Quality Assurance Engineer – Cloud, UI & API Automation

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Quality Assurance Engineer – Cloud, UI & API Automation

Company: Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

Location: San Jose, California, United States

Job Type: Full time

Category: Quality Engineering / Software Development

Date Posted: September 17, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on designing, developing, and maintaining robust automated test frameworks, primarily using Python, to ensure the quality of cloud-native applications, web user interfaces (UI), and RESTful APIs.

• The position emphasizes strong software engineering and automation design skills, with a preference for candidates who can build scalable automation solutions rather than just execute test scripts.

• Key responsibilities include collaborating with software engineers to identify and resolve defects, analyzing system behavior, and building/maintaining test environments and quality metrics.

• This is an onsite role requiring 5 days per week in the San Jose, CA office, with flexibility for early or late meetings to support international teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Quality Assurance Engineer," the description heavily emphasizes software engineering and Python development capabilities, suggesting a hybrid role or a strong preference for development-oriented QA professionals. The "TCP_02" job level suggests a mid-career professional with some specialized technical knowledge.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable automated test frameworks and tools using Python for comprehensive validation of cloud, web UI, and REST API functionalities.

• Create and implement test infrastructure that enhances engineering productivity and elevates overall product quality through intelligent automation.

• Collaborate closely with software development teams to proactively identify, reproduce, and resolve complex defects, ensuring timely resolution.

• Analyze system behavior, review logs, and interpret telemetry data to diagnose intricate issues within distributed systems.

• Build, configure, and maintain robust test environments, establish efficient automation pipelines, and monitor key quality metrics for continuous improvement.

• Actively participate in feature reviews, providing crucial feedback on testability, edge cases, and optimal automation strategies.

• Investigate customer-reported issues, meticulously reproducing problems in lab environments to ensure thorough validation.

• Drive continuous improvements in automation coverage, testing efficiency, and release quality by identifying gaps and implementing solutions.

• Document automation solutions, established test methodologies, and detailed troubleshooting procedures for knowledge sharing and team enablement.

• Ensure compliance with U.S. citizenship requirements and be available for meetings outside standard business hours to support global teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a proactive and engineering-centric approach to quality assurance, emphasizing framework development and infrastructure rather than manual testing. The need for early/late meeting flexibility points to a global product support context.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a closely related technical field. Experience:

• Minimum of 2+ years of experience in software engineering, automation engineering, quality engineering, or a comparable role.

• Demonstrated experience (2+ years) in Python programming, with a strong track record of developing software or automation solutions.

• Proven experience in designing, building, and maintaining automated testing frameworks from the ground up.

• Hands-on experience validating REST APIs and complex web applications.

• Proven ability to work independently and drive technical solutions with minimal supervision. Required Skills:

• Python Programming: Advanced proficiency in Python for software development and automation scripting.

• Automation Framework Design: Expertise in creating, implementing, and maintaining scalable automated testing frameworks.

• API Testing: Experience with validating RESTful APIs, including understanding request/response structures and error handling.

• Web UI Automation: Proficiency in automating web user interfaces, with experience in relevant tools and methodologies.

• Debugging & Troubleshooting: Strong analytical skills for identifying, diagnosing, and resolving complex technical issues.

Preferred Skills:

• Selenium, Playwright, Pytest: Familiarity or experience with popular web automation tools and testing frameworks.

• Cloud-Native Applications: Experience testing applications deployed in cloud environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP).

• Django/RESTful Services: Knowledge of web frameworks like Django and understanding of modern web architectures.

• Networking Fundamentals: Basic understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, routing, and switching concepts.

• CI/CD Pipelines: Experience with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment pipelines and automated quality gates.

• Enterprise SaaS: Experience supporting and testing enterprise-level Software-as-a-Service products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Python and framework development suggests that candidates with a strong software engineering background who are transitioning into QA, or those with deep automation experience, will be highly competitive. The preferred skills indicate a direction towards cloud-native and modern web technologies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Automation Frameworks: Showcase examples of automated test frameworks you have designed, built, or significantly contributed to, highlighting the architecture, technologies used (especially Python), and scalability.

• Case Studies in Automation: Prepare 1-2 detailed case studies demonstrating your process for identifying testing needs, designing automation solutions, implementing them, and the resulting impact on quality and efficiency. Quantify improvements where possible (e.g., reduction in regression testing time, increase in defect detection rate).

