QA Automation Engineer

Rakuten Rewards•West, TX

About The Position

Rakuten International is a division of Rakuten Group, Inc., a Japanese global technology leader in services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Headquartered in San Mateo, California with more than 4,000 employees worldwide, the Rakuten International business portfolio includes market leaders in e-commerce, digital marketing, advertising, communications and entertainment. We create products and services that provide exceptional value by aligning members and the businesses that want to engage them in a shared community. Rakuten is the most rewarding way to shop, giving millions of members Cash Back when they buy from their favorite brands. As a leading shopping platform, Rakuten partners with thousands of top brands across apparel, beauty and wellness, grocery, travel, on-demand services, subscriptions, and dining, helping members save on everyday purchases. Since 1999, Rakuten members have earned more than $4.6 billion in Cash Back, making it the largest Cash Back platform of its kind. Learn more at Rakuten.com. Job Summary: We are seeking a proactive Quality Engineer to join our dynamic team in San Mateo. In this role, you will be instrumental in ensuring the quality of our web applications, mobile apps, and backend services, taking ownership of quality features with increasing independence. You will translate broad requirements into actionable test strategies, comprehensive automation coverage, and clear readiness signals for our development squads. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in fast-evolving environments, embraces AI-first and AI-assisted workflows, and excels in containerized infrastructure, contributing significantly to customer satisfaction and software excellence. In this role, you will contribute to the delivery of high-quality software solutions by designing, implementing, and executing comprehensive test plans and strategies. You will ensure that software products meet functional, performance, and reliability standards through rigorous testing, defect identification, and documentation. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including developers, product managers, and system architects, to identify quality objectives, address issues, and improve testing processes. By leveraging your analytical skills and attention to detail, you will play a critical role in enhancing customer satisfaction and maintaining software excellence.

Requirements

Strong programming skills in Python, Java, or JavaScript with hands-on experience writing and maintaining UI and API automated tests and regression suites.
Working knowledge of CI/CD systems such as GitHub Actions and containerized environments including Docker and Kubernetes, with ability to troubleshoot common failures.
Experience testing REST or GraphQL APIs and querying SQL databases.
Experience using BrowserStack for cross-browser or mobile testing and test case management.
Ability to create practical feature-level test strategies and clearly communicate coverage and risk.
Strong analytical skills for root cause investigation across distributed systems.
Proactive communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with engineers, product managers, and platform teams.
Adaptability and willingness to learn new tools, frameworks, and AI-assisted workflows.
3 to 5 years of experience in Quality Assurance.
2+ years of experience in Test Automation (Web/Mobile/API).
1+ years of experience with Docker/Kubernetes.
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience) Required.

Responsibilities

Administers QA tools and systems to ensure consistent application of testing processes and protocols across projects.
Coordinates somewhat complex testing activities, collaborating with cross-functional teams to align on project goals and deliverables.
Analyzes somewhat complex requirements and test results to identify areas of improvement and ensure software functionality meets specifications.
Develops somewhat complex test scripts and scenarios for automated and manual testing, enhancing efficiency and coverage.
Conducts routine testing activities, identifying and documenting software defects, and collaborating with developers for resolution.
Implements best practices and QA methodologies to optimize testing processes and improve software quality.
Communicates findings and recommendations effectively with stakeholders, contributing to informed decision-making and project success.
Identifies opportunities to improve testing frameworks and tools, recommending solutions to enhance quality assurance processes.
Documents test cases, results, and defect tracking to ensure traceability and compliance with organizational standards.
Own end-to-end quality for moderately sized features: define the test strategy, drive test planning and execution, set automation targets, and lead release validation.
Build, maintain, and continuously improve automated tests across UI and backend services using Python, Java, or JavaScript/TypeScript, increasing coverage, stability, and CI signal quality.
Use AI-assisted tools to improve test design, generate test data, and accelerate automation development.
Deploy, debug, and validate backend applications in containerized environments using Docker and Kubernetes.
Identify and escalate quality risks early, including unclear requirements, missing telemetry, environment drift, or coverage gaps.
Create and manage test data in non-production environments using approved methods.
Support release readiness by executing validation steps, documenting coverage, and contributing to post-release follow-ups.
Plan and execute performance and load testing using tools like JMeter or k6 to identify bottlenecks early.