About Costco Travel IT – Join a Global Leader in Retail InnovationCostco Wholesale Corporation is the world’s fifth‑largest retailer, serving more than 150 million members in 14 countries. Our Costco Travel division powers the company’s travel‑related services, delivering unforgettable vacations, cruises, and experiences to millions of members each year. As part of the broader Costco Travel IT organization, you will be embedded in a high‑performing team that builds, tests, and sustains the mission‑critical platforms that enable seamless booking, inventory management, and member‑centric experiences worldwide.Founded on the principles of quality, integrity, and a member‑first mindset, Costco consistently ranks among the top employers worldwide. Forbes recently placed Costco at #7 on the “World’s Best Employers” list, a testament to our commitment to people‑first culture, competitive compensation, and long‑term career growth. Now, we are looking for a passionate, technically proficient Remote Quality Assurance Engineer to help us continue raising the bar on software reliability, speed, and innovation—all from the comfort of your own home.Why This Role Is a Game‑Changer for Your CareerAs a Remote Quality Assurance Engineer , you will be a key driver of quality across the full software development lifecycle. The position blends hands‑on test automation, strategic test design, and collaborative problem‑solving. You’ll work directly with product owners, software engineers, and other stakeholders to translate functional and non‑functional requirements into robust, repeatable test suites that safeguard our systems against defects and performance issues.In addition to an attractive hourly rate of $32/hr , you’ll enjoy a truly hybrid remote arrangement, flexible scheduling, and a comprehensive rewards package that includes health, retirement, stock purchase, and continuous learning benefits.Core Responsibilities – What You’ll Own Every Day• End‑to‑End Test Planning: Define comprehensive test strategies, including test environments, tools, data, and schedules that align with release cycles and business priorities.• Test Case Development & Execution: Write, review, and execute functional, regression, performance, and security test cases for web, API, and mobile applications.• Automation Framework Design: Build and maintain scalable test automation frameworks using Java or C#, integrating with CI/CD pipelines to enable continuous testing.• Defect Management: Identify, prioritize, and track defects throughout the development lifecycle; collaborate with developers to reproduce issues and validate fixes.• Shift‑Left Testing Advocacy: Partner with developers early in the sprint to embed testing into design and code reviews, reducing defect leakage.• Performance & Load Testing: Design and run load, stress, and endurance tests using industry‑standard tools to ensure our travel platforms handle peak traffic.• API Testing & Service Validation: Create and execute automated API tests using REST‑Assured, Postman, or similar tools, validating contracts and data integrity.• Continuous Improvement: Stay abreast of emerging testing technologies, share best practices, and contribute to the Center of Excellence (CoE) for quality engineering.• Documentation & Reporting: Produce clear, concise test reports, metrics, and dashboards for stakeholders, highlighting coverage, risk, and trends.• Mentorship & Knowledge Transfer: Coach junior QA team members, host brown‑bag sessions, and foster a culture of quality across the organization.Essential Qualifications – What You Must Bring• 3+ years of software testing experience with strong proficiency in XML, JSON, and web service testing.• 3+ years of hands‑on development experience using Java or C# to build test automation code.• 3+ years of Microsoft SQL Server expertise , including writing complex T‑SQL queries for data validation and backend testing.• Proven experience with SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test) methodologies and agile testing practices.• Excellent communication skills —both written and verbal—enabling clear articulation of defects, test results, and risk assessments.• Strong analytical and critical‑thinking abilities to diagnose root causes and propose effective solutions.• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a distributed remote environment, managing time and priorities effectively.• Solid software engineering fundamentals —object‑oriented design, data structures, and design patterns.Preferred Qualifications – Nice‑to‑Have Skills That Set You Apart• Hands‑on experience with Git, Maven/Gradle, and CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, Azure DevOps, or GitHub Actions.• Familiarity with JUnit/TestNG frameworks for unit and integration testing.• Experience automating UI tests using Selenium WebDriver, Cypress, or Playwright .• Knowledge of Microsoft VSTS/DevOps stack (TFS, MTM, Lab Management).• Exposure to Splunk, Logstash, or ELK for log analysis and monitoring.• U