QA Automation Engineer - Contractor (Preferred Chile-based, Remote)

About This Opportunity

Variacode is partnering with a growing international SaaS company to help them expand their engineering team into Latin America. Our client is a well-established organization with ~70 employees working in a fully distributed environment. They're looking to hire their first technical professional in Chile as part of their Latin American (LATAM) expansion strategy.

The Role

We're seeking an experienced QA Automation Engineer for a 6-month contractor position with potential for long-term collaboration. You'll join a product team working on a specific business-critical module, where you'll help transform their quality assurance practices.

Current Context:

• Existing QA team: 2 intermediate-level engineers focused primarily on manual testing
• Current automated test coverage: ~25%
• Tech stack: React (frontend), PHP (backend), AWS infrastructure
• Current QA tools: Selenium, TestNG, Java
• Open to exploring modern alternatives like Playwright

This is an exciting opportunity to lead the modernization of their testing infrastructure and establish best practices for the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess the current Selenium/Java test automation setup and create an improvement roadmap
• Design and implement automated test suites for critical functionalities within the Shops product feature set
• Evaluate and potentially lead a migration from Selenium to more modern tools (e.g., Playwright)
• Mentor and upskill the existing QA team in automation best practices
• Collaborate with development teams to promote quality engineering practices
• Communicate progress, challenges, and recommendations to technical leadership

Technical Requirements

• Strong experience with Selenium and/or Playwright for test automation
• Proficiency in Java, Python, or JavaScript for test automation
• Experience with React applications testing
• Knowledge of PHP backend testing approaches
• Hands-on experience with AWS services and cloud-based testing
• Track record of improving test coverage from low baselines (~25% or less)
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and test integration

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Autonomous professional with strong initiative and problem-solving skills
• Experience transforming manual QA processes into automated frameworks
• Proven ability to mentor intermediate-level QA engineers
• Experience working in fully remote, distributed teams
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in English (written and verbal)
• Comfortable proposing and leading technical changes
• Track record of working with legacy systems and modernizing them

Contract Details

• Duration: 6-month initial contract with potential for extension
• Location: Chile (remote position, must be based in Chile)
• Type: Full-time contractor through Variacode
• Work Schedule: Aligned with US/Canada time zones

Why This Role Matters

You'll be the first technical hire in Chile for this company, setting the foundation for their LATAM expansion. Your success will directly influence their future regional strategy and could lead to building a larger team.