Lead Quality Assurance Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
Lead quality assurance engineer visa sponsorship jobs in California are concentrated in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where technology, semiconductor, and enterprise software companies including Salesforce, Apple, Qualcomm, and Google maintain active QA engineering teams. California's density of product-driven companies creates steady demand for senior QA professionals who can lead testing strategy and mentor engineers.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Are you ready to accelerate your potential and make a real difference within life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology?
At Molecular Devices, one of Danaher’s 15+ operating companies, our work saves lives and we’re all united by a shared commitment to innovate for tangible impact.
You’ll thrive in a culture of belonging where you and your unique viewpoint matter. And by harnessing Danaher’s system of continuous improvement, you help turn ideas into impact, innovating at the speed of life.
Join Molecular Devices and help drive scientific discovery for life science customers in academia, biotech, pharma, and government. Our automated and AI-enabled technology empowers researchers to tackle complex questions and gain deep insights, accelerating the development of safer, more effective therapeutics. As part of our team, rooted in collaboration, authenticity, and innovation, you’ll ultimately contribute to groundbreaking science that enhances lives globally and shapes a healthier future for all.
Learn about the Danaher Business System which makes everything possible.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Senior Software QA Engineer is responsible for driving software quality strategy and comprehensive manual testing for key Molecular Devices software products, from sprint-level execution through full release cycles. This role defines test approaches, coverage models, quality standards, and data-driven quality metrics to reduce release risk and improve product readiness across complex imaging, acquisition, and analysis software workflows.
This position reports to the Software Engineering Manager and is part of the R&D – Software Engineering team located at Molecular Devices in San Jose, CA and will be an on-site role.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to:
- Own and drive QA strategy for key software products, including test architecture, coverage models, and quality standards across Agile sprint execution and product release cycles.
- Establish and enforce testing standards and best practices for manual test planning, test case design, exploratory testing, regression testing, test documentation, and defect lifecycle management using Jira or equivalent tools.
- Champion quality early in the development lifecycle by participating in requirements reviews, architecture discussions, and sprint grooming for imaging, acquisition, and analysis software workflows.
- Drive continuous improvement of QA processes using Danaher Business System principles to reduce waste, rework, and systemic quality gaps, while collaborating cross-functionally with software engineers, product owners, application scientists, and hardware teams.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
The essential requirements of the job include:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 5+ years experience in software quality assurance, including ownership of manual test strategy, test planning, test case design, execution, and defect management for complex software products.
- Strong hands-on experience with manual functional, integration, system, exploratory, and regression testing; familiarity or experience with creating and troubleshooting automated tests is a plus.
- Experience validating software builds, documenting test results, investigating failures, and supporting release-readiness decisions; experience with CI/CD tools is a plus.
- Experience using Jira or equivalent defect tracking and lifecycle management tools for defect management, test planning, sprint reporting, and cross-team quality visibility.
TRAVEL, MOTOR VEHICLE RECORD & PHYSICAL/ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENTS
- Ability to work in an office and laboratory/instrument environment as needed to support software verification and instrument-software integration testing.
- Occasional travel may be required for cross-site collaboration, product validation, or team/customer engagement; specific travel requirements to be confirmed by the hiring manager.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in:
- Imaging, acquisition, and analysis software platforms in a life science or laboratory instrument environment.
- Hardware-software integration testing for lab instrument systems such as imaging platforms, automated liquid handlers, or robotic workflows.
COMPENSATION
- The annual salary range for this role is $135,000 - $150,000. This is the range that we in good faith believe is the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. This range may be modified in the future.
- This job is also eligible for bonus/incentive pay.
- We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.
Join our winning team today. Together, we’ll accelerate the real-life impact of tomorrow’s science and technology. We partner with customers across the globe to help them solve their most complex challenges, architecting solutions that bring the power of science to life.
INTRODUCTION
Are you ready to accelerate your potential and make a real difference within life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology?
At Molecular Devices, one of Danaher’s 15+ operating companies, our work saves lives and we’re all united by a shared commitment to innovate for tangible impact.
You’ll thrive in a culture of belonging where you and your unique viewpoint matter. And by harnessing Danaher’s system of continuous improvement, you help turn ideas into impact, innovating at the speed of life.
Join Molecular Devices and help drive scientific discovery for life science customers in academia, biotech, pharma, and government. Our automated and AI-enabled technology empowers researchers to tackle complex questions and gain deep insights, accelerating the development of safer, more effective therapeutics. As part of our team, rooted in collaboration, authenticity, and innovation, you’ll ultimately contribute to groundbreaking science that enhances lives globally and shapes a healthier future for all.
Learn about the Danaher Business System which makes everything possible.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Senior Software QA Engineer is responsible for driving software quality strategy and comprehensive manual testing for key Molecular Devices software products, from sprint-level execution through full release cycles. This role defines test approaches, coverage models, quality standards, and data-driven quality metrics to reduce release risk and improve product readiness across complex imaging, acquisition, and analysis software workflows.
