Software Development Engineer In Test Jobs in California
Software Development Engineer In Test jobs in California are among the most actively recruited software quality roles in the country, concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where technology companies, enterprise software firms, and semiconductor manufacturers maintain large engineering organizations. Employers such as Google, Apple, and Salesforce have sustained demand at every level from new graduate through principal engineer, with the strongest need in test automation frameworks, CI/CD pipeline validation, and mobile and embedded systems testing. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 158+ Software Development Engineer In Test jobs
Who We Are:
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the global edge-to-cloud company advancing the way people live and work. We help companies connect, protect, analyze, and act on their data and applications wherever they live, from edge to cloud, so they can turn insights into outcomes at the speed required to thrive in today’s complex world. Our culture thrives on finding new and better ways to accelerate what’s next. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good. If you are looking to stretch and grow your career our culture will embrace you. Open up opportunities with HPE.
Job Description:
Principal Software Test Engineer - Solution Engineering – Customer Solution Validation
Location (HYBRID): Sunnyvale, CA
HPE Networking is seeking a Principal Solution Test & Automation Engineer to drive quality engineering for large-scale networking and distributed software solutions. This is a highly technical Individual Contributor role requiring visible technical impact on products and major components, customer success, and engineering excellence. The role combines strong software testing expertise, system-level engineering knowledge, customer engagement, and technical leadership. The successful candidate will be recognized as an internal authority in key technology areas, drive innovation in automation and validation, and improve product quality, scalability, observability, and reliability across the product lifecycle.
You will partner closely with engineering, architecture, product management, sales engineering, services, support, and customers to validate complex networking solutions, establish scalable quality engineering practices, and deliver long-lasting improvements to engineering productivity and product quality. In addition to technical execution, you will provide leadership across functions, mentor engineers, and help define the future direction of solution validation and automation.
Success in this role requires visible technical impact on products or major components, recognized expertise in key technology areas, contributions to cross-functional initiatives, mentorship and knowledge sharing, and innovation that advances customer outcomes and business objectives.
Solution Validation & Customer Engagement
- Understand customer deployments, business requirements, architectures, and large-scale operational environments to develop comprehensive validation strategies.
- Lead validation efforts for customer solutions and complex networking deployments.
- Collaborate with customers, field engineers, solution architects, sales engineers, and services teams to validate real-world networking solutions and operational readiness.
- Participate in and influence technical design workshops, architecture reviews, and strategic planning discussions to improve reliability, scalability, observability, and serviceability.
- Translate customer requirements into repeatable, solution-focused validation frameworks.
- Present technical findings, risk assessments, quality recommendations, and executive-level updates to customers and internal stakeholders.
- Drive cross-functional initiatives that improve customer outcomes and product quality.
Automation & Quality Engineering
- Contribute to and help drive automation strategy across products, programs, and engineering teams.
- Architect, develop, and evolve scalable automation frameworks supporting functional, integration, system, resiliency, scale, performance, and solution validation.
- Establish engineering best practices and standards for continuous validation through CI/CD pipelines.
- Drive innovation in automation infrastructure, tooling, and AI-assisted engineering practices.
- Drive organization-wide adoption of quality engineering methodologies that improve time-to-market and engineering productivity.
- Identify opportunities to simplify validation workflows and reduce operational costs through automation.
System-Level Testing & Debugging
- Validate distributed, multi-component software and networking platforms at scale.
- Utilize logs, metrics, traces, telemetry, observability platforms, and diagnostic frameworks to troubleshoot complex failures.
- Drive root-cause investigations spanning multiple teams and technology domains.
- Differentiate product defects from infrastructure, automation, and environmental issues.
- Influence architecture and design decisions to improve product testability, diagnosability, and operational excellence.
Technical Leadership
- Provide technical leadership for significant project and program initiatives.
- Serve as a recognized internal authority for solution validation, automation, and quality engineering.
