Sr. Software QA Engineer
Danaher Corporation
Summary
The Senior Software QA Engineer is responsible for driving software quality strategy and comprehensive manual testing for key Molecular Devices software products, from sprint-level execution through full release cycles. This role defines test approaches, coverage models, quality standards, and data-driven quality metrics to reduce release risk and improve product readiness across complex imaging, acquisition, and analysis software workflows.
Job description
This position reports to the Software Engineering Manager and is part of the R&D – Software Engineering team located at Molecular Devices in San Jose, CA and will be an on-site role.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to:
- Own and drive QA strategy for key software products, including test architecture, coverage models, and quality standards across Agile sprint execution and product release cycles.
- Establish and enforce testing standards and best practices for manual test planning, test case design, exploratory testing, regression testing, test documentation, and defect lifecycle management using Jira or equivalent tools.
- Champion quality early in the development lifecycle by participating in requirements reviews, architecture discussions, and sprint grooming for imaging, acquisition, and analysis software workflows.
- Drive continuous improvement of QA processes using Danaher Business System principles to reduce waste, rework, and systemic quality gaps, while collaborating cross-functionally with software engineers, product owners, application scientists, and hardware teams.
The essential requirements of the job include:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 5+ years experience in software quality assurance, including ownership of manual test strategy, test planning, test case design, execution, and defect management for complex software products.
- Strong hands-on experience with manual functional, integration, system, exploratory, and regression testing; familiarity or experience with creating and troubleshooting automated tests is a plus.
- Experience validating software builds, documenting test results, investigating failures, and supporting release-readiness decisions; experience with CI/CD tools is a plus.
- Experience using Jira or equivalent defect tracking and lifecycle management tools for defect management, test planning, sprint reporting, and cross-team quality visibility.
Travel, Motor Vehicle Record & Physical/Environment Requirements:
- Ability to work in an office and laboratory/instrument environment as needed to support software verification and instrument-software integration testing.
- Occasional travel may be required for cross-site collaboration, product validation, or team/customer engagement; specific travel requirements to be confirmed by the hiring manager.
It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in:
- Imaging, acquisition, and analysis software platforms in a life science or laboratory instrument environment.
- Hardware-software integration testing for lab instrument systems such as imaging platforms, automated liquid handlers, or robotic workflows.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
- 5+ years experience in software quality assurance
- Ownership of manual test strategy, test planning, test case design, execution, and defect management for complex software products
- Strong hands-on experience with manual functional, integration, system, exploratory, and regression testing
- Experience validating software builds, documenting test results, investigating failures, and supporting release-readiness decisions
- Experience using Jira or equivalent defect tracking and lifecycle management tools
- Familiarity or experience with creating and troubleshooting automated tests is a plus
- Experience with CI/CD tools is a plus
- Imaging, acquisition, and analysis software platforms in a life science or laboratory instrument environment is a plus
- Hardware-software integration testing for lab instrument systems is a plus
Benefits
- Health care program
- Paid time off
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- 401(k)
- Bonus/incentive pay
Company overview
Danaher Corporation is a leading global science and technology innovator headquartered in Washington, D.C., specializing in biotechnology, life sciences, and diagnostics. Founded in 1984 by brothers Steven and Mitchell Rales, the company has evolved from its origins as a manufacturing conglomerate into a premier healthcare technology organization with approximately 63,000 employees worldwide. Danaher operates through three core divisions: biotechnology (28% of revenues), which develops products for therapeutic development; life sciences (31% of revenues), focused on disease identification, new therapies, and drug testing/manufacturing; and diagnostics (41% of revenues), providing instruments, consumables, and software for disease diagnosis. The company's portfolio includes renowned brands such as Beckman Coulter, Cytiva, Pall Corporation, Cepheid, Leica Microsystems, and Abcam, serving pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, healthcare providers, and research institutions globally. Danaher is distinguished by its Danaher Business System (DBS), a continuous improvement methodology that drives innovation and operational excellence. With 2024 revenues of $23.9 billion, the company ranks 180th on the Fortune 500 and plays a critical role in advancing scientific research, improving diagnostic capabilities, and accelerating the development of life-saving therapies.