Senior Software Engineer in Test (Python)

We are looking for a highly motivated Software Engineer (SDET) to join NetApp’s ONTAP Engineering team, focusing on SAN and block storage solutions. ONTAP is a feature-rich storage platform used in mission-critical environments across cloud, hybrid, and on-prem deployments.
As an Senior Engineer, you will be responsible for designing and developing scalable test frameworks, automation infrastructure, and validation pipelines that ensure high product quality for complex distributed storage systems. You will work across multiple subsystems, understand end-to-end customer workflows, and drive quality at scale.
This is an advanced IC role requiring strong technical depth, ownership of features/modules, and the ability to operate with limited supervision while influencing test strategy, automation direction, and cross-team quality outcomes.

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable test automation frameworks and infrastructure using Python and related technologies.
• Own end-to-end validation for SAN/block storage features, including test design, execution, and defect lifecycle management
• Collaborate with development teams to understand feature design, define validation strategies, and drive testability improvements early in the cycle.
• Develop functional, integration, stress, and scale tests for distributed storage systems
• Drive automation-first testing approaches and improve code/test coverage across components
• Analyze failures, debug complex issues across software layers, and drive root cause resolution.
• Participate in product design discussions and contribute to improving reliability, observability, and diagnosability
• Lead or significantly contribute to test planning, quality reviews, and release readiness.
• Work across cross-functional teams (Dev, QA, Field Support) to understand customer use cases and ensure production readiness.
• Mentor junior engineers and influence engineering best practices within the team.
• Strong programming skills in Python (mandatory) with experience building automation frameworks.
• Experience with system-level testing and debugging of distributed systems
• Solid understanding of Linux/Unix systems, multithreading, and system internals
• Experience in storage technologies, with strong preference for SAN protocols (FC, iSCSI, NVMe-oF)
• Understanding of file systems, data paths, replication, or high-availability systems
• Experience in test automation for scale, performance, and stress scenarios
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, test infrastructure, and modern development workflows.
• Strong debugging skills across software and system layers.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field (Master’s preferred).
• 8-12 years of relevant industry experience Proven track record of owning and delivering quality outcomes for complex subsystems
• Demonstrated ability to work independently on moderately to highly complex problems and drive solutions 
  Preferred Qualifications
• Deep expertise in SAN/block storage domain (ONTAP, SnapMirror, SVM, HA/MetroCluster, etc.)
• Experience in large-scale system validation and customer scenario testing
• Exposure to cloud-integrated storage or hybrid cloud architectures
• Prior experience in SDET roles driving automation strategy at team levela