- Lead and connect engineering teams across functions to align around common quality objectives.
- Drive quality-first engineering practices throughout the development lifecycle.
- Mentor engineers through technical guidance, reviews, coaching, and knowledge sharing.
- Contribute to technical innovation through patents, white papers, standards participation, publications, and architectural proposals.
- Contribute to long-term technical capabilities that create recurring business value and customer impact.
Basic Qualifications
Software Engineering & Automation
- Expert-level programming expertise in Python, Go, or C++, with deep proficiency in at least one language.
- Extensive experience designing and building automation platforms, frameworks, and quality engineering ecosystems.
- Experience integrating large-scale automated testing into CI/CD environments.
- Proven experience delivering impactful automation initiatives.
Systems & Networking
- Strong understanding of Linux/UNIX operating systems, networking, processes, memory management, and system internals.
- Extensive experience validating distributed and multi-component systems.
- Deep hands-on expertise configuring and validating multi-vendor networking environments.
- Experience supporting service provider, enterprise, and cloud networking deployments.
- Strong knowledge of performance testing and traffic-generation platforms such as Ixia and Spirent.
Testing & Quality Engineering
- Deep expertise in system-level and end-to-end validation.
- Multi-feature, longevity, resiliency, interoperability, scale, and performance testing.
- Fault injection and recovery validation.
- Root-cause analysis and complex defect investigation.
- Advanced troubleshooting across multiple software and infrastructure layers.
Leadership & Influence
- Demonstrated ability to deliver visible technical impact on products or major components.
- Proven ability to influence engineering decisions and technical direction within and across teams.
- Experience mentoring engineers and contributing to cross-functional technical initiatives.
Preferred Qualifications
- 12+ yrs of industry experience.
- Advanced networking expertise in Layer 2, Layer 3, TCP/IP, Routing, MPLS, EVPN, and data center technologies.
- Experience with network operating systems, cloud infrastructure, observability platforms, and distributed architectures.
- Working knowledge of JUNOS.
- Industry certifications such as JNCIA, CCIA, or equivalent.
- Experience leveraging AI-assisted engineering tools for automation development, test generation, diagnostics, failure analysis, and productivity improvements.
- Track record of innovation resulting in patents, publications, standards contributions, or architectural leadership.
Accessibility
HPE is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including those with disabilities. If you believe you require accommodation during any stage of the application or interview process, please submit your request by completing our secure form linked here.
Note: This option is reserved for applicants needing assistance/reasonable accommodation related to a disability.
What We Can Offer You:
Health & Wellbeing
We strive to provide our team members and their loved ones with a comprehensive suite of benefits that supports their physical, financial and emotional wellbeing.
Personal & Professional Development
We also invest in your career because the better you are, the better we all are. We have specific programs catered to helping you reach any career goals you have — whether you want to become a knowledge expert in your field or apply your skills to another division.
Unconditional Inclusion
We are unconditionally inclusive in the way we work and celebrate individual uniqueness. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good.
Let's Stay Connected:
Follow @HPECareers on Instagram to see the latest on people, culture and tech at HPE.
Job:
EngineeringJob Level:
TCP_05
– United States of America: Annual Salary USD 172,000 - 349,000 in California
The listed salary range reflects base salary. Variable incentives may also be offered."
Information about employee benefits offered in the US can be found at https://myhperewards.com/main/new-hire-enrollment.html
HPE is an Equal Employment Opportunity/ Veterans/Disabled/LGBT employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or any other protected category, and all decisions we make are made on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. Our goal is to be one global team that is representative of our customers, in an inclusive environment where we can continue to innovate and grow together. Please click here: Equal Employment Opportunity.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is EEO Protected Veteran/ Individual with Disabilities.
HPE will comply with all applicable laws related to employer use of arrest and conviction records, including laws requiring employers to consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories.
