Senior Software Development Engineer in Test

Company Overview

hermeneutic research is a best-in-class proprietary trading firm. It deploys research-driven discretionary and systematic strategies as well as makes strategic long-term investments. The partners' decade-long history of success in trading and business building and a firm-wide cultural emphasis on alpha generation, open debate, relentless iteration, and teamwork are key to the firm's continued expansion in a challenging market environment that has hamstrung competitors. A hard-wired emphasis on risk management and opportunistic market participation ensure that hermeneutic research will continue its growth trajectory in the coming decades.

Job Overview

As a Senior SDET, you will play a critical, hands-on role in ensuring the quality, reliability, resilience and performance of our trading and research systems. This is a software-engineering role: you will design and build test automation from the ground up, not just execute test plans. You will work closely with engineers, researchers, trading and operations teams to design, automate and own testing strategies across services and workflows.

This is an individual-contributor role focused on deep technical execution, framework ownership and quality advocacy. You will shape best practices, identify gaps in existing testing approaches, and drive improvements across the SDLC, particularly in high-ambiguity areas where testing is limited or does not yet exist.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and own automated test frameworks and suites for backend services, APIs and UIs from the ground up
• Ensure adequate coverage across functional, integration and performance testing
• Collaborate closely with engineering, research, trading and operations teams to define test requirements and quality expectations
• Identify gaps in existing test strategies and work with engineering to improve coverage and reliability
• Advocate and implement shift-left testing so issues are caught early in the SDLC
• Participate in architecture and design discussions to drive testability and automation
• Validate correctness and performance in low-latency, high-throughput conditions

Must Haves

• 5+ years in QA/test automation engineering, including demonstrable hands-on ownership of an automation framework built from scratch (architecture and design decisions you can speak to in depth)
• Strong programming ability in at least one of Python, TypeScript, Go or C++, used to build frameworks and tooling, not just author test scripts
• Solid grasp of QA methodologies, test design and automation architecture
• Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD build and deployment workflows
• Experience in a trading firm / financial-technology environment, with exposure to systematic trading systems or similarly complex, low-latency, data-driven platforms
• Ability to work cross-functionally and communicate effectively with engineering and research teams

Nice to Have

• Hands-on experience with modern automation frameworks, particularly Playwright and Pytest, for API and/or UI testing
• Experience validating low-latency / high-throughput systems, familiarity with performance tools such as k6 or Locust
• Experience in crypto / Web3 or systematic-trading domains specifically
• Applied use of AI in the QA workflow, e.g. LLM-assisted test generation, agentic failure triage, or LLM-output evaluation (LLM-as-judge, non-deterministic system testing), as an engineering practice, not just tool usage
• Working knowledge of SQL/NoSQL
• Exposure to data warehouse / data lake / streaming-pipeline testing
• Familiarity with monitoring/logging tools such as Datadog or Grafana

Interview Process

1. CV Screening – We will review your application based on the qualifications and experience outlined above.
2. First Interview – An initial interview with the hiring manager to evaluate overall fit, experience, and mutual expectations.
3. Test Assignment Review – A problem-solving session with the team, or a take-home assignment with a follow-up discussion of the candidate’s approach and solutions.
4. Second Interview – Interview with the CTO to delve into your resume and skills and discuss your career goals.
5. Co-Founder Interview – A concluding discussion to evaluate cultural fit, strategic alignment, and how you resonate with the firm’s values.

Company Values

Throughout the process, you'll be assessed for cultural fit through our company values:

• Drive – We believe the best team members are deeply passionate about what they do. That passion fuels their growth, drives them to seek out the best teams, and leads them to hold high expectations of themselves in pursuit of excellence.
• Ownership – We aim to extend ownership as broadly as possible across the firm. In return, we value people who take initiative, step up when needed, and treat the company’s goals as their own.
• Judgment – We value those who see the big picture and focus on what truly drives impact and results. They use time wisely, adapt across domains, and always prioritize outcomes over comfort zones.
• Openness – We foster a culture of open communication, mutual challenge, and shared growth. We believe constructive debate and proactive knowledge sharing lead us closer to the truth—and better decisions.
• Competence – We work with people who bring exceptional intellectual strength. What sets them apart isn’t just what they know—it’s how they use what they know to navigate change, adapt quickly, and contribute meaningfully in fast-changing environments.
• Resilience – We perform under pressure. Markets move fast, and so do we—but we stay grounded, focused, and calm. We embrace uncertainty, learn from setbacks, and adapt quickly without losing sight of long-term goals.