Software Development Engineer in Test; SDET- Secret Clearance r Security Clearance

Security Clearance and Eligibility

Active Secret clearance required (Interim ok). US Citizenship required. Travel requirement up to 10%.

Sherpa 6 builds mission-critical software systems for the Department of Defense and select commercial customers. We emphasize quality across the stack and encourage forward thinkers who love collaboration.

• Analyze software design documents, user stories, and acceptance criteria to develop comprehensive test strategies.
• Design, build, and maintain scalable automated test frameworks, converting manual test cases into reliable, maintainable automation.
• Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines to enable continuous regression testing and fast feedback loops.
• Partner closely with developers, architects, and product stakeholders to identify testability gaps and shift quality left in the SDLC.
• Investigate, triage, and resolve issues within the test automation framework, improving reliability, coverage, and execution speed over time.
• Contribute to a culture of quality across the engineering organization, advocating best practices in test design, code review, and defect management.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies and cross-team collaboration to ensure testing is never a bottleneck.

• 3+ years of experience in software development or test automation engineering.
• Proficiency in Java with strong OOP fundamentals.
• Hands-on experience with Selenium and/or Appium for UI and mobile test automation.
• Experience with API testing tools and frameworks (REST Assured, Postman, or similar).
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and automation integration (Jenkins, Git Hub Actions, Git Lab CI, etc.).
• Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments with ticketing tools such as Jira or Rally.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills—able to clearly document test plans, defects, and automation strategies.

• Experience with containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes) for portable test execution.
• Exposure to AI-assisted testing tools or an interest in applying AI/ML to test generation and analysis.
• Background in front-end, back-end, or mobile application development.
• Familiarity with performance/load testing tools (JMeter, Gatling, Locust, etc.).
• Experience with BDD frameworks (Cucumber, JBehave) or behavior-driven test design.
• Active or eligible DoD security clearance.
• Extreme, uncompromising attention to detail.

We offer a competitive benefits package covering the cost of medical for you and your family; we also provide dental, vision, health and wellness benefits and a generous retirement savings plan. PTO policy is generous to help employees balance work and personal life.

The proposed salary range is $90,, adjusted for location, experience, skills, education, and certifications.

• Background/Drug Screening:
  Successful completion of a pre-employment background & drug screening will be required as a condition of hire.
• ADA:
  Sherpa 6 will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act 1990.
• EEO/AA:
  Sherpa 6 does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, height, weight, or marital status in employment or the provision of services and is an equal access/opportunity/affirmative action employer.