Recruitment Fraud Alert
We have become aware of an increase in fraudulent recruitment activities in which individuals impersonate our company or authorized recruitment agencies to offer fake employment opportunities. These scams may occur through false websites, emails, social media, or chat-based applications and often aim to obtain personal information or money. Please note that Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), its direct and indirect subsidiaries and affiliated companies, and its authorized recruitment agencies/vendors will never charge a candidate a registration fee, hiring fee, or any other fee in connection with its recruitment and hiring process. We also never request personal information such as back account details, Social Security numbers, or national IDs via social media or chat applications.
All legitimate job opportunities will come through official company channels, and candidates are responsible for verifying the credentials of any third party claiming to represent the company. Any reliance on fraudulent communication is at the individual’s own risk, and HPE disclaims legal liability for any resulting damages. If you suspect recruitment fraud, do not share personal information or make any payments and report the incident to your local authorities immediately.
Who We Are:
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the global edge-to-cloud company advancing the way people live and work. We help companies connect, protect, analyze, and act on their data and applications wherever they live, from edge to cloud, so they can turn insights into outcomes at the speed required to thrive in today’s complex world. Our culture thrives on finding new and better ways to accelerate what’s next. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good. If you are looking to stretch and grow your career our culture will embrace you. Open up opportunities with HPE.
Job Description:
Principal Software Test Engineer - Solution Engineering – Customer Solution Validation
Location (HYBRID): Sunnyvale, CA
HPE Networking is seeking a Principal Solution Test & Automation Engineer to drive quality engineering for large-scale networking and distributed software solutions. This is a highly technical Individual Contributor role requiring visible technical impact on products and major components, customer success, and engineering excellence. The role combines strong software testing expertise, system-level engineering knowledge, customer engagement, and technical leadership. The successful candidate will be recognized as an internal authority in key technology areas, drive innovation in automation and validation, and improve product quality, scalability, observability, and reliability across the product lifecycle.
You will partner closely with engineering, architecture, product management, sales engineering, services, support, and customers to validate complex networking solutions, establish scalable quality engineering practices, and deliver long-lasting improvements to engineering productivity and product quality. In addition to technical execution, you will provide leadership across functions, mentor engineers, and help define the future direction of solution validation and automation.
Success in this role requires visible technical impact on products or major components, recognized expertise in key technology areas, contributions to cross-functional initiatives, mentorship and knowledge sharing, and innovation that advances customer outcomes and business objectives.
Solution Validation & Customer Engagement
- Understand customer deployments, business requirements, architectures, and large-scale operational environments to develop comprehensive validation strategies.
- Lead validation efforts for customer solutions and complex networking deployments.
- Collaborate with customers, field engineers, solution architects, sales engineers, and services teams to validate real-world networking solutions and operational readiness.
- Participate in and influence technical design workshops, architecture reviews, and strategic planning discussions to improve reliability, scalability, observability, and serviceability.
- Translate customer requirements into repeatable, solution-focused validation frameworks.
- Present technical findings, risk assessments, quality recommendations, and executive-level updates to customers and internal stakeholders.
- Drive cross-functional initiatives that improve customer outcomes and product quality.
Automation & Quality Engineering
- Contribute to and help drive automation strategy across products, programs, and engineering teams.
- Architect, develop, and evolve scalable automation frameworks supporting functional, integration, system, resiliency, scale, performance, and solution validation.
- Establish engineering best practices and standards for continuous validation through CI/CD pipelines.
- Drive innovation in automation infrastructure, tooling, and AI-assisted engineering practices.
- Drive organization-wide adoption of quality engineering methodologies that improve time-to-market and engineering productivity.
- Identify opportunities to simplify validation workflows and reduce operational costs through automation.
System-Level Testing & Debugging
- Validate distributed, multi-component software and networking platforms at scale.
- Utilize logs, metrics, traces, telemetry, observability platforms, and diagnostic frameworks to troubleshoot complex failures.
- Drive root-cause investigations spanning multiple teams and technology domains.
