Staff Software QA Engineer (Remote in the United Kingdom)

As a Staff Software QA Engineer at KnowBe4, your primary responsibility will be to provide testing expertise and collaborate with the QAE team to ensure rapid product development. You'll work closely with QA Management to understand product dependencies and define the necessary test environments. Additionally, you will recommend continuous process improvements and provide regular status updates to the team.

To qualify for the Staff Software QA Engineer role at KnowBe4, candidates should hold a BS or equivalent work experience, along with at least 10 years in software test engineering. Strong experience in developing test plans, OOP programming in Python or C#, Linux environments, and cloud services like AWS or Azure is essential, along with a solid understanding of Agile development methodologies.

A Staff Software QA Engineer at KnowBe4 should have a solid understanding of various testing strategies including shift-left practices and experience testing REST APIs and microservices. Familiarity with test automation frameworks and hands-on coaching of junior engineers in quality practices are also crucial.

KnowBe4 values continuous professional development and offers various avenues for growth to strengthen the skills of Staff Software QA Engineers. This includes tuition reimbursement, certification reimbursement, and participation in engaging training programs that keep the team's knowledge fresh and up-to-date.

The company culture at KnowBe4 is celebrated as a great place to work, emphasizing radical transparency, ownership, and a supportive atmosphere. With fun events, team lunches, and a commitment to creating an inclusive environment, employees enjoy their time while contributing to impactful projects.

When answering this question, provide specific examples of the test automation frameworks you have experience with, detailing how you have implemented them in previous projects. Highlight any innovative solutions you created or challenges you overcame while utilizing these frameworks.

Provide concrete examples of process improvements you've implemented in past roles. Discuss the impact of these changes on the team's efficiency, quality of deliverables, and overall project timelines, emphasizing your collaborative approach with team members.

Discuss your approach to open communication, providing examples of how you've presented quality concerns to stakeholders effectively. Highlight the importance of transparency and how educating stakeholders on quality metrics and concerns can drive project success.

Explain your coaching philosophy and share specific instances where you've helped junior engineers grow their skills. Mention techniques you use to ensure they understand best practices in quality engineering and how you provide constructive feedback.

Discuss your hands-on experience with testing REST APIs, including the tools you’ve used, such as Postman. Provide examples of the types of tests you’ve performed, and how you’ve validated the functionality, performance, and security of microservices.

Emphasize the importance of collaboration and adaptability in an agile setting. Share strategies like participating in daily stand-ups, conducting regressions, and how you prioritize testing tasks based on sprint goals to ensure that testing processes keep pace with development.

Detail your comprehension of shift-left testing, emphasizing its goal of integrating quality earlier in the development cycle. Discuss the methods you've employed to implement shift-left practices, and their positive impacts on the overall quality of the software.

Identify specific challenges you’ve encountered while working with cloud-native infrastructures, like AWS or Azure. Provide examples of how you overcame these hurdles and the lessons you learned to improve future testing endeavors.

Discuss your conflict resolution approach, focusing on communication and collaboration. Share past experiences where you managed disagreements about quality concerns, ensuring everyone’s perspective was heard while driving towards a team consensus.

Express your enthusiasm for the QA Engineer role at KnowBe4 by highlighting aspects of the company culture, the importance of quality engineering, and how being a part of an innovative team enhances your professional journey.