategy, pipeline integration, and proactive risk identification, placing it beyond entry-level responsibilities.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly detailed, the role likely reports to a QA Lead, Engineering Manager, or Head of Engineering. The emphasis on collaboration suggests working closely with developers and product managers within the Catalog team.

Operations Impact: The QA Automation Engineer plays a critical role in ensuring the stability, performance, and quality of the Offerwall experience and underlying APIs. High-quality testing directly impacts user engagement, retention, and revenue for app publishers, and the reliability of the ad platform for advertisers. By acting as a quality gate, they prevent regressions from reaching production, safeguarding the company's reputation and partner relationships.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in advanced automation techniques, AI-driven QA, performance testing, or security testing within the ad-tech domain.

• Leadership: Progress into a Senior QA Automation Engineer role, mentoring junior team members, leading test strategy for new features, or managing specific automation initiatives.

• Cross-Functional Development: Gain exposure to product management, software architecture, and backend development, potentially transitioning into roles focused on SRE, DevOps, or even specialized engineering roles within the ad-tech ecosystem.

• Industry Expertise: Develop a profound understanding of the mobile advertising industry, contributing to strategic product decisions and quality initiatives with a business-oriented perspective.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path for this role is strong, with clear opportunities for technical specialization, leadership, and broader impact within the ad-tech industry. The company's focus on development and growth suggests a supportive environment for career advancement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company operates a hybrid work model, indicating a blend of in-office and remote work. The office is described as having an "Alster lake view," suggesting a modern, appealing workspace in a central Hamburg location.

Office Location(s): Hamburg, Germany, with additional offices in Boston, Singapore, and Tokyo. The Hamburg office is the primary location for this role, featuring collaborative spaces and amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on "fun open spaces" and "regular team and company events" points to a culture that values interaction and teamwork.

• Technology & Tools: Top-notch equipment is provided, ensuring engineers have the resources needed to perform their roles effectively, including advanced testing tools and potentially powerful workstations.

• Team Interaction: Core office days (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday) are designated for in-person collaboration, fostering stronger team bonds and facilitating real-time problem-solving and knowledge sharing.

Work Schedule: The work schedule is flexible, with "flexible working hours" and core office days. This allows for a good work-life balance, enabling employees to manage their time effectively while ensuring team alignment and productivity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work model with designated office days aims to balance the benefits of remote flexibility with the advantages of in-person collaboration, crucial for complex technical roles like QA automation. The office environment is designed to be conducive to productivity and team engagement.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and portfolio to assess technical skills, experience, and cultural fit.

• Technical Interview(s): Likely involves coding challenges (e.g., writing or debugging Playwright scripts, API testing scenarios), in-depth discussions about your experience with Playwright, TypeScript, API testing, datastores, and problem-solving approaches. Expect questions about handling edge cases, performance optimization, and CI/CD integration.

• Portfolio Deep Dive: A session where you present and discuss key projects from your portfolio, explaining your approach, the challenges you faced, and the impact of your work. This is where you'll demonstrate your understanding of process optimization and ROI.

• Team/Hiring Manager Interview: Focuses on team dynamics, collaboration style, cultural fit, and your understanding of the mobile ad-tech industry. You'll discuss how you approach ownership, collaboration, and continuous learning.

• Final Interview: May involve senior leadership to discuss strategic alignment and overall fit within the organization's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 2-3 impactful projects that best showcase your skills in UI and API automation with Playwright, TypeScript, and AI integration.

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each project, clearly outline the problem, your solution (testing strategy, tools used), the challenges encountered, your specific contributions, and the measurable outcomes (e.g., defect reduction, increased test coverage, faster feedback loops).

• Demonstrate AI Integration: Highlight specific instances where AI tools improved your QA process, be it script generation, data synthesis, or self-healing tests. Explain the benefits realized.

• Showcase API Rigor: Present examples of robust API tests, including contract testing, error handling, and performance considerations. Explain how you ensured data consistency across microservices.