• API & UI Test Automation Examples: Provide concrete examples of automated tests for REST APIs and web UIs, illustrating your approach to test data management, assertion strategies, and error handling.

• System Integration & CI/CD: If applicable, demonstrate experience integrating automation into CI/CD pipelines, showing how automated tests contribute to build stability and faster release cycles.

Process Documentation:

• Test Strategy & Design: Document your approach to defining test strategies for new features, including how you determine automation scope and select appropriate testing techniques.

• Automation Development Workflow: Outline your typical workflow for developing new automation scripts or features, from requirements gathering to code review, testing, and deployment.

• Defect Management & Analysis: Describe your process for logging, triaging, and analyzing defects found through automation, including how you collaborate with developers to ensure timely resolution.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, a portfolio demonstrating hands-on coding and framework development is crucial. Candidates should be prepared to discuss the design decisions behind their automation solutions and articulate the business impact.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• California, USA: Annual Salary USD 81,400 - 164,400

• Note: This range reflects base salary. Actual compensation will be determined by factors such as geographic location, work experience, education, and specific skill level. Variable incentives may also be offered.

Benefits:

• Health & Wellbeing: Comprehensive suite of benefits supporting physical, financial, and emotional wellbeing.

• Personal & Professional Development: Investment in career growth through specific programs for skill development, knowledge expertise, and cross-divisional application of skills.

• Unconditional Inclusion: Commitment to an inclusive workplace that celebrates individual uniqueness and supports diverse backgrounds.

• Flexibility: Support for managing work and personal needs, within the context of the role's onsite requirements.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours, with an expectation of 5 days per week in the San Jose office.

• Flexibility required to attend meetings outside standard business hours at least 3 days per week to support international teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is typical for a mid-level engineering role in a high-cost-of-living area like San Jose, California. The benefits emphasize holistic employee support and career advancement, aligning with HPE's stated culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (Edge-to-Cloud Solutions)

Company Size: Large Enterprise (Estimated 60,000+ employees globally, based on typical HPE size)

Founded: 2015 (As HPE, spun off from Hewlett-Packard)

Team Structure:

• Operations Focus: This role is within the Mist Engineering team, suggesting a focus on quality assurance for networking and cloud solutions, likely related to HPE's Aruba/Mist AI-driven networking products.

• Reporting: The "TCP_02" job level typically indicates a position that reports to a manager or lead engineer, working within a larger engineering department.

• Collaboration: Expect close collaboration with software engineers, product managers, and potentially other QA engineers within the Mist Engineering team and potentially cross-functionally with other product engineering groups.

Methodology:

• Agile Development: Likely follows agile methodologies, with a strong emphasis on continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD).

• Data-Driven Quality: Quality metrics, system behavior analysis, and telemetry data will be used to guide testing and development efforts.

• Automation-First Mindset: The team prioritizes scalable automation solutions to ensure product quality and engineering efficiency.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: HPE is a major player in enterprise technology, focusing on edge-to-cloud solutions. The Mist Engineering team likely works on innovative networking technologies, where robust QA and automation are critical for product reliability and customer satisfaction.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Mid-Level Software Quality Automation Engineer (TCP_02)

• This level signifies an individual contributor with a solid foundation in software engineering and automation. The role requires the ability to independently design and implement complex automation solutions, troubleshoot challenging technical issues, and contribute to the overall quality strategy of the team. Reporting Structure:

• Typically reports to a QA Lead, Engineering Manager, or a Senior Engineer within the Mist Engineering team. This role involves close collaboration with development peers and potential mentorship opportunities for junior engineers. Operations Impact:

• The Quality Assurance Engineer plays a critical role in ensuring the reliability, performance, and scalability of HPE's cloud, UI, and API offerings. By developing robust automation, this role directly impacts the speed of development cycles, reduces the risk of production defects, and contributes to a positive customer experience, ultimately supporting revenue generation and brand reputation. Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in cloud-native testing, advanced Python automation techniques, specific cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), or performance/security testing.

• Automation Architecture: Progress into roles focused on designing and architecting enterprise-level test automation frameworks.

• Team Leadership: Transition into a QA Lead or Senior QA Engineer role, mentoring junior engineers and guiding test strategies.