- Differentiate product defects from infrastructure, automation, and environmental issues.
- Influence architecture and design decisions to improve product testability, diagnosability, and operational excellence.
Technical Leadership
- Provide technical leadership for significant project and program initiatives.
- Serve as a recognized internal authority for solution validation, automation, and quality engineering.
- Lead and connect engineering teams across functions to align around common quality objectives.
- Drive quality-first engineering practices throughout the development lifecycle.
- Mentor engineers through technical guidance, reviews, coaching, and knowledge sharing.
- Contribute to technical innovation through patents, white papers, standards participation, publications, and architectural proposals.
- Contribute to long-term technical capabilities that create recurring business value and customer impact.
Basic Qualifications
Software Engineering & Automation
- Expert-level programming expertise in Python, Go, or C++, with deep proficiency in at least one language.
- Extensive experience designing and building automation platforms, frameworks, and quality engineering ecosystems.
- Experience integrating large-scale automated testing into CI/CD environments.
- Proven experience delivering impactful automation initiatives.
Systems & Networking
- Strong understanding of Linux/UNIX operating systems, networking, processes, memory management, and system internals.
- Extensive experience validating distributed and multi-component systems.
- Deep hands-on expertise configuring and validating multi-vendor networking environments.
- Experience supporting service provider, enterprise, and cloud networking deployments.
- Strong knowledge of performance testing and traffic-generation platforms such as Ixia and Spirent.
Testing & Quality Engineering
- Deep expertise in system-level and end-to-end validation.
- Multi-feature, longevity, resiliency, interoperability, scale, and performance testing.
- Fault injection and recovery validation.
- Root-cause analysis and complex defect investigation.
- Advanced troubleshooting across multiple software and infrastructure layers.
Leadership & Influence
- Demonstrated ability to deliver visible technical impact on products or major components.
- Proven ability to influence engineering decisions and technical direction within and across teams.
- Experience mentoring engineers and contributing to cross-functional technical initiatives.
Preferred Qualifications
- 12+ yrs of industry experience.
- Advanced networking expertise in Layer 2, Layer 3, TCP/IP, Routing, MPLS, EVPN, and data center technologies.
- Experience with network operating systems, cloud infrastructure, observability platforms, and distributed architectures.
- Working knowledge of JUNOS.
- Industry certifications such as JNCIA, CCIA, or equivalent.
- Experience leveraging AI-assisted engineering tools for automation development, test generation, diagnostics, failure analysis, and productivity improvements.
- Track record of innovation resulting in patents, publications, standards contributions, or architectural leadership.
Accessibility
HPE is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including those with disabilities. If you believe you require accommodation during any stage of the application or interview process, please submit your request by completing our secure form linked here.
Note: This option is reserved for applicants needing assistance/reasonable accommodation related to a disability.
What We Can Offer You:
Health & Wellbeing
We strive to provide our team members and their loved ones with a comprehensive suite of benefits that supports their physical, financial and emotional wellbeing.
Personal & Professional Development
We also invest in your career because the better you are, the better we all are. We have specific programs catered to helping you reach any career goals you have — whether you want to become a knowledge expert in your field or apply your skills to another division.
Unconditional Inclusion
We are unconditionally inclusive in the way we work and celebrate individual uniqueness. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good.
Let's Stay Connected:
Follow @HPECareers on Instagram to see the latest on people, culture and tech at HPE.
Job:
EngineeringJob Level:
TCP_05
– United States of America: Annual Salary USD 172,000 - 349,000 in California
The listed salary range reflects base salary. Variable incentives may also be offered."
Information about employee benefits offered in the US can be found at https://myhperewards.com/main/new-hire-enrollment.html
HPE is an Equal Employment Opportunity/ Veterans/Disabled/LGBT employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or any other protected category, and all decisions we make are made on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. Our goal is to be one global team that is representative of our customers, in an inclusive environment where we can continue to innovate and grow together. Please click here: Equal Employment Opportunity.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is EEO Protected Veteran/ Individual with Disabilities.
