SAIC hiring an Automation Engineer to build automated test coverage and perform hands-on manual testing for systems where hardware and software are integrated. You will design and maintain automated tests (API, service, and some UI), develop and test supporting C#, Python code, and validate integrated components end to end — devices, backend services, middleware, and the data between them. You will work in an Agile team alongside developers and DevOps across the full software development lifecycle, maintaining automation in CI/CD and tracking plans and defects in Jira. This position is hybrid remote and requires 2 days on-site in Sterling, VA per week. Key Responsibilities • Design, build, and maintain automated test scripts that verify functionality, security, and usability across API, service, and UI layers. • Develop and test C#, Python code as project requirements dictate. • Implement automated integration, regression, functional, and system tests during feature development. • Perform manual and exploratory testing of integrated hardware and software systems — including LPR, biometric/facial recognition, and RFID devices — validating read accuracy, correlation to the correct vehicle or transaction, and behavior under real and adverse conditions. • Reproduce field and edge conditions (device faults, dropped, duplicate, or out-of-order messages, timing skew, degraded inputs) and confirm graceful end-to-end handling. • Develop and maintain test plans and test cases; write SQL or Unix scripts for test-data generation and test-harness automation. • Maintain and improve automation frameworks and CI/CD pipelines, and troubleshoot issues in the automation systems themselves. • Investigate defects across the stack using logs, traffic captures (TCP/HTTP), and the command line; isolate whether a fault is hardware, software, configuration, or network. • Report and manage defects in Jira; produce test summaries and raise functional, performance, and requirement-discrepancy tickets. • Collaborate with development and DevOps teams and participate in Agile ceremonies such as daily stand-ups and sprints. Required Qualifications • MUST be a U.S Citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a DHS Public Trust security clearance. • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field (or equivalent experience), with 2+ years of QA / test experience including test automation. • Proficiency in C#, Python, Javascript, Typescript, NodeJS. • Test automation experience with Selenium, Playwright, and Cucumber. • Strong SQL and relational-database knowledge; able to read a data model and derive test scripts and test data from it. • Automation focused on API testing with some UI testing, across backend, middleware, desktop, and microservice layers, including SOAP services via SoapUI with basic XML. • Working knowledge of TCP and HTTP, with the ability to inspect traffic (Wireshark, tcpdump, or curl). • Comfortable on Ubuntu/Linux, with SQL or Unix/shell scripting for test data and test-harness automation. • Experience testing integrated hardware and software systems; exposure to media or data validation such as video-frame or image/stream inspection, or a clear aptitude to learn it. • Able to generate test data, validate results, and report and manage defects in Jira. • Strong written and verbal communication and problem-solving skills, effective with both technical and non-technical audiences. • Comfortable in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, with strong initiative. Preferred Qualifications • Test automation for applications running in the cloud (AWS or equivalent). • Experience across all testing stages: functional, usability, regression, load/stress, and performance. • Hands-on testing of LPR, biometric/facial recognition, RFID, or other sensor- or camera-based systems. • Prior software development experience. • CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins) and containers (Docker). • Deeper XML experience; familiarity with a BDD or test-framework ecosystem (e.g., pytest, Robot Framework).