Principal Software Dev QA Engineer

As a Principal Software Development QA Engineer, you will work closely with the development team to ensure the delivery of high-quality Fortinet products. You will be responsible for designing and implementing a robust automation testing framework to streamline and enhance the testing process. You are expected to be a quick learner who can work efficiently to identify defects and potential risks early in the development cycle, ensuring both development quality and release readiness.

Responsibilities:

• Create, review, and execute solution-focused test plans and test cases that cover all stages of product development and real-world deployment scenarios.
• Perform detailed manual and automated testing to ensure high quality across networking features and full solution stacks.
• Design and maintain solution-based test environments, simulating real-world conditions with diverse device types, customer profiles, and network topologies.
• Develop and validate customer-centric solution profiles, including workflow-based testing across Fortinet product integrations (e.g., FortiNAC, FortiGate, FortiSwitch, FortiAuthenticator).
• Build advanced network simulation environments for scaling, stress, and performance testing using protocols and tools such as IXIA, Avalanche, and JMeter.
• Develop, maintain, and scale automation test suites using Python, Robot Framework, and Pytest integrated into CI/CD workflows.
• Drive automation coverage for solution testing across multiple deployment scenarios and customer use cases.
• Conduct root cause analysis and provide actionable recommendations to improve product and solution reliability.
• Debug and troubleshoot product and solution-level issues by collaborating with developers, QA engineers, and cross-functional teams.
• Research and integrate new tools, automation frameworks (e.g., Robot Framework), and methodologies into the QA pipeline.
• Identify, document, and prioritize solution risks, scalability concerns, and deployment blockers to ensure release readiness.
• Provide technical guidance to QA team members, driving solution validation best practices and team skill development.
• Collaborate with Dev and TAC engineers to reproduce and analyze customer-reported issues, especially in complex deployment topologies.

Requirements:

• 10+ years of experience in QA testing, specifically focused on networking products and enterprise solution validation.
• Proven experience in solution testing, including customer profile creation, solution profiling, and end-to-end validation methodologies based on real-world deployment scenarios.
• Strong understanding of network protocols such as TCP/IP, SNMP, DHCP, 802.1X, and authentication protocols including RADIUS, Kerberos, LDAP.
• Hands-on experience in test automation using Robot Framework, with integration into CI/CD pipelines.
• Proficient in Python and familiar with Pytest and other automation frameworks.
• Experience with performance and scalability testing tools like Avalanche, IXIA, JMeter, etc.
• Skilled in Selenium, RESTful API automation, including unit and system-level testing.
• Familiarity with solution-level test planning, including multi-product integration (e.g., FortiNAC + FortiGate + FortiSwitch).
• Knowledge of tools like Jenkins, Docker, and Git for version control and pipeline automation.
• Exposure to infrastructure automation tools such as Ansible and Terraform (preferred).
• Strong analytical, debugging, and problem-solving abilities with a quality-first mindset.
• Deep understanding of QA methodologies, customer-centric validation practices, and automation-driven testing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent work experience).
• Minimum of 10–12 years of experience in Quality Assurance, with a strong background in software testing, test automation, and QA processes.
• Proven experience in validating complex systems, identifying defects, and ensuring product quality across development cycles.
• Strong understanding of QA methodologies, tools, and best practices in Agile and DevOps environments.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $174,000 - $213,000. Fortinet offers employees a variety of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 401(k), 11 paid holidays, vacation time, and sick time as well as a comprehensive leave program. Wage ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, and job level. Exact salary offers will be determined by factors such as the candidate's subject knowledge, skill level, qualifications, experience, and geographic location. All roles are eligible to participate in the Fortinet equity program, Bonus eligibility is reviewed at time of hire and annually at the Company’s discretion.