Empower Pharmacy is a visionary healthcare company dedicated to making quality, affordable medication accessible to millions of patients nationwide. As the nation’s most advanced 503A compounding pharmacy and FDA-registered 503B outsourcing facility, we’re redefining what’s possible in personalized medicine and pharmaceutical manufacturing. We’re proud to be recognized as one of Houston’s fastest-growing private companies and ranked #116 in Healthcare & Medical on the Inc. 5000 List for 2025.

Our strength is built on four core values: People, Quality, Service, and Innovation. Guided by these principles, we’ve created a uniquely integrated healthcare platform powered by advanced technology, operational excellence, and a relentless commitment to patient care. From manufacturing and quality control to distribution and customer experience, our teams work together to raise industry standards, expand access to critical medications, and improve outcomes for patients and providers across the country.

At Empower, joining our team means more than starting a new role. It means becoming part of a mission-driven organization that’s transforming healthcare at scale. We invest deeply in our people, encourage bold thinking, and create opportunities for growth, leadership, and innovation at every level. Your ideas matter here, your development is supported, and the work you do has a direct impact on the lives of millions.

If you thrive in a fast-moving, purpose-driven environment where innovation, collaboration, and ambition come together, Empower Pharmacy is the place for you. Let’s transform healthcare together.

POSITION SUMMARY

Empower is seeking a Staff QA Automation Engineer to serve as the enterprise technical authority for quality engineering, driving the architecture, governance, and evolution of scalable automation capabilities across the organization. This role owns the long-term strategy for automation frameworks, testing practices, and quality engineering standards that improve software reliability, accelerate delivery, and enable data-driven decision making. Leveraging AI as a force multiplier, the Staff QA Automation Engineer advances automation speed, scale, quality, and engineering productivity through intelligent tooling, predictive insights, and reusable platform capabilities. Operating with significant autonomy, this role influences engineering strategy across Empower's hyper-growth, highly regulated 503A and 503B environment, partnering with technology leaders to solve complex technical challenges while demonstrating exceptional strategic thinking, execution rigor, innovation, and continuous learning agility.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Automation Strategy

Framework Ownership: Own the technical architecture, governance, and multi-year roadmap for Empower's enterprise automation ecosystem, ensuring scalable, reusable, and maintainable capabilities across UI, API, performance, accessibility, visual, and end-to-end testing. Leverage AI-assisted engineering, predictive analytics, and emerging automation technologies to accelerate framework evolution, improve engineering efficiency, and establish enterprise-wide quality engineering standards that support long-term business growth.
Architecture Design: Define automation architecture and quality engineering strategy for new platforms, products, and enterprise initiatives before implementation begins. Establish scalable design patterns, reusable framework components, and engineering standards that enable consistent automation practices while improving delivery speed, software quality, maintainability, and cross-team collaboration throughout the software development lifecycle.
Technology Innovation: Evaluate, pilot, and introduce emerging automation technologies, including AI-assisted test generation, self-healing automation, intelligent test optimization, and next-generation observability solutions. Continuously assess industry trends to modernize engineering capabilities, improve execution quality, reduce maintenance effort, and position Empower's automation ecosystem for future scalability.

Technical Excellence

Framework Standards: Architect reusable framework components including Page Objects, API clients, authentication utilities, fixtures, reporting modules, test data management, and validation libraries that establish consistent engineering patterns across teams. Define coding standards, documentation, and governance processes that improve automation quality, maintainability, scalability, and long-term platform sustainability.
Validation Strategy: Define enterprise strategies for API contract validation, response schema verification, database validation, Salesforce integration testing, and cross-platform data integrity. Resolve highly complex integration challenges while establishing repeatable validation methodologies that improve confidence in application behavior, data accuracy, and enterprise system reliability.
Performance Engineering: Lead enterprise performance testing strategy using modern load testing frameworks, establishing methodologies for capacity planning, scalability assessment, stress testing, spike testing, and production readiness. Apply AI-driven analytics and performance intelligence to identify bottlenecks, predict capacity risks, and support informed architectural decisions before release.