HPE will comply with all applicable laws related to employer use of arrest and conviction records, including laws requiring employers to consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories.
Recruitment Fraud Alert
We have become aware of an increase in fraudulent recruitment activities in which individuals impersonate our company or authorized recruitment agencies to offer fake employment opportunities. These scams may occur through false websites, emails, social media, or chat-based applications and often aim to obtain personal information or money. Please note that Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), its direct and indirect subsidiaries and affiliated companies, and its authorized recruitment agencies/vendors will never charge a candidate a registration fee, hiring fee, or any other fee in connection with its recruitment and hiring process. We also never request personal information such as back account details, Social Security numbers, or national IDs via social media or chat applications.
All legitimate job opportunities will come through official company channels, and candidates are responsible for verifying the credentials of any third party claiming to represent the company. Any reliance on fraudulent communication is at the individual’s own risk, and HPE disclaims legal liability for any resulting damages. If you suspect recruitment fraud, do not share personal information or make any payments and report the incident to your local authorities immediately.
See All 158+ Software Development Engineer In Test Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsSoftware Development Engineer In Test Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Software Development Engineer In Test Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Apple16
- TikTok7
- NVIDIA6
- Northrop Grumman6
- Tesla5
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software18
- Aerospace & Defense6
- Electronics & Hardware6
- Automotive3
- Manufacturing3
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in software development engineer in test jobs across California.
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related technical field
- Proficiency in at least one programming language such as Python, Java, or C++
- Experience designing and maintaining automated test frameworks and test suites
- Familiarity with CI/CD tools including Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or similar platforms
- Ability to write clear bug reports and collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams
- Experience with performance, regression, or mobile testing in a product engineering environment
Software Development Engineer In Test Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a software development engineer in test in California?
The most direct path is a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field, which is the standard educational baseline California employers expect. There is no state-issued license or government registration required to work in this role in California. Candidates who build a portfolio demonstrating test automation skills, contribute to open source testing projects, or complete internships at California technology firms strengthen their candidacy significantly before or after graduation.
How much do software development engineer in tests make in California?
Software development engineer in tests in California earn a median of about $128,740 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $65,890 for the lowest 10% to over $201,070 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire software development engineer in tests in California?
Employers hiring software development engineer in tests in California right now include Apple, TikTok, and NVIDIA, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. California's dense concentration of enterprise software, consumer technology, and semiconductor companies means sustained hiring across both established headquarters and regional engineering offices throughout the state.
Which California cities have the most software development engineer in test jobs?
San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose have the most software development engineer in test openings in California, driven by the Bay Area's concentration of major technology headquarters and the growing engineering offices that Los Angeles and San Diego have attracted in defense technology, biotech software, and consumer applications. Smaller suburban markets near these metros often reflect satellite engineering campuses of the same large employers anchoring the primary cities.
Are there remote software development engineer in test jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 47% of software development engineer in test openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting how much of the work involves writing code, reviewing test results, and collaborating through engineering tools rather than requiring physical lab or hardware access. The most remote-friendly specialties are web, API, and backend test automation, while embedded systems and hardware-in-the-loop testing roles tend to require on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a software development engineer in test in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is applying for associate software engineer in test or quality assurance engineer roles at mid-size California technology companies, which often hire new graduates without commercial testing experience. Large California employers such as Apple, Oracle, and Intuit run university recruiting and internship pipelines that place candidates directly into entry-level test engineering teams. Candidates moving from adjacent roles such as manual QA analyst or junior software developer can accelerate the transition by building a public portfolio of automated test scripts and contributing to open source projects that California engineering managers can evaluate directly.
Where can I find and apply to software development engineer in test jobs in California?
You can find and apply to software development engineer in test jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings updated regularly. Search the listings, find roles that match your background and preferred location, and apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 158+ Software Development Engineer In Test Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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