Principal Software Engineer in Test Jobs
Principal Software Engineer in Test jobs are open across enterprise software, fintech, cloud infrastructure, and healthtech, from senior to principal and staff levels, with specializations in test automation frameworks, quality engineering strategy, and platform reliability. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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About CFD Research: Since its inception in 1987, CFD Research has delivered innovative technology solutions within the Aerospace & Defense, Biomedical & Life Sciences, Intelligence & Sensing, and Energy & Materials industries. CFD Research has earned multiple national awards for successful application and commercialization of innovative component/system technology prototypes, multi-physics simulation software, multi-disciplinary analyses, and expert support services. Based in Huntsville, Alabama where laboratory facilities and headquarters are located, CFD Research also has office and laboratory facilities in Dayton, Ohio, prototyping test and evaluation facilities in Hollywood, Alabama, and office facilities in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. CFD Research is an ISO9001:AS9100D registered company and is appraised at CMMI Level II for Services. CFD Research is a 100% ESOP (employee-owned company) recognized in Inc. Magazine's Inc5000 as a top growing company for four of the last five years. Learn more at www.cfd-research.com
CFD Research is seeking a Lead Test Architect / Principal Software Engineer to lead the architectural strategy for a unit test modernization initiative supporting a mission-critical Missile Defense system. In this role, you will design, standardize, and oversee the unified unit testing frameworks, establish common mocking and stubbing approaches for complex middleware interfaces, and set coding standards necessary to satisfy rigorous DoD code coverage and verification mandates.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and enforce the unified unit test architecture compatible with gcc/g++, GNAT, CMake, and gcovr.
- Define standard directory structures (tests/ hierarchy), naming conventions, and test harness execution rules across all libraries and executables.
- Architect comprehensive mocking and stubbing strategies to isolate complex inter-process communication (IPC) and CORBA middleware calls.
- Guide technical strategy to ensure all targeted modules consistently satisfy the 80% code coverage threshold.
Qualifications and Desired Skills
- U.S. Citizenship required; must possess and maintain an active DoD SECRET Clearance
- Extensive background in systems/software architecture for complex, real-time defense applications.
- Deep technical fluency in both C++ and Ada environments, including toolchain interoperability (GNAT, GCC) and multi-language builds with CMake.
- Proven expertise designing test harnesses, mock objects, and stubs for distributed architectures relying on CORBA/IPC middleware.
- Working knowledge of coverage analysis tools like gcovr and coverage-driven refactoring.
Location: This role is based in the Huntsville, AL area, and is 100% onsite.
Benefits: CFD Research offers competitive salaries and excellent employee benefits, including an employer matching 401(k) and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). CFD Research offers our Full-Time, permanent employee-owners a highly competitive insurance package, including medical, vision, and dental insurance. Additionally, we offer company paid leave, compensation time, parental leave, long-term and short-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment, and life insurance. Part-Time and Temporary employee-owners may receive partial or reduced benefits and leave time based on their employment status level. Performance appraisals occur twice a year and annual pay increases are based upon corporate goals, personal development, performance, and outstanding achievements. In addition, group and individual bonuses are awarded for exceptional performance.
CFD Research is an EO employer - Veterans/Disabled and other protected categories
About CFD Research: Since its inception in 1987, CFD Research has delivered innovative technology solutions within the Aerospace & Defense, Biomedical & Life Sciences, Intelligence & Sensing, and Energy & Materials industries. CFD Research has earned multiple national awards for successful application and commercialization of innovative component/system technology prototypes, multi-physics simulation software, multi-disciplinary analyses, and expert support services. Based in Huntsville, Alabama where laboratory facilities and headquarters are located, CFD Research also has office and laboratory facilities in Dayton, Ohio, prototyping test and evaluation facilities in Hollywood, Alabama, and office facilities in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. CFD Research is an ISO9001:AS9100D registered company and is appraised at CMMI Level II for Services. CFD Research is a 100% ESOP (employee-owned company) recognized in Inc. Magazine's Inc5000 as a top growing company for four of the last five years. Learn more at www.cfd-research.com
CFD Research is seeking a Lead Test Architect / Principal Software Engineer to lead the architectural strategy for a unit test modernization initiative supporting a mission-critical Missile Defense system. In this role, you will design, standardize, and oversee the unified unit testing frameworks, establish common mocking and stubbing approaches for complex middleware interfaces, and set coding standards necessary to satisfy rigorous DoD code coverage and verification mandates.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and enforce the unified unit test architecture compatible with gcc/g++, GNAT, CMake, and gcovr.
- Define standard directory structures (tests/ hierarchy), naming conventions, and test harness execution rules across all libraries and executables.
- Architect comprehensive mocking and stubbing strategies to isolate complex inter-process communication (IPC) and CORBA middleware calls.