Platform Reliability

Pipeline Optimization: Own the technical health, architecture, scalability, and reliability of automated execution pipelines across Azure DevOps, GitHub, Docker, and cloud environments. Continuously optimize execution performance through automation, intelligent orchestration, AI-assisted diagnostics, and resilient engineering practices that improve deployment confidence and reduce operational risk.
Quality Visibility: Define enterprise reporting strategies integrating Jira, Xray, Allure, Microsoft Teams, Prometheus, Grafana, and other engineering platforms to deliver trusted quality metrics and actionable operational insights. Ensure automation results provide meaningful visibility that supports leadership decision-making, release readiness, and continuous improvement across engineering organizations.
Root Cause: Lead investigation of the organization's most complex automation failures, pipeline instability, flaky tests, performance degradation, and integration issues. Drive systemic engineering improvements by identifying underlying technical causes, implementing durable architectural solutions, and eliminating recurring quality risks rather than applying temporary fixes.

Technical Leadership

Engineering Governance: Establish enterprise-wide automation governance through technical reviews, engineering standards, architectural guidance, and quality engineering best practices. Influence engineering decisions across multiple teams while ensuring consistent implementation of scalable automation patterns that strengthen software quality and accelerate product delivery.
Technical Mentorship: Mentor senior and mid-level quality engineers by providing technical coaching, architectural guidance, and expert support for the organization's most challenging automation initiatives. Foster engineering excellence through knowledge sharing, design reviews, and continuous development that elevates technical capability across the quality engineering function.
Strategic Partnership: Partner with engineering leadership, architects, product management, DevOps, and cross-functional stakeholders to align automation strategy with business objectives, product roadmaps, and technology investments. Represent quality engineering in architectural planning while communicating automation value, engineering metrics, AI adoption strategies, and return on investment to executive leadership.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Expert knowledge of enterprise test automation architecture, quality engineering principles, and modern software development practices, with advanced proficiency in Playwright, TypeScript, JavaScript, Node.js, API automation, CI/CD, and scalable automation framework design.
Demonstrated ability to evaluate and implement AI-assisted engineering capabilities, predictive quality analytics, self-healing automation, and intelligent test optimization that improve engineering productivity, software quality, decision-making, and enterprise scalability.
Advanced expertise in performance engineering, API contract validation, cloud-based development platforms, Git workflows, Azure DevOps, GitHub, SQL, enterprise integrations, and observability technologies, with the ability to solve highly complex technical challenges across distributed systems.
Exceptional strategic thinking, technical leadership, communication, collaboration, and mentoring skills, with the ability to influence architecture decisions, establish enterprise engineering standards, build organizational consensus, and drive continuous improvement across multiple cross-functional teams.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and progressive professional experience in software quality engineering, automation architecture, or software development.
Twelve (12) or more years of progressive experience in software quality assurance, test automation, quality engineering, or software development in test, including demonstrated success leading enterprise automation strategy, architecting scalable frameworks, and influencing technical direction across multiple engineering teams without direct authority.
Extensive hands-on experience designing enterprise automation frameworks using Playwright, TypeScript, JavaScript, and Node.js, with deep expertise in UI, API, integration, regression, end-to-end, contract, and performance testing, CI/CD pipeline architecture, cloud-native engineering practices, and enterprise system integrations.
Preferred experience includes designing enterprise automation platforms from inception, implementing AI-assisted testing technologies, accessibility automation, containerized execution, cloud platforms, healthcare or other regulated industries, and industry-recognized certifications such as ISTQB Advanced or Expert Level, Test Automation Engineer, Microsoft Azure, AWS, GitHub, Salesforce, Agile, or DevOps professional certifications.

Key Competencies:

Customer Focus: Builds trust through customer-centric solutions.
Strategic AI: Guides responsible AI adoption and adaptation.
Optimizes Work Processes: Drives efficiency with continuous improvement.
Collaborates: Partners effectively to achieve shared goals.
Resourcefulness: Secures and deploys resources efficiently.
Manages Complexity: Simplifies and solves complex challenges.
Ensures Accountability: Delivers on commitments with integrity.
Situational Adaptability: Adjusts approach to shifting conditions.
Communicates Effectively: Tailors messages to diverse audiences.

Values:

People: Empowering people defines who we are.
Quality: Excellence in every product, every time.
Service: Serving others is our highest purpose.
Innovation: Advancing care through technology and discovery.

