SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test)

Software Development Engineer In Test (Sdet) 4 days a week onsite in Okemos, Michigan We are seeking a forward-thinking SDET to help modernize and lead our test automation strategy. To be clear, the candidate needs to understand why they are doing what they are doing and be able to clearly articulate it to others (not an order taker). This role will focus on building and maintaining scalable, maintainable, and integrated test automation frameworks across UI and API layers using modern tools like Playwright and TypeScript, while also contributing to CI/CD testing integration. The SDET will also play a key role in supporting manual testing efforts within Agile feature teams—guiding test case creation/documentation, exploratory testing, and quality validation for areas not yet automated. This position is critical to enabling feature teams to take ownership of both automated and manual testing, ensuring faster, higher-quality releases. Primary Responsibilities Partner with Agile feature teams to understand user stories, define acceptance criteria, and promote a test-first mindset through collaboration in design and refinement sessions. Build, maintain, and evolve test automation frameworks using Playwright (preferred), TypeScript, or other enterprise-approved tools to support API and UI testing. Drive the transition from legacy frameworks (e.g., Selenium + Java, Postman/Newman) to unified automation aligned with our CI/CD strategy. Collaborate with developers and QA engineers to ensure test cases are executed in CI pipelines and provide fast, actionable feedback. Testcase design, exploratory testing, and validation of complex workflows that are not yet automated. Develop and maintain automated API tests (REST/SOAP) and end-to-end tests that validate functional and non-functional requirements. Participate in code reviews and contribute to test architecture decisions to ensure reliability, reusability, and scalability of test assets. Write and maintain SQL queries to validate data integrity and support test data creation strategies. Serve as a quality engineering champion—help guide automation strategy, mentoring peers, and contributing to continuous improvement of QA practices. Ensure traceability between requirements, tests, and defects, and support compliance with enterprise policies (e.g., HIPAA, security, audit readiness). Support feature teams with manual testing efforts when needed, including test Preferred Experience Hands-on experience with Playwright (TypeScript preferred) or similar frameworks like Cypress. Migration experience from Selenium + Java or Postman to modern frameworks. Familiarity with test reporting, dashboarding, and quality metrics in a DevOps environment. Experience with test case management tools (e.g., qTest, QMetry) and requirements traceability. RICEFW Technologies