Principal Test Engineer

For more than 30 years, SonicWall has delivered a partner-first unified cybersecurity portfolio that helps SMBs, MSPs, and IT teams consolidate network security, endpoint security, security service edge (SSE), and threat response across hybrid environments. By bringing connected technology, real-time threat intelligence, automation, and expert services together, SonicWall helps organizations simplify security operations, achieve better security outcomes, and lower total cost of ownership. Backed by a global ecosystem of more than 17,000 partners, SonicWall delivers enterprise-grade protection built for SMB and mid-market realities.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Principal Test Engineer (Test PE) / QA Lead to partner directly with the Sonicwall Firewall development team. In this high-impact technical role, you will lead feature testing, complex defect reproduction, test plan architecture, and automation development across critical Sonicwall Firewall networking and security components.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Dev Partnership & Defect Triage: Work closely with firmware and software developers to reproduce intricate customer and field issues, isolate root causes, and verify bug fixes.
• Test Strategy & Planning: Architect end-to-end test strategies, author detailed test plans, and design comprehensive functional, system, and regression test suites.
• STLC & Quality Governance: Drive the complete Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)—identifying, filing, prioritizing, and tracking defects to closure in an Agile environment.
• Test Automation Engineering: Develop, execute, and maintain automated test suites (functional, regression, and system) using Python to integrate into continuous testing pipelines.
• Component & Feature Qualification: Deep-dive into Sonicwall Firewall subsystems to validate new feature requirements, performance limits, and edge-case handling.
• Technical QA Mentorship: Guide and mentor team members on test methodologies, test tool development, and network security validation.

Core Skills & Requirements

• Domain & SQA Experience: 10+ years of software quality assurance experience in the networking and network security domain for enterprise network products, appliances, or firewalls.
• Domain & Network Security Expertise:
• Deep understanding of L2–L7 networking concepts: TCP/IP, IP routing, NAT, VLANs, and stateful packet filtering.
• Strong expertise in Network Security and Next-Generation Firewalling: Deep Packet Inspection (DPI), SSL/TLS, IPSec/SSL VPN, and access rules.
• Test Automation & Scripting:
• Strong hands-on programming/scripting proficiency in Python (OOP principles, test framework development, and REST API automation).
• Experience utilizing traffic generators and test tools (e.g., IXIA, Spirent, Scapy, tcpreplay).
• Troubleshooting & Issue Reproduction:
• Advanced problem-solving skills with proven ability to capture and analyze network packets (Wireshark, tcpdump).
• Experience analyzing system logs, core dumps, and device diagnostics to triage complex system/firmware behaviors.
• Methodologies & Processes:
• Thorough mastery of SDLC, STLC, defect lifecycles, and Agile/Scrum practices.
• Experience designing system testbeds simulating enterprise network topologies.
• Professional Experience:
• 8+ years of test engineering and automation experience in the networking/network security domain (with a track record of driving test execution at a senior/lead/PE level).

Key Competencies

• Strong analytical mindset with high ownership of product quality and reliability.
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration and communication skills to interface effectively with development, product management, and sustaining teams.
• Proven ability to work effectively across geographically distributed teams.

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