Employee Benefits, Health and Wellness:

We offer comprehensive benefits to support your health, well-being, and future, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, 401(k) matching, wellness perks, IV therapy, and compounded medications. Learn more: https://careers.empowerpharmacy.com/benefits/

Physical Requirements:

While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to remain in a stationary position for a significant amount of the workday and frequently use their hands and fingers to handle or feel in order to access, input, and retrieve information from the computer and other office productivity devices. Employees are regularly required to move about the office and around the corporate campus. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.

About the company

Empower Pharmacy and Empower Pharma provide personalized, high-quality compounded medications at scale. They customize dosages, remove allergens, and create multi-drug combinations that aren’t available through standard options. Operating with a vertically integrated model as licensed manufacturer, wholesaler, and pharmacy, they streamline the pharmaceutical supply chain to reduce costs without compromising quality. The company serves both healthcare providers (B2B) and individual patients (B2C), manufacturing over 400 medications for millions across all 50 states and internationally. Based in Houston, Texas, Empower runs a 503A compounding pharmacy and a 503B outsourcing facility, focusing on patient safety, excellent service, and advanced technology to expand access to affordable, effective healthcare.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Houston, Texas

Founded

2009

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

Demand for compounded GLP-1 alternatives remains strong despite Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly shortages ending.
Empower announced a March 11, 2026 FDA-registered 503B facility, expanding regulated manufacturing capacity.
LO3 Capital's 2023 investment and Aurobindo asset acquisition support capital access and infrastructure expansion.

What critics are saying

FDA's September 18, 2026 warning letter cites illegal copycat GLP-1 compounding and sterility failures.
This is Empower's fifth warning letter since 2017, signaling persistent compliance weaknesses.
An injunction or seizure after missed remediation would cripple GLP-1 revenue and trigger existential scrutiny.

What makes Empower Pharmacy unique

Empower runs 503A and 503B facilities, serving clinics with nationwide overnight shipping.
Empower sells GLP-1 blends like semaglutide-cyanocobalamin and tirzepatide-niacinamide across patient-specific formats.
Empower has FDA-registered outsourcing capacity and PCAB accreditation, supporting large-scale compounding operations.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Paid Vacation

401(k) Company Match

Wellness Program

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

28%

1 year growth

28%

2 year growth

28%

MedPage Today

Sep 23rd, 2026

FDA warns Pharmacy about illegal GLP-1 compounding.

FDA warns Pharmacy about illegal GLP-1 compounding. - Agency's letter flagged issues with copycat manufacturing and sterility by Kristen Monaco, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today The FDA issued a warning letter this month to Empower Pharmacy over its mass production of compounded GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes drugs, citing illegal copycat manufacturing and insanitary conditions. Following a facility inspection in November 2025, the agency determined that Empower produced large quantities of drugs that were "essentially copies of FDA-approved semaglutide [Ozempic, Wegovy] and tirzepatide [Mounjaro, Zepbound] products," in violation of Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. "The volume of products you are producing suggests that differences between products you are compounding and the FDA-approved products are pretextual," the FDA wrote in the letter, dated Sept. 18. Under Section 503A, licensed compounding pharmacies are permitted to tailor customized medications for individual patient needs. However, they are prohibited from regularly compounding "in inordinate amounts" any drugs that copy commercially available products without a documented, individualized clinical rationale from a prescriber. Compounded formulations cited in the letter combined active GLP-1 ingredients with added B vitamins - specifically tirzepatide mixed with niacinamide, and semaglutide mixed with cyanocobalamin. Because Empower failed to meet Section 503A conditions, its products lost statutory exemptions and were reclassified as unapproved new drugs and misbranded products. Additionally, FDA inspectors found that sterile drug products were prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions and thereby could be "contaminated with filth or rendered injurious to health." Other key violations included: * Failure to perform smoke studies under dynamic conditions to confirm proper airflow in ISO 5 clean room areas * Performing media fills under non-stressful conditions, therefore not guaranteeing aseptic technique * Inadequate environmental monitoring, equipment maintenance, and quality control unit oversight Some of Empower's subsequent corrective actions were adequate while others were deficient, the FDA noted. The compounder has 15 working days to respond. The warning letter follows intensified efforts to crack down on GLP-1 compounding this year. The surge in GLP-1 compounding began a few years ago when high demand triggered widespread shortages. However, shortages of tirzepatide (resolved in December 2024) and semaglutide (resolved in February 2025) have since ended.

