Senior SDET - Architect
Northern Trust · Chicago, United States · 16d ago
About Northern Trust
As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions.
Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide.
With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.
Job Description:SeniorSDET-Architect
We areseekinga dynamic andexperiencedTestAutomationArchitect to leadenterprise-scaleAzure Infrastructure as Code (IaC) quality assurance initiatives.This rolefocuses on test strategy, automation framework design, security testing, compliance validation, and continuous quality practices for cloud infrastructure. The ideal candidate brings deepexpertisein test automation architecture, AzureIaCvalidation, DevOps quality gates, and security-focused testing.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa)
Role Overview
As a TestAutomationArchitect, you willbe responsible fordefiningand implementingscalablequalityengineeringframeworks for Azure-basedIaCsolutions,embedding automated validation into CI/CD pipelines, and ensuring infrastructurereliability, security,compliance, and operational readinessacrossenvironments.You will lead test architecture decisions,establishreusable automation patterns, and partner with cloud, security, platform, and operations teams to strengthen the overall quality posture.
Key Responsibilities
Architect and evolve comprehensive automated test strategies for AzureIaC, focusing on Terraform, ARM/Bicep, and policy compliance.
Define and guidePython-basedtestautomationutilities and orchestrationscripts for test execution, resourcevalidation,configurationchecks,and infrastructure reporting.
Design automation reporting patterns, quality dashboards, and test evidence models that provide visibility intoIaCtest coverage, drift management, policy adherence, and security posture.
IntegrateIaCquality gates into CI/CD systems such as GitHub Actions, ensuring all code deployments pass automated test suites and drift detection scans before promotion.
Establish automated security testing practices for infrastructure deployments, including policy-as-code validation, vulnerability checks,secretsexposure detection, RBAC validation, network security controls, and compliance guardrails.
Establish and refine frameworks for drift detection, root cause analysis, and remediation,leveragingboth native Azure services and custom-developed solutions.
Collaborate with architects, security specialists, and application developers to align infrastructure test practices with organizational goals, compliance requirements, and evolving cloud technologies.
Promote best practices through code reviews, technical workshops, and documentation.
Design, implement, andmaintaincomprehensive automated testing suites for AzureIaCusingpython.
Develop, execute, and refine test cases tovalidateinfrastructure modules, deployments, and policies in Azure environments.
Partner with engineering teams to define requirements for supporting automation tools, dashboards, and reporting capabilities; hands-on applicationdevelopmentownership is notrequired.
Monitor, report, and remediate infrastructure drift, using tools and frameworks for continuous compliance and configuration management.
Maintain detailed documentation on test coverage, drift findings, and corrective actions taken to ensure auditability and traceability.
Conduct root cause analysis for infrastructure failures and propose solutions to improve test coverage and resilience.
Stayup-to-datewith Azure platform enhancements,test automation tools, cloud securitytestingpractices,and industry trends inIaCqualityandgovernance.
Required Skills & Qualifications
Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa)
Bachelor’s orMaster’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, ora relatedtechnical discipline.
14+ years of experience in cloud infrastructure engineering and automated testing, with a minimum of 3 years focused on Azure public cloud.
Expertise ininfrastructure automation using Terraform, ARM templates, and Bicep within Azure environments.
Strongproficiencyin Pythonor similar scripting languagesfortest automationdesign, orchestration, validationlogic, and data-driven test execution.
Demonstrated ability to architect reusable test automation frameworks, quality gates, test data strategies, reporting models, and evidence capture approaches for cloud infrastructure validation.
Required knowledge of security testing practices for cloud infrastructure, including policy compliance testing, identity and access validation, vulnerability scanning concepts, secrets management validation, network security verification, and secure configuration assessment.
Hands-on experience with configuration management, monitoring, and compliance tools native to Azure, as well as industry-standard frameworks (e.g.,Terratest, Pester).
Track recordof integrating infrastructure quality assurance into modern CI/CD pipelines.
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with an emphasis on technical documentation and cross-functional collaboration.
Relevant Azure and DevOps certifications (AZ-104, AZ-305, DevOps Engineer Expert) are strongly preferred.
Ability to collaborate with development teams on automation enablement and testability requirements; direct ownership of application development is notrequired.
Extensive hands-on experience with Azure-native monitoring tools such as Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Application Insights, enabling proactive detection and resolution of infrastructure issues.
Proficiencyin integrating monitoring frameworks with automated test suites and reporting dashboards, ensuring visibility into resource health, compliance drift, and system performance.
Preferred Skills
Experience with multi-cloud environments (AWS, GCP) and hybridIaCstrategies.
Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes/AKS) andmicroservicesarchitectures.
Background in building secure, compliant platforms within regulated industries.
Experience with workflow automation, event-driven validation, and test reporting solutions that support infrastructure quality and security assurance.
Familiarity with security testing tools and practices such as SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, container image scanning,IaCscanning, and policy-as-code frameworks.
Familiarity with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, GitLab CI, or GitHub Actions.
Understanding of secure engineering practices, including OWASP concepts, authentication and authorization controls,secretsmanagement, least privilege, RBAC, and secure configuration baselines.
Background in performance optimization, caching strategies, and application monitoring.
Exposure toautomated infrastructure, API, integration, regression, security, and compliance testing tools and frameworks.
Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and debugging skills.
Salary Range:
$95,600 - 162,400 USDSalary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.
Work Authorization
Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).
Working with Us
As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve.
Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities.
Reasonable Accommodation
Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at MyHRHelp@ntrs.com, or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.