This position reports to the Software Engineering Manager and is part of the R&D – Software Engineering team located at Molecular Devices in San Jose, CA and will be an on-site role.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to:
- Own and drive QA strategy for key software products, including test architecture, coverage models, and quality standards across Agile sprint execution and product release cycles.
- Establish and enforce testing standards and best practices for manual test planning, test case design, exploratory testing, regression testing, test documentation, and defect lifecycle management using Jira or equivalent tools.
- Champion quality early in the development lifecycle by participating in requirements reviews, architecture discussions, and sprint grooming for imaging, acquisition, and analysis software workflows.
- Drive continuous improvement of QA processes using Danaher Business System principles to reduce waste, rework, and systemic quality gaps, while collaborating cross-functionally with software engineers, product owners, application scientists, and hardware teams.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
The essential requirements of the job include:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 5+ years experience in software quality assurance, including ownership of manual test strategy, test planning, test case design, execution, and defect management for complex software products.
- Strong hands-on experience with manual functional, integration, system, exploratory, and regression testing; familiarity or experience with creating and troubleshooting automated tests is a plus.
- Experience validating software builds, documenting test results, investigating failures, and supporting release-readiness decisions; experience with CI/CD tools is a plus.
- Experience using Jira or equivalent defect tracking and lifecycle management tools for defect management, test planning, sprint reporting, and cross-team quality visibility.
TRAVEL, MOTOR VEHICLE RECORD & PHYSICAL/ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENTS
- Ability to work in an office and laboratory/instrument environment as needed to support software verification and instrument-software integration testing.
- Occasional travel may be required for cross-site collaboration, product validation, or team/customer engagement; specific travel requirements to be confirmed by the hiring manager.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in:
- Imaging, acquisition, and analysis software platforms in a life science or laboratory instrument environment.
- Hardware-software integration testing for lab instrument systems such as imaging platforms, automated liquid handlers, or robotic workflows.
COMPENSATION
- The annual salary range for this role is $135,000 - $150,000. This is the range that we in good faith believe is the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. This range may be modified in the future.
- This job is also eligible for bonus/incentive pay.
- We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.
Join our winning team today. Together, we’ll accelerate the real-life impact of tomorrow’s science and technology. We partner with customers across the globe to help them solve their most complex challenges, architecting solutions that bring the power of science to life.
Lead Quality Assurance Engineer Job Roles in California
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Search Lead Quality Assurance Engineer Jobs in CaliforniaLead Quality Assurance Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for lead quality assurance engineers in California?
Large technology employers in California with consistent visa sponsorship history for senior QA roles include Apple, Google, Meta, Salesforce, Qualcomm, and Intel. Mid-size product companies and enterprise software firms in San Jose, San Francisco, and San Diego also file regularly. Employers in the semiconductor and cloud infrastructure segments tend to have established immigration programs suited to lead-level engineering positions.
Which visa types realistically fit lead quality assurance engineer roles in California?
The H-1B visa is the most common path, covering specialty occupations that require a bachelor's degree in a directly related field such as computer science or software engineering. Canadian and Mexican nationals may qualify under the TN visa as engineers. Australians may qualify for the E-3 visa. H-1B1 visa applies to Chilean and Singaporean nationals. F-1 OPT and STEM OPT can bridge candidates toward employer-sponsored status. Most lead QA roles meet specialty occupation standards given their technical degree requirements.
How to find lead quality assurance engineer visa sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate lists California employers with verified visa sponsorship history for lead quality assurance engineer roles, letting you search by city and filter to companies that have actively filed for QA engineering positions. This is more targeted than broad job searches because the platform surfaces employers with demonstrated sponsorship activity rather than unverified claims, which matters when you're evaluating whether a California employer is genuinely prepared to support your visa process.
Which cities in California have the most lead quality assurance engineer sponsorship jobs?
The San Francisco Bay Area, particularly San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and San Francisco itself, accounts for the highest concentration of sponsored lead QA engineering positions in California due to the density of large technology and semiconductor companies. Los Angeles has a growing cluster, especially in ad tech and entertainment technology. San Diego is active in defense technology, biotech software, and wireless communications, with Qualcomm being a prominent sponsor in that region.
Are there California-specific factors that affect visa sponsorship for lead quality assurance engineers?
California's technology industry concentration means many employers here already have immigration counsel and established H-1B filing processes, which can simplify sponsorship logistics for lead QA candidates. University pipelines from UC Berkeley, Stanford, and UC San Diego produce STEM graduates who often enter QA engineering roles on OPT or STEM OPT before transitioning to employer-sponsored status. California also has a significant contractor and staffing presence in QA, though direct-hire roles generally offer more straightforward visa sponsorship pathways.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored lead quality assurance engineer jobs in California?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.