Medspa Mastery

Apr 1st, 2025

Eli Lilly Sues Empower Pharmacy Over Tirzepatide - What Medspas Need to Know ASAP

Eli Lilly sues Empower Pharmacy over tirzepatide - what medspas need to know ASAP.

PR Newswire

Jun 21st, 2024

Empower Pharmacy Named Finalist In Houston Business Journal'S Best Family-Owned Business Awards

HOUSTON, June 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Empower Pharmacy is pleased to announce its selection as a finalist in the prestigious Best Family-Owned Business Awards, organized by the Houston Business Journal (HBJ). This recognition underscores Empower Pharmacy's commitment to excellence, innovation, and community investment within the Houston business landscape.The Best Family-Owned Business Awards, presented by HBJ, spotlight companies that not only demonstrate financial success but also exhibit a significant commitment to their community investment. Empower Pharmacy was handpicked by HBJ staff and nominated by esteemed members of the Houston business community for its significant impact as an employer and longstanding presence in the region.Empower Pharmacy has been categorized within the large company list, demonstrating its substantial presence and impact as a large employer within the Houston area. To qualify for consideration, all nominees had to meet stringent criteria set by HBJ, including being at least 51% owned by the family, involving multiple generations in company operations, and exhibiting longevity in business."We are honored to be recognized as a finalist in the Best Family-Owned Business Awards," said Shaun Noorian, CEO of Empower Pharmacy. "This acknowledgment reflects our dedication to family values and our deep-rooted commitment to serving our community as we grow. Today, Empower has over 1,000 employees with over 90% located in Houston, and remains a family centered thanks to the hard work and dedication of our entire team."Empower continues to uphold its commitment to providing personalized healthcare solutions of compounded medicines to providers and patients in the Houston area and beyond

PR Newswire

May 1st, 2024

Empower Pharmacy Unveils Brand Refresh, Signifying The Next Era Of Growth And Innovation During Boon Of Consumer Driven Telehealth Care

Amidst a period of significant expansion, Empower Pharmacy embarks on a strategic rebranding initiative, aimed at enhancing customer and employee experience and reinforcing its commitment to excellenceHOUSTON, May 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Empower Pharmacy, the country's most advanced compounding pharmacy, today announced a significant milestone with the launch of its brand refresh, signaling the start of a new chapter aimed at enhancing healthcare accessibility and elevating patient, provider, and employee experiences. This comprehensive update reflects the company's commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer-centricity represented by a vibrant brand, redesigned website, and new employee talent program.The brand refresh marks a new era for Empower, highlighting its dedication to enhancing services for customers and employees alike. By actively seeking feedback from both groups, Empower ensures that customers' and employees' needs are met, and experiences continually improved, underscoring the company's ongoing dedication to excellence through responsiveness and improvement."We are launching this fresh approach to meet the needs of our consumers – both patients and providers – on their wellness journey through quality and affordable customized medication," said Shaun Noorian, CEO of Empower. "Our growth throughout the last decade has mirrored the transformation of pharmacy from big box retail brick-and-mortar to consumer-driven health and wellness telehealth." Telehealth is serving consumers nationwide with reportedly more than 35% of individuals aged 18 and over relying on telemedicine in the past year.Empower's Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Nicole R. Braley, highlighted that "recent surveys indicate that 71% of respondents have turned to online pharmacies in the last one to three years, highlighting the demand for better digital services.1 As part of our strategic rebranding, we are striving to ensure the greater market fully understands the opportunities available through a compounding pharmacy. By exceeding expectations in how we meet their needs, we set a new standard for the industry."Key elements of the brand refresh include a new visual identity that showcases Empower's commitment to excellence and innovation

Fierce Pharma

Apr 2nd, 2024

Aurobindo's Eugia recalls one lot of muscle relaxant because of possible contamination

In February, drug compounder Empower Pharmacy announced that it planned to buy the 170,000-square-foot Eugia facility for an undisclosed price and retain its workforce.

Empower Pharmacy

Staff Quality Assurance Automation Engineer

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