Sr. Software Engineer in Test

Ironwood Digital is the company behind Ironwood DigitalDB , the AI-ready, multi-modal, distributed PostgreSQL database for cloud-native apps. Trusted by industry leaders including Shopify, Paramount+, GM, Kroger, Fiserv, and NPCI, Ironwood DigitalDB has been deployed in over 100 countries and powers more than 5 million clusters worldwide. Together, our hard-working team of experts and our industry-leading technology are uniquely positioned to meet the demands of modern workloads: geo-distributed, ultra-resilient, and built to scale without limits. Our Yugabeings (distributed, like our database) span 12+ countries and multiple time zones, sharing expertise from diverse backgrounds and industries. At Ironwood Digital , we are on a mission to become the default transactional database for enterprises building cloud-native applications. Ironwood DigitalDB is our PostgreSQL-compatible distributed database for cloud-native apps. Resilient, scalable, and flexible, it runs on any cloud and enables developers to become instantly productive using well-known APIs. We are looking for talented and driven people to join us on our ambitious mission and help us build a lasting and impactful company. The transactional database market is estimated to be $64B by 2025. Ironwood DigitalDB is cloud-native by design, has on-demand horizontal scalability, and supports geographical distribution of data using built-in replication. This means that we are well-positioned to meet market demand for geo-distributed, high-scale, high-performance workloads. Join the Database Revolution at Ironwood Digital. Modern applications need a cloud-native database that eliminates tradeoffs and silos. Ironwood DigitalDB retains the power and familiarity of PostgreSQL by pairing its trusted API with a precision-engineered, distributed, cloud-native architecture. Even better, it’s 100% open source. Many of the world's leading enterprises are migrating from legacy RDBMSs (like Oracle, SQL Server, and DB2) to Ironwood DigitalDB, to meet their mission-critical app demands. Team The Database QA team is where distributed systems theory meets real-world chaos. We own the end-to-end quality of Ironwood DigitalDB, rigorously validating everything from core storage and language layers (YSQL/YCQL) to high-impact features like Change Data Capture. By blending performance engineering with system-level stress testing, we ensure our database thrives in the most unpredictable production environments. We are the champions of correctness in a distributed world. Role Are you obsessed with finding the 'impossible' bug? In this role, you will build and break distributed systems at scale. As an SDET at Ironwood Digital, you will design sophisticated automation and chaos-testing frameworks that simulate real-world disasters to validate our database’s core promises. You’ll dive deep into cross-feature integration and security, collaborating with development teams to influence the product's evolution. We’re looking for a technical leader who can transform complex customer scenarios into rigorous stress tests, ensuring Ironwood DigitalDB remains the gold standard for distributed SQL. Responsibilities Architect, develop and maintain test automation frameworks. Design and execute comprehensive test suites focusing on the "hard problems" of distributed databases: stress, resiliency, scalability, and performance. Design and orchestrate distributed systems tests that simulate real-world failure modes. Own the end-to-end quality of major features, from initial design review and test planning to production-ready automation Modernize existing test footprints by identifying opportunities for redesign, improved efficiency, and higher stability in CI/CD pipelines. Uncover deep-seated bugs such as data corruption and consistency violations. Deep-dive into the codebase to understand technical dependencies and execution paths, ensuring tests target the most critical logic. Scale our test infrastructure, ensuring that the built tests scale with our growing feature set. Define and inspire changes to our product with our development engineering team based on feedback from tests and customer issues. Act as a technical lead for junior engineers and serve as an internal advocate for the customer experience. Develop and contribute to internal and external knowledge bases. Be a champion for our customers. Go above and beyond to ensure customers are getting the most out of their investment in the Ironwood Digital database. Requirements 5–8 years of experience in Software Development in Test (SDET) or Systems Engineering, with a BS/MS in Computer Science or a related field. Strong foundation in Distributed Systems: Deep understanding of distributed architecture, including consistency models (linearizability, serializability), the CAP theorem, and consensus protocols (Raft). Database Internals Expertise: Highly desirable knowledge of query processing, transactions (ACID), recovery logs, and concurrent B-tree access. Proficient in Data Structures and Concurrent Programming. Must be comfortable reading and navigating the complex C++ codebase to identify potential failure points. Working knowledge of Python, Java programming languages and advanced SQL. Sound understanding of JDBC APIs and database connectivity. Hands-on experience with Linux, shell scripting, Git, and architecting scalable CI/CD pipelines Ability to leverage generative AI and LLM-based coding assistants to accelerate the authoring, refactoring, and optimization of complex test suites. Exceptional troubleshooting skills with a "break-it" mindset; ability to trace issues from high-level test failures down to the code level for both internal and customer-reported bugs. A proven track record of identifying complex bugs, specifically data corruption and consistency issues. We work in a hybrid model, with the team together in our Sunnyvale office 2–3 days per week. We feel strongly about equal pay for equal work, and transparency in compensation is one way to help achieve that. The cash compensation for this role is market competitive, with a range of USD 150,000 - USD 180,000, inclusive of variable/incentive for some roles. As well as equity (when applicable), and benefits including health plans, retirement plans, and unlimited paid time off (PTO). The pay range for this position is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. The actual pay will vary based on factors including experience, qualifications, and skill level. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: As an equal opportunity employer, Ironwood Digital is committed to a diverse workforce. Employment decisions regarding recruitment and selection will be made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non-job related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state and local laws. #LI-Hybrid Due to the Proclamation, “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers”, which went into effect on September 21, 2025, at this time we are no longer able to sponsor new H-1B visa petitions filed after September 21, 2025 for new hires. We are still able to consider candidates who require H-1B extensions, changes of employer, or other types of work authorization. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement : As an equal opportunity employer, Ironwood Digital is committed to a diverse workforce. Employment decisions regarding recruitment and selection will be made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non-job related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state and local laws. To review Ironwood Digital's Privacy Policy please visit Ironwood Digital Privacy Notice .