Principal Engineer, Software Architecture (Test Automation)

At Safran Passenger Innovations, we make flying fun by maximizing the passenger experience. As an innovative in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) company, we design, engineer, manufacture, sell, and support world-class in-flight entertainment and connectivity solutions. Our products are constantly evolving to tackle complex challenges in media distribution, playback, and networking, all within the secure and demanding inflight environment.

We thrive on collaboration, working in cross-functional teams where engineers, designers, and innovators come together to create solutions that truly redefine the passenger experience. Trusted by many of the world’s leading airlines, Safran IFEC delivers cutting-edge technology that enhances air travel. Join us and be part of a team shaping the future of in-flight entertainment and creating the best experiences for today and tomorrow!

Job Summary:

The Principal Engineer, Software Architecture partners with key stakeholders across the organization in developing platform technical roadmap and strategies. This individual acts as a technical leader to guide the creation and lifecycle of software platform architecture.  Produces architectural block diagrams and high-level designs, delivers architectural design to development staff provides answers to customer inquiries concerning system software and applications, and interfaces with third party software vendors. The Principal Engineer, Software Architecture relies upon wide-ranging experience, using professional concepts and company objectives to resolve complex issues in creative and effective ways.

This role will be specifically responsible for Test Automation. The Test Automation Architect will lead the design and implementation of test automation strategies, ensuring seamless integration into development processes. They will oversee performance and load testing, ensure the scalability and efficiency of testing environments, and enforce QA best practices, security, and compliance standards. Collaboration with cross-functional teams will be key to ensuring the testing framework meets organizational goals and quality standards.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Technical experience in modular software application architecture development
• Develop software and systems platform architecture
• Work with customers to gather requirements for platform specific system functional specifications
• The design and development of high-level product specification with attention to system integration and feasibility.
• Lead the initial architecture of major sub systems, defining the high-level platform design and reference technologies to be used
• Oversee progress of development teams to ensure consistency with initial design
• Provide technical guidance and coaching to developers and engineers
• Ensure software meets requirements of quality, security, modularity and extensibility
• Coaching and mentoring teams on design practices and helping to resolve issues
• Lead technical exchange meetings with program engineers, other contractors, and customers
• Create requirements definition and analysis for new software frameworks
• Develop documentation of system use cases for software architecture
• Apply and/or develop advanced technologies, scientific principles, theories and concepts
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or equivalent experience in a related field
• 12+ years of experience working in a similar role
• 15+ years of experience as a software developer
• 5+ years of Linux platform experience
• 7+ years of experience in a technical leadership role
• C++ and design pattern experience
• Proven experience as a software architect
• Experience with mitigating design risks using research and proof of concept methods
• Excellent knowledge of software and application design and architecture
• Technical mindset with great attention to detail
• Understand end to end product lifecycle

In addition to the basic requirements, this individual should possess the following:

• Strong knowledge in creating scalable, maintainable architectures, especially those supporting extensive automated testing
• Deep expertise in designing and implementing scalable test automation frameworks. Familiarity with frameworks like Selenium, Cypress, TestNG, or JUnit, and knowledge of custom frameworks for specific applications or systems
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI, CircleCI, etc.), as they’ll need to integrate testing frameworks into deployment processes for automated quality checks
• Strong proficiency in languages commonly used in test automation (e.g., Python, Java, JavaScript, or Ruby) and scripting for automation of repetitive tasks
• Knowledge of performance testing tools (like JMeter, Gatling, or Locust) to ensure the framework can support high volumes of tests and handle load effectively
• Familiarity with Docker and Kubernetes, as scalable frameworks often leverage containerized testing environments for distributed testing
• Solid understanding of QA methodologies, including black-box testing, white-box testing, regression testing, and user acceptance testing, to guide the framework’s development to meet various testing needs
• Experience with cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP) to build scalable test environments and utilize cloud resources for high-parallel testing capabilities
• Knowledge of security testing and compliance frameworks, especially if the testing framework needs to incorporate security or compliance checks
• Ability to communicate effectively with QA teams, developers, and product managers, ensuring the framework aligns with broader engineering goals and is easily adoptable

In addition to a comprehensive package of health benefits that include company contributions, Safran Passenger Innovations offers a variety of additional benefits and perks to enhance your work-life balance experience including but not limited to:

• A home allowance to elevate your home workspace
• Discretionary bonus program
• Future financial security with a 401(k) program with company match
• Paid time off covering vacations, personal time off and sick days, capped off by an exciting year-end holiday shutdown
• Embraced flexibility with our alternative work schedule (9/80) to navigate your workweeks with every other Friday off