• Cross-Functional Movement: With strong engineering skills, opportunities may exist to move into specialized software development roles within HPE.

📝 Enhancement Note: HPE, as a large technology company, offers structured career paths. For a QA Engineer with strong development skills, the growth trajectory is clearly towards more complex automation architecture, leadership, or specialized development roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Primarily On-site, within a corporate office environment.

Office Location(s): San Jose, California, USA. This location is in the heart of Silicon Valley, offering a dynamic tech ecosystem.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative: The role requires 5 days a week in the office, suggesting a highly collaborative environment with opportunities for direct interaction with software engineers and team members.

• Tech-Enabled: Expect access to modern development tools, testing infrastructure, and potentially dedicated lab environments for testing.

• Global Interaction: The need for early/late meetings indicates interaction with distributed international teams, requiring adaptability in communication styles and schedules.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time hours are expected, but flexibility is crucial for attending meetings with global teams (at least 3 days per week outside standard hours). This implies a need for effective time management and work-life integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Onsite" requirement with specific office days is a key aspect. Candidates must be comfortable working from the San Jose office and managing the flexibility needed for global team collaboration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

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

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

  • Python Coding: Live coding exercises to assess Python proficiency, problem-solving skills, and understanding of data structures/algorithms.
  • Automation Concepts: Questions about designing test frameworks, choosing appropriate tools, and strategies for API/UI automation.
  • System Design/Troubleshooting: Scenarios to evaluate your ability to analyze system behavior, debug complex issues, and propose solutions.

• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session where you will walk through selected projects from your portfolio, explaining your design choices, technical challenges, and the impact of your work.

• Manager/Team Interview: A final interview with the hiring manager and potential team members to assess cultural fit, collaboration style, and overall suitability for the role and team dynamics.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Python Frameworks: Showcase projects where you built or significantly contributed to Python-based automation frameworks. Detail the architecture, libraries used, and the problems they solved.

• Quantify Impact: For each project, be prepared to discuss the metrics of success. How did your automation improve efficiency, reduce bugs, or speed up releases? Use numbers and specific examples.

• Demonstrate Problem-Solving: Choose case studies that illustrate your ability to tackle complex technical challenges. Explain the problem, your approach, the solution you implemented, and the lessons learned.

• Code Clarity: Ensure any code samples or portfolio items are well-documented, clean, and demonstrate best practices. Be ready to discuss your coding style and rationale.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize experience with cloud, UI, and API automation, as these are key requirements for this position.

Challenge Preparation:

• Coding Challenges: Practice Python coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or similar sites, focusing on data structures, algorithms, and string manipulation.

• Automation Scenarios: Think through how you would automate testing for common web applications or APIs. Consider edge cases, negative testing, and data-driven testing.

• Troubleshooting Exercises: Prepare to discuss how you would approach diagnosing issues based on log snippets, error messages, or described system behaviors.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize your hands-on coding and automation design capabilities. A well-prepared portfolio that clearly demonstrates your Python skills and framework development experience is essential for success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Programming Language: Python (primary focus for automation development).

• Automation Frameworks: Experience with or ability to quickly learn Selenium, Playwright, Pytest, or similar Python-based automation tools.

• API Testing Tools: Tools for interacting with and validating REST APIs (e.g., Postman, requests library in Python).

Analytics & Reporting:

• CI/CD Tools: Experience with Jenkins, GitLab CI, CircleCI, or similar for integrating automated tests into build pipelines.

• Logging & Monitoring: Familiarity with tools for analyzing system logs and telemetry data (e.g., ELK stack, Splunk, custom logging solutions).

• Reporting Dashboards: Ability to create or contribute to quality reports and dashboards to visualize test results and product quality metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• Version Control: Git (essential for code management and collaboration).

• Cloud Platforms: Familiarity with AWS, Azure, or GCP concepts and services relevant to cloud-native applications.

• Containerization: Knowledge of Docker and container orchestration (like Kubernetes) can be beneficial for setting up test environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Python is non-negotiable. Experience with modern web automation tools, CI/CD integration, and cloud environments will significantly strengthen a candidate's profile.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Engineering Excellence: A strong emphasis on building high-quality, scalable, and maintainable automation solutions.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Utilizing data from logs, telemetry, and test results to inform quality strategies and identify areas for improvement.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Working closely with software engineers and other team members to achieve common quality goals.

