Sr SDET - Software Development in Test, AWS, AI Tools, LLM, Java, Python - ZL

SES

Washington, District of Columbia, USFull-timeSeniorPosted Jun 27, 2026

SeleniumJenkinsJavaPythonAWSSQL

About this role

This Senior SDET position at SES in Washington, DC, bridges the gap between traditional automation and emerging AI technologies, requiring expertise in Python, Java, and LLM testing. You will lead automation efforts within an AWS ecosystem, specifically managing data validation across RDS, Redshift, and S3 while integrating AI tools into the testing lifecycle.

Best fit for

This role is best for a seasoned automation professional with over 5 years of experience who wants to work at the intersection of cloud data platforms and AI/LLM technology.

Skills you need for this role

Detected from the job title, description, and tags.

Automation skills

Selenium — Still the most-asked browser automation framework in QA interviews and legacy suites.
BDD (Cucumber / SpecFlow) — Used when product + QA collaborate on executable specs.

CI/CD and DevOps

Jenkins — Legacy CI still widely deployed — expect pipeline-as-code questions.
AWS — Common cloud target for test infra + service integration testing.

Programming languages

Java — Dominant language for enterprise QA + Selenium/RestAssured stacks.
Python — Popular for API testing, data validation, and Playwright/Pytest suites.
SQL — Data validation and back-office QA rely on solid SQL.

Domain & process

Performance testing (JMeter / k6 / LoadRunner) — Different discipline from functional QA — expect scenario and metrics questions.
Agile / Scrum — You'll be expected to describe how you fit QA into short iterations.
AI in testing — Employers increasingly ask how you use AI copilots to speed up QA work.

Job description

SDET - Software Developer in Test Type: W2 With Benefits - No C2C Location: Washington, DC - 3 days per week onsite Responsibilities: Acts as a key participant in application analysis Skills:

SDET - Software Developer in Test
SQL
Selenium
Java
Python
Cucumber
Jenkins
Sauce Labs
AWS
Automation
AI Tools experience (Artificial Intelligence)
LLM experience (Large Language Model)
5-10 years of experience is required
AWS- working experience- RDS/Redshift/S3/Lambda/Data Share etc.,
Strong Communicator,
Agile SDLC, Experience in applying test automation. Education/Work Experience: 1) Bachelor s degree in computer science, Information Systems, Mathematics, Engineering or related field Nice to have: Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae experience is a strong plus Benefits: SES hires W2 benefitted and non-benefitted consultants. Our contract employee benefits include group medical dental vision life LT and ST disability insurance, 21 days of accrued paid time off, 401k, tuition reimbursement, performance bonuses, paid overtime, and more. Please contact me to discuss the details of this position further.
Please forward resume directly to for immediate consideration - zlutman at sesc .com I look forward to speaking with you soon! Zach Lutman Systems Engineering Services

Job highlights

•Role: Sr SDET - Software Development in Test, AWS, AI Tools, LLM, Java, Python - ZL
•Company: SES
•Location: Washington, District of Columbia, US
•Type: Full-time
•Experience: Senior
•Seniority: Senior
•Posted: Jun 27, 2026

Key skills: Selenium · Jenkins · Java · Python · AWS · SQL

How to prepare for this interview

A 5-step prep plan tailored to this job's stack.

1Review AWS Lambda and S3 trigger mechanisms to explain how you test event-driven architectures.
2Prepare specific examples of how you have tested LLM outputs or utilized AI tools to accelerate test case generation.
3Brush up on complex SQL joins and data validation techniques specifically for AWS Redshift environments.
4Practice whiteboarding automation framework architecture that supports both Java and Python scripts.
5Be ready to discuss your experience with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac workflows if applicable, as it is a highlighted 'nice-to-have'.

Likely interview questions for this role

Tuned to the stack we detected on this job.

Q1.How do you design a test strategy for a system that leverages LLMs where outputs may be non-deterministic?
Q2.Describe your approach to validating data integrity when moving data between AWS RDS and Redshift.
Q3.How have you integrated Jenkins with Sauce Labs for parallel execution in a CI/CD pipeline?
Q4.What specific libraries do you prefer for API and backend testing when working in a Python-based automation stack?
Q5.Explain a scenario where you had to use AWS Lambda for test data preparation or environment cleanup.

Rehearse with AI Mock Interview Full interview prep guide

Salary context

Compensation not disclosed.

The employer has not published a specific salary range for this Senior SDET role. Compensation for senior positions in the Washington, DC area typically reflects the high demand for hybrid cloud and AI skill sets. SES provides a comprehensive W2 benefits package that includes performance bonuses and paid overtime, which can significantly impact total target compensation. To better understand the market rates for a professional with 5-10 years of experience in this region, we recommend consulting our QA salary guide or internal benchmarks.

See QA/SDET salary benchmarks →