- Guide technical strategy to ensure all targeted modules consistently satisfy the 80% code coverage threshold.
Qualifications and Desired Skills
- U.S. Citizenship required; must possess and maintain an active DoD SECRET Clearance
- Extensive background in systems/software architecture for complex, real-time defense applications.
- Deep technical fluency in both C++ and Ada environments, including toolchain interoperability (GNAT, GCC) and multi-language builds with CMake.
- Proven expertise designing test harnesses, mock objects, and stubs for distributed architectures relying on CORBA/IPC middleware.
- Working knowledge of coverage analysis tools like gcovr and coverage-driven refactoring.
Location: This role is based in the Huntsville, AL area, and is 100% onsite.
Benefits: CFD Research offers competitive salaries and excellent employee benefits, including an employer matching 401(k) and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). CFD Research offers our Full-Time, permanent employee-owners a highly competitive insurance package, including medical, vision, and dental insurance. Additionally, we offer company paid leave, compensation time, parental leave, long-term and short-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment, and life insurance. Part-Time and Temporary employee-owners may receive partial or reduced benefits and leave time based on their employment status level. Performance appraisals occur twice a year and annual pay increases are based upon corporate goals, personal development, performance, and outstanding achievements. In addition, group and individual bonuses are awarded for exceptional performance.
CFD Research is an EO employer - Veterans/Disabled and other protected categories
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Find JobsPrincipal Software Engineer in Test Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Northrop Grumman12
- BAE Systems USA3
- RTX1
- SAIC1
- MSA Safety1
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Medical Devices
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal software engineer in test jobs.
- 8 or more years of software engineering experience with a focus on test automation
- Deep expertise in one or more automation frameworks such as Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright
- Experience designing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines with tools like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or CircleCI
- Proficiency in at least one programming language such as Java, Python, or TypeScript
- Demonstrated ability to lead quality engineering strategy across multiple teams or product areas
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
Tips for Your Principal Software Engineer in Test Job Search
Lead your resume with automation depth
Principal-level roles expect you to own the test infrastructure strategy, not just write scripts. Highlight systems you designed end-to-end: the frameworks you chose, the CI pipelines you integrated, and the team-wide standards you set.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists principal software engineer in test openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Align your portfolio to production impact
Hiring managers at the principal level want to see how your testing work reduced production incidents or shortened release cycles. Quantify reliability improvements and release confidence gains, not just coverage percentages or test counts.
Target postings that name test strategy ownership
Many listings blur the line between senior and principal. Filter for postings that mention defining quality engineering roadmaps, mentoring other engineers in test, or setting testing standards across multiple product teams.
Prepare a system design answer for test infrastructure
Expect at least one interview round where you are asked to architect a testing system from scratch, covering parallelization, flakiness reduction, and observability. Practice walking through tradeoffs out loud, not just the final design.
Negotiate scope alongside compensation
At the principal level, your reporting structure and charter matter as much as pay. During offer discussions, clarify whether you have direct influence over release processes and whether your role sits within engineering leadership or is scoped to a single team.
Principal Software Engineer in Test Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most principal software engineer in tests?
Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems USA, and RTX are hiring the most principal software engineer in tests right now, with openings concentrated in California, Massachusetts, and Iowa, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand is strongest at companies scaling cloud platforms and enterprise software products.
How many principal software engineer in test jobs are remote?
About 70% of principal software engineer in test openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting strong demand for distributed quality engineering leadership. Roles focused on test strategy, automation architecture, and tooling platform ownership tend to be the most remote-friendly, while positions embedded in hardware or on-device testing are more likely to require on-site presence.
How do you become a principal software engineer in test?
You typically advance to this level by moving from writing automated tests to designing the frameworks and infrastructure that entire teams depend on. Build a record of reducing test flakiness at scale, integrating testing earlier in the development cycle, and mentoring other engineers in test practices. Taking on cross-team quality initiatives and contributing to release process decisions accelerates the path.
Can you get hired as a principal software engineer in test with limited experience?
Getting hired at the principal level without substantial experience is rare, but candidates from adjacent backgrounds can close the gap. If you come from a software development role, demonstrating deep investment in testability, CI pipeline ownership, and quality advocacy can substitute for a linear test engineering path. Open-source contributions to testing frameworks or tooling projects also signal the technical depth hiring managers expect.
What does the principal software engineer in test interview process look like?
The process typically includes a technical screen covering automation fundamentals and coding, followed by a system design round focused on test infrastructure architecture. Most loops also include a behavioral round examining how you have influenced engineering culture, resolved quality gaps across teams, and driven adoption of testing standards. Final rounds often involve a conversation with engineering leadership about roadmap and strategy ownership.
Where can I find and apply to principal software engineer in test jobs?
You can find and apply to principal software engineer in test jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Find roles that match your experience and specialization, then apply directly to each listing from the page.
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