Contract Software Development Engineer in Test - Subscription Platform

Location: United States, San Diego, CA Why Sony Interactive Entertainment? Sony Interactive Entertainment isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is the company behind the PlayStation brand. As a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, we’re part of a proud legacy of innovation and excellence. SIE is a dynamic technology company, delivering cutting-edge hardware and network services to more than 100 million people and an entertainment leader, home to some of the most beloved and recognizable intellectual properties (IP) in the world. Our role at SIE is to create and nurture the experiences under the PlayStation brand, a name synonymous with entertainment excellence and creativity. At PlayStation, we are passionate about delivering high-quality experiences to millions of players worldwide. We are looking for an experienced, hands-on Software Development Engineer in Test II (SDET II) to help build reliable, scalable Subscription and Streaming experiences. This opportunity is suited for an engineer who enjoys solving complex technical problems, developing automation solutions, and improving quality across applications, services, and connected platforms. Role Overview As an SDET , you will collaborate with Software Engineers, Product Managers, and Quality Engineering teams to deliver subscription experiences across PlayStation platforms. You will take ownership of testing and automation for assigned features, contribute to technical solutions, and help improve how quality is built into the development process. Your work will span subscription and commerce services, backend APIs, mobile applications, gaming consoles, streaming services, and connected device experiences. You will have opportunities to expand your technical expertise while working with experienced engineers across multiple teams. Responsibilities Design, develop, and improve automated testing solutions for subscription services, applications, and connected platforms. Take ownership of quality engineering activities for assigned features, from test planning through automation and release validation. Collaborate with engineering teams early in development to identify quality risks, improve testability, and determine effective testing approaches. Develop reusable automation tools and framework capabilities that improve test coverage, reliability, and engineering efficiency. Validate end-to-end customer journeys involving authentication, commerce, entitlements, subscription lifecycle management, retention, and streaming experiences. Build automated tests for APIs, backend services, distributed systems, web applications, and native mobile platforms. Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines and contribute to improving test execution reliability and feedback. Investigate complex failures, analyze root causes, and work with engineering teams to resolve issues. Contribute to quality metrics, dashboards, and reporting that provide visibility into automation coverage and release readiness. Identify opportunities to improve testing practices, reduce technical debt, and strengthen overall product quality. Collaborate with globally distributed engineering and QE teams on integration testing and release qualification. Explore emerging technologies, including AI-assisted testing, to improve test development and engineering workflows. Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. 3+ years of experience in Software Development Engineering in Test, Software Engineering, Quality Engineering, or Test Automation. Proficiency in at least one programming language, such as Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, or Swift. Experience developing automated tests and working with test automation frameworks. Experience testing APIs, backend services, web applications, or native mobile applications. Understanding of software testing methodologies, test design, and automation strategies. Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, version control, and modern software development practices. Experience investigating technical issues, debugging failures, and collaborating with engineering teams on solutions. Ability to manage assigned work independently, communicate technical findings, and collaborate across teams. Preferred Qualifications Experience with subscription platforms, commerce systems, payment processing, or entitlement services. Experience testing distributed systems, microservices, or cloud-based applications. Experience with automation technologies such as XCUITest, Appium, Selenium, or API testing frameworks. Familiarity with Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Docker, Kubernetes, or similar development tools. Experience testing streaming services, media playback, gaming consoles, or connected devices. Experience with React Native or other cross-platform application frameworks. Experience developing end-to-end automation across client applications and backend services. Familiarity with observability, telemetry, and quality reporting. Exposure to AI-assisted testing and automation tools. Understanding of accessibility and localization testing practices. What We’re Looking For You enjoy understanding how systems work and finding practical ways to improve their quality. You are comfortable working across different technologies, investigating complex issues, and translating requirements into effective testing solutions. You bring hands-on engineering experience, take ownership of your work, and collaborate with others to solve problems. You are interested in continuing to develop your technical expertise while contributing to reliable, high-quality PlayStation experiences. At SIE, working with our partners, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location. Please note that the individual base pay range may vary based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this role is eligible for benefit offerings that include medical, dental, and vision. Click here to learn more. The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below, this is an hourly rate. $61.97 — $92.93 USD Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks. Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights. Equal Opportunity Statement: Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category. We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond. Sony Interactive Entertainment is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.