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Senior Software Engineer in Test

University of Chicago · Chicago, IL · $80,000–$120,000 a year