Staff Software Development Engineer in Test

Staff Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) From Fivetran's founding until now, our mission has remained the same: to make access to data as simple and reliable as electricity. With Fivetran, customer data arrives in their warehouses, canonical and ready to query, with no engineering or maintenance required. We're proud that more organizations continue to leverage our technology every day to become truly data-driven. About the Role Fivetran and dbt Labs are bringing together two industry-leading companies with a shared mission: helping organizations unlock the full value of their data. Together, we're delivering the data infrastructure layer that helps organizations move, transform, and trust their data — from the moment data moves, through every transformation, to the context teams and AI systems rely on. Fivetran helps organizations automate data movement across the systems, clouds, engines, and tools they rely on. dbt Labs pioneered analytics engineering, helping teams transform data into reliable, governed insights. Together, we support thousands of organizations as they build a trusted foundation for analytics, AI, and better business decisions. As we bring our teams and technology together, we're building on the strengths of both companies while continuing to deliver the products and experiences our customers know and trust. It's an exciting time to join us: we're creating a company with the scale, talent, and technology to help more organizations put their data to work with greater speed, confidence, and impact. During this transition period, you may see references to both Fivetran and dbt Labs throughout our recruiting process as we integrate our teams, systems, and career sites. As a Staff SDET, you'll lead from the front — owning shared automation infrastructure, influencing release quality strategy, and driving initiatives that span teams and systems. The role sits at the intersection of hands-on engineering, architectural leadership, and org-wide quality influence, with an emphasis on leveraging AI-driven solutions to accelerate testing and enhance developer productivity. This is a full-time position based out of our Oakland office. Our hybrid work model offers a blend of remote flexibility and in-person collaboration, including two days in the office each week to connect and build as a team. Technologies You'll Use Languages: Java 17+, JUnit, REST Assured, Shell scripting; Python (optional) Infra & Tooling: Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Bazel, Buildkite Cloud: AWS, GCP, Azure Observability: Grafana, Prometheus, Datadog CI/CD: Jenkins, CircleCI, GitHub Actions Databases: Postgres, MongoDB What You'll Do Architect internal tools, libraries, and utilities for test automation and benchmarking Define and evolve quality strategies covering testability, release readiness, performance, and reliability Drive cross-org quality initiatives to improve execution speed, observability, and feedback loops Identify systemic risks in business-critical systems and implement robust validation strategies Mentor engineers, influence design for testability, and champion best practices across the org Collaborate with engineering and product leaders to align testing priorities with business objectives Skills We're Looking For 8+ years in software with a focus on building test automation frameworks and infrastructure at scale Writes critical/common code shared across multiple teams Expert in design principles applied to test architecture Strong OOP skills (preferably Java) Hands-on with cloud platforms, CI/CD systems, and container orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) Strong understanding of data engineering and large-scale distributed systems Demonstrated ability to drive initiatives across multiple teams Bonus Skills Knowledge of ELT pipeline testing (data integrity, schema evolution, pipeline reliability) Experience incorporating AI techniques to improve test efficiency and defect detection Experience with shift-left testing, chaos engineering, or autonomous testing Oakland Pay Range $186,717 — $233,396.50 USD Perks and Benefits 100% employer-paid medical insurance Generous paid time-off policy (PTO), plus paid sick time, inclusive parental leave policy, holidays, and volunteer days off RSU stock grants Professional development and training opportunities Company virtual happy hours, free food, and fun team-building activities Monthly cell phone stipend Access to an innovative mental health support platform that offers personalized care and resources in areas such as: therapy, coaching, and self-guided mindfulness exercises for all covered employees and their covered dependents. * May vary by country and worker type - please reach out to your recruiter for more information