• Continuous Improvement: A mindset of constantly seeking ways to enhance testing processes, automation effectiveness, and product quality.

• Ownership & Accountability: Taking responsibility for the quality of the products and driving issues to resolution.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Expect to work closely with software developers, product managers, and potentially SREs (Site Reliability Engineers) to ensure comprehensive quality coverage.

• Open Communication: A culture that encourages open feedback, knowledge sharing, and constructive discussions about technical challenges and solutions.

• Proactive Problem Solving: A team that values individuals who proactively identify potential issues and contribute to solutions before they impact the product or customers.

📝 Enhancement Note: HPE's stated values of "Unconditional Inclusion" and fostering a culture where "varied backgrounds are valued and succeed" suggest an environment that promotes diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complex Systems: Testing distributed cloud-native applications and intricate UI interactions can present significant technical challenges.

• Scalability of Automation: Designing automation that remains stable, fast, and maintainable as the product evolves requires ongoing effort and skill.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: In a fast-paced environment, the challenge lies in ensuring thorough testing and high-quality releases without significantly slowing down development velocity.

• Global Team Collaboration: Adapting to different time zones and communication styles for meetings with international teams requires strong organizational skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Automation Techniques: Opportunities to learn and implement cutting-edge automation strategies, tools, and best practices.

• Cloud Technologies: Deepen understanding and practical experience with major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their services.

• Networking & Distributed Systems: Gain deeper insights into networking fundamentals and the behavior of complex, distributed software systems.

• Career Path Development: HPE's structured approach to career growth offers defined paths for specialization or leadership within the engineering organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a prime opportunity to tackle complex engineering challenges in a leading technology company, with ample scope for professional development in modern software engineering and quality assurance practices.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Automation Design: "Describe a complex automation framework you designed. What were the key architectural decisions, and what challenges did you overcome?" (Focus on Python, scalability, maintainability).

• API Testing Strategy: "How would you approach automating the testing of a critical REST API endpoint? What are the key considerations for robustness and coverage?" (Discuss inputs, outputs, error handling, data management).

• Troubleshooting Scenarios: "You see a test failing intermittently in the CI pipeline. How would you approach diagnosing the root cause?" (Emphasize systematic debugging, log analysis, environment checks).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in Quality Engineering at HPE, specifically within the Mist Engineering team?" (Research HPE's networking products, Mist AI, and connect your skills to their mission).

• "How do you collaborate with software engineers to improve product quality?" (Highlight your communication, feedback, and partnership approach).

• "Describe a time you had to work outside standard business hours to support a critical issue or global team. How did you manage it?" (Showcase flexibility and commitment). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select 2-3 Key Projects: Choose projects that best showcase your

Python automation framework development and API/UI testing expertise.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project:

  1. The Problem: What was the challenge or need?
  2. Your Solution: How did you design and implement the automation? What technologies did you use (especially Python)?
  3. The Impact: What were the quantifiable results (e.g., time saved, bugs found, efficiency gained)?
  4. Lessons Learned: What would you do differently or what did you learn?

• Be Prepared for Code Deep-Dives: Have your code ready to share (or discuss conceptually) and be prepared to explain specific functions, classes, or design patterns you used.

• Focus on "Why": Explain the rationale behind your design choices, not just what you did, but why you did it that way.

📝 Enhancement Note: Your portfolio is your primary tool here. Practice presenting it clearly, concisely, and with a focus on the impact and technical depth of your work, especially your Python automation skills.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the official Hewlett Packard Enterprise careers portal.

• Curate Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight your Python programming skills, experience in designing and building automation frameworks, and your work with cloud, UI, and API testing. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong projects that demonstrate your capabilities in Python automation, framework development, and API/UI testing. Be ready to present these with clear explanations of the problem, solution, and impact.

• Practice Interview Questions: Rehearse answers to common technical questions about Python, automation strategies, debugging, and system design. Practice your portfolio presentation to ensure clarity and impact.

• Research HPE and Mist: Understand HPE's strategic direction, its cloud and networking products (especially Aruba/Mist), and the company's culture. This will help you articulate your interest and cultural fit.

⚠️ 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.