Software Development Engineering Manager, Test

Your Journey Starts Here:

Santander is a global leader and innovator in the financial services industry. We believe that our employees are our greatest asset. Our focus is on fostering an enriching journey that empowers you to explore diverse career opportunities while nurturing your personal growth. We are committed to creating an environment where continuous learning and development are prioritized, enabling you to thrive both professionally and personally. Here, you will find ample opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented colleagues from around the world, sharing insights and driving innovation together. Join us at Santander, where you are supported by a culture of engagement and a commitment to your success.

An exciting journey awaits, if you are interested in exploring the possibilities We Want to Talk to You!

The Difference You Make:

The Software Development Engineering Manager in Test (SDET Manager) leads a QA/SDET team and provides hands-on technical and testing leadership across assigned projects and platforms. This role is responsible for establishing and maturing testing capabilities, ensuring delivery of high-quality applications through automation, functional and non-functional testing, and close collaboration with engineering, product, and architecture teams.

The Manager oversees test planning, execution, automation strategy, defect management, and adherence to QA standards. They participate throughout the SDLC — from requirements to deployment — ensuring testability, accelerating releases, and supporting a strong automation-first quality culture.

Testing & Automation Leadership

• Develop, maintain, and guide the team in building automated test scripts, frameworks, and tools for UI, API, backend, and mobile.
• Integrate automation into CI/CD pipelines and support continuous testing (shift-left/right).
• Oversee creation and execution of functional and non-functional test plans, including regression, integration, system, compatibility, performance, and API testing.
• Conduct or supervise SQL-based validation for backend, data flow, and APIs.
• Use AI/LLM-based tools for test generation, impact analysis, optimization, and documentation.

Planning, Documentation & Quality Governance

• Review requirements and design documents to ensure test coverage and clarity.
• Oversee creation and approval of testing strategies, test plans, schedules, estimates, test cases, dashboards, and closure reports.
• Ensure all QA documentation complies with testing standards, audit, and regulatory requirements.
• Analyze impact of scope changes and communicate implications for timelines, cost, and risk.

Execution & Delivery Management

• Lead daily defect triage and test status discussions; ensure timely retesting and closure of issues.
• Monitor and report on test execution progress using standardized quality metrics.
• Support test environment readiness, test data creation, and test-to-production migration processes.
• Ensure testing activities comply with information security and privacy guidelines.
• Provide accurate testing estimates, track actuals vs. forecasts, and manage resource allocation.

Operational Processes & Team Leadership

• Develop and standardize QA processes across the portfolio; ensure alignment with enterprise delivery practices.
• Manage intake, demand, scheduling, and risk assessments for assigned projects.
• Build strong partnerships with business, product, development, and vendor teams.
• Provide coaching, performance feedback, and technical guidance to team members.
• Act as a QA/SDET subject-matter expert and promote adoption of testing standards and modern engineering practices.
• Support evaluation and testing of third-party solutions for compliance with organizational standards.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field — Required.
• 5+ Years of experience in QA/testing/automation with strong hands-on technical depth — Required.
• Proven experience leading QA, SDET, or technical testing teams.
• Strong experience with automation frameworks, CI/CD, system testing, and integration.
• Ability to define and implement QA standards, processes, and test strategies.
• Experience leading defect triage, test execution cycles, and release readiness activities.
• Strong mentoring, stakeholder management, and project oversight capabilities.
• Ability to analyze complex data, make decisions, and communicate effectively with technical and business leaders.
• Preferred knowledge of financial services, core banking, or payments systems.
• Programming or scripting experience (Java, Python, JavaScript, C#, or similar).
• Experience with modern automation frameworks: Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, Appium, REST-Assured, JMeter, etc.
• Strong understanding of QA methodologies, SDLC, Agile, DevSecOps, and CI/CD tools (GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Jenkins).
• SQL proficiency; ability to validate systems with minimal UI.
• Experience with JIRA, ALM, Xray, or similar test management tools.
• Experience using AI-powered testing and analysis tools.
• Strong analytical, communication, documentation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage workload, lead teams, collaborate in Agile environments, and work independently.

Certifications:

• No Certifications listed for this job.

It Would Be Nice For You To Have:

• Established work history or equivalent demonstrated through a combination of work experience, training, military service, or education.
• Experience in Microsoft Office products.
• Cloud QA experience (AWS, Azure).
• Performance/load testing experience (JMeter, Gatling, k6).
• Exposure to security and accessibility testing.
• Ability to influence engineering direction and lead cross-team quality initiatives.

What Else You Need To Know:

The base pay range for this position is posted below and represents the annualized salary range. For hourly positions (non-exempt), the annual range is based on a 40-hour work week. The exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, training, licensure and certifications and location.

Link to Santander Benefits:

Santander Benefits - 2025 Santander OnGoing/NH eGuide (foleon.com)

Risk Culture:

We embrace a strong risk culture and all of our professionals at all levels are expected to take a proactive and responsible approach toward risk management.

EEO Statement:

At Santander, we value and respect differences in our workforce. We actively encourage everyone to apply. Santander is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Working Conditions:

Frequent minimal physical effort such as sitting, standing and walking is required for this role. Depending on location, occasional moving and lifting light equipment and/or furniture may be required.

Employer Rights:

This job description does not list all of the job duties of the job. You may be asked by your supervisors or managers to perform other duties. You may be evaluated in part based upon your performance of the tasks listed in this job description. The employer has the right to revise this job description at any time. This job description is not a contract for employment and either you or the employer may terminate your employment at any time for any reason.

What To Do Next:

If this sounds like a role you are interested in, then please apply.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible application process for all candidates. If you require any assistance or accommodation due to a disability or any other reason, please contact us at TAOps@santander.us to discuss your needs.