• Explain Datastore Interaction: If applicable, show how you queried databases within your test scripts and the value this provided in validating application state.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the value of your work – e.g., reduction in production bugs, increase in test execution speed, improvement in test reliability.

Challenge Preparation:

• Coding Exercises: Practice writing Playwright tests for common UI interactions and API endpoints. Be prepared to debug existing code or refactor for better efficiency.

• API Testing Scenarios: Familiarize yourself with common API testing techniques, including request/response validation, error handling, and mocking.

• Problem-Solving Scenarios: Prepare to discuss how you would approach testing a complex feature, identify potential risks, or troubleshoot a production issue. Focus on your thought process and methodology.

• Company Research: Understand adjoe's business model, the mobile ad-tech landscape, and their use of AI. Be ready to discuss how quality assurance contributes to their success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes hands-on technical skills and the ability to articulate the impact of QA work. A well-prepared portfolio is critical for demonstrating practical experience with the required tools and methodologies, especially the integration of AI and direct datastore querying.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UI & API Automation Framework: Playwright (TypeScript) is the primary tool for developing end-to-end test suites covering both UI interactions and API logic.

• API Testing Tools: Postman, Insomnia, or Playwright's native API testing capabilities for designing and executing sophisticated API tests.

• AI Tools: AI coding assistants for speeding up test script authoring, generating synthetic test data, and implementing self-healing UI tests.

• Visual Regression Tools: Used to ensure the Offerwall renders perfectly across various web-views and mobile browsers by catching UI regressions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Test Management Tools: Potentially Testmo or similar frameworks for designing automated tests and managing test cases.

• CI/CD Integration: Tools and processes for integrating automated tests into the CI/CD build pipeline (specific tools not listed but common ones include Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions).

• Monitoring Tools: While not explicitly QA tools, the role involves monitoring system behavior (network transfer rates, file size optimization, database architecture efficiency), suggesting familiarity with application performance monitoring (APM) concepts.

CRM & Automation:

• Datastores: Direct interaction with databases such as DynamoDB (NoSQL), Redis (in-memory data structure store), and MySQL (relational database) to verify data consistency.

• SDK Integration: Testing the JS-to-Native bridge to ensure Offerwall interactions correctly trigger SDK events.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is modern and focused on efficiency and cutting-edge practices. Playwright, TypeScript, and AI integration are central. The need to interact directly with multiple database types (SQL and NoSQL) and test the JS-to-Native bridge highlights the complexity and depth of the testing required.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Ownership: Taking personal ownership of product quality, ensuring stability, performance, and clear documentation. This means proactively identifying issues and driving them to resolution.

• Rigor and Precision: Delivering rigorous, high-quality results that top partners depend on. This involves meticulous testing, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of system intricacies.

• Efficiency and Innovation: Utilizing AI tools to speed up processes and staying updated on AI-led QA trends. This reflects a commitment to leveraging technology for maximum impact.

• Collaboration and Communication: Working closely with developers and stakeholders to translate complex bugs into actionable feedback and actively participating in planning sessions.

• Continuous Learning: Maintaining a deep understanding of the business model and the mobile advertising industry, coupled with a proactive approach to monitoring and improving system behavior.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Working closely with the "Catalog team," implying tight collaboration with UI/UX designers, frontend developers, backend developers, and product managers.

• Proactive Feedback: Providing fast, reliable feedback to the engineering team through quality gates in the CI/CD pipeline.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging a culture where team members can share insights on system behavior, potential failure points, and best practices for automation.

• Process Improvement: Actively participating in sprint and release planning, highlighting missing requirements and identifying architectural risks, which fosters a culture of continuous process improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture values proactivity, technical depth, and a strong sense of ownership. The integration of AI and a focus on continuous improvement suggest an environment where innovation in QA processes is encouraged and rewarded.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complex System Integration: Testing a full-stack application involving UI, APIs, microservices, various datastores, and a JS-to-Native bridge requires a comprehensive and nuanced testing strategy.

• Rapid Development Cycles: Working in an ad-tech environment often means fast-paced development, requiring QA to keep pace with frequent updates and releases while maintaining high quality.

• AI Tool Integration: Effectively leveraging AI tools for test automation requires understanding their capabilities, limitations, and how to integrate them seamlessly into existing workflows.

• Performance Monitoring: Going beyond functional testing to monitor system behavior like network transfer rates and database efficiency adds a layer of complexity to QA responsibilities.

• Cross-functional Communication: Effectively translating technical issues and quality concerns to diverse stakeholders, including non-technical individuals, requires strong communication skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Automation Techniques: Deepen expertise in Playwright, TypeScript, and explore emerging AI-driven testing methodologies.

• Ad-Tech Industry Expertise: Gain a profound understanding of the mobile advertising ecosystem, including programmatic advertising, user attribution, and monetization strategies.

• System Architecture: Develop a more comprehensive understanding of microservices, database design (SQL/NoSQL), and cloud infrastructure through direct interaction and monitoring.

• Performance and Security Testing: Opportunities to expand into specialized testing areas as the company grows and its product complexity increases.

• Mentorship and Leadership: Potential to mentor junior QA engineers and contribute to defining quality standards and processes for the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents significant technical challenges that are also excellent opportunities for professional growth. The company's investment and focus on innovation suggest a supportive environment for acquiring new skills and advancing within the ad-tech QA domain.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Operations Strategy: "How would you approach building an end-to-end test suite for our Offerwall feature, considering its UI components, API interactions, and data persistence in DynamoDB and Redis?" (Prepare to outline your strategy, tools, and phases.)

• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: "Describe a time you had to explain a complex technical bug to a non-technical stakeholder. How did you ensure they understood the impact and necessary actions?" (Focus on clarity, empathy, and actionable outcomes.)

• Problem-Solving: "Imagine a scenario where users report intermittent loading issues with the Offerwall. How would you systematically troubleshoot and diagnose the root cause using your automation tools and system monitoring knowledge?" (Demonstrate your logical, step-by-step diagnostic process.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about the mobile ad-tech industry and adjoe's specific business model?" (Research the company's products, market position, and AI applications.)

• "How do you see your role as a QA Automation Engineer contributing to the success of the Catalog team and adjoe's overall mission?" (Connect your responsibilities to business impact and company goals.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Flow: Structure your portfolio presentation around a story for each project: the challenge, your innovative solution (automation strategy), the hurdles overcome, your specific contributions, and the tangible results (metrics!).

• Tool Proficiency Showcase: Clearly articulate which tools you used (Playwright, TypeScript, API tools, AI assistants, datastores) and why they were the right choice for the problem.

• Impactful Metrics: Present data that demonstrates the value of your work – e.g., "Reduced regression bugs in production by X%," "Increased test execution speed by Y%," "Achieved Z% test coverage for critical API endpoints."

• AI & Advanced Techniques: Dedicate time to explaining how you incorporated AI tools or tackled complex challenges like JS-to-Native bridge testing. Be prepared to discuss the ROI of these advanced methods.

• Interactive Elements: If possible, prepare a brief live demo or a clear walkthrough of a script/test case to illustrate your practical skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just technical proficiency but also a strategic mindset, strong problem-solving abilities, and a clear understanding of how QA contributes to business objectives. The portfolio presentation is a key opportunity to showcase practical application and impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the application link provided on jobs.lever.co.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your experience with Playwright, TypeScript, API testing, and datastores (MySQL, DynamoDB, Redis). Quantify achievements wherever possible (e.g., "Increased test coverage by 20%," "Reduced critical bugs by 15%").

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate 2-3 key projects that showcase your UI and API automation skills, especially those involving AI tools or complex integrations. Be ready to walk through your process, tools, and the impact of your work.

• Practice Interview Questions: Rehearse answers to common technical, behavioral, and situational questions, focusing on demonstrating your problem-solving approach and understanding of the ad-tech industry.

• Research adjoe: Familiarize yourself with applike group's products (adjoe, Playtime, Arcade, adjoe Ads), their business model, and their use of AI. Understand their market position in mobile ad-tech.

⚠️ 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.