Principal Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)

ABOUT AMGEN 

Amgen harnesses the best of biology and technology to fight the world’s toughest diseases, and make people’s lives easier, fuller and longer. We discover, develop, manufacture and deliver innovative medicines to help millions of patients. Amgen helped establish the biotechnology industry more than 40 years ago and remains on the cutting-edge of innovation, using technology and human genetic data to push beyond what’s known today. 

ABOUT THE ROLE 

Role Description: 

The Principal Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) position offers a unique opportunity to join a fun, innovative engineering team within the AI & Data Science (AI&D) - organization. You will lead the design, development, and evolution of enterprise-wide Quality Engineering and Test Automation capabilities supporting Applied AI, Intelligent Automation, and AI-native applications. 

This role is responsible for defining and implementing scalable automation frameworks, modern testing strategies, and engineering best practices across complex enterprise solutions. You will work closely with software engineers, solution architects, product teams, DevOps engineers, and business stakeholders to ensure high-quality, secure, compliant, and resilient software delivery. 

The ideal candidate possesses extensive experience in software engineering, automation framework architecture, API and UI automation, cloud technologies, CI/CD, Computer System Validation (CSV), and Agile software delivery. This role requires deep technical expertise, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to influence engineering teams by driving automation-first and quality engineering practices across the software development lifecycle. 

Roles & Responsibilities: 

• Build out test engineering practices, standards, community and lead by execution in creating a new culture around the test automation demeanor. 

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable enterprise test automation frameworks for UI, API, database, integration, and end-to-end testing. 

• Define and implement enterprise Quality Engineering standards, automation best practices, reusable libraries, coding standards, and governance. 

• Develop automated test solutions using modern frameworks and tools including Selenium, Playwright, UiPath Test Suite, REST Assured, Postman, and similar technologies. 

• Build automated regression, smoke, integration, performance, and validation test suites that support continuous delivery. 

• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or similar DevOps platforms. 

• Collaborate with software engineers, architects, DevOps teams, and product owners to implement shift-left quality engineering practices. 

• Validate AI/ML-enabled systems, intelligent automation solutions, and Agentic AI applications to ensure functionality, evals, reliability, explainability, compliance, and data integrity. 

• Support Computer System Validation (CSV) activities for GxP applications, ensuring compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11, and enterprise validation standards. 

• Serve as Scrum Master for Cross-Functional Agile teams, leading sprint planning, daily stand-ups, retrospectives, and backlog grooming to ensure timely delivery of automation and AI solutions. 

• Mentor engineers on automation framework development, software engineering best practices, and modern Quality Engineering methodologies. 

• Evaluate and introduce emerging testing technologies, AI-assisted testing tools, and automation innovations that improve software delivery efficiency. 

Basic Qualifications and Experience: 

• Any degree with 12 - 17 years of experience in Business, Engineering, IT or related field   

Functional Skills: 

Must-Have Skills: 

• Extensive software engineering experience with Java, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, C#, or similar languages, and a proven track record of designing and developing enterprise-scale test automation frameworks. 

• Deep expertise in Quality Engineering and Test Automation, including UI, API, integration, database, and end-to-end testing using modern automation tools such as Selenium, Playwright, UiPath Test Suite, Postman, or equivalent technologies. 

• Strong experience with cloud-native application testing, microservices, distributed systems, and CI/CD pipelines using tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Docker, and Kubernetes. 

• Comprehensive understanding of Computer System Validation (CSV), GxP compliance, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11, and risk-based validation methodologies within regulated environments. 

• Demonstrated technical leadership in defining Quality Engineering strategies, establishing automation standards, mentoring engineers, and driving engineering excellence across Agile and DevSecOps delivery teams. 

• Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and communication skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional engineering teams and deliver high-quality, scalable, and compliant software solutions. 

Good-to-Have Skills: 

• Experience with performance and load testing tools such as JMeter, Gatling, LoadRunner, or k6. 

• Familiarity with Kubernetes, Docker, AWS Cloud Platform. 

• Familiarity with security testing concepts including SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, and OWASP best practices. 

• Experience with AI-assisted software development and AI-powered test generation tools. 

• Experience validating Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) applications, Agentic AI systems, and intelligent automation platforms. 

• Familiarity with observability tools including Grafana, Splunk, Datadog, or similar monitoring platforms. 

Professional Certifications: 

• ISTQB Advanced Test Automation Engineer or equivalent certification (preferred) 

• Computer System Validation Professional (CSV) Certification (preferred) 

• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) or SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) (preferred) 

Soft Skills: 

• Strong technical leadership with the ability to influence engineering decisions and quality practices. 

• Excellent analytical thinking, debugging, and complex problem-solving skills. 

• Passion for engineering excellence, automation, and continuous improvement. 

• Strong collaboration skills with cross-functional engineering, product, DevOps, and architecture teams. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

• Ability to mentor and coach engineers on software quality and automation best practices. 

• Strong attention to detail with a focus on reliability, maintainability, and scalability. 

• Ability to prioritize multiple initiatives in a fast-paced Agile environment. 

• Self-motivated with a continuous learning mindset and passion for emerging technologies. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT 

Amgen is an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider you without regard to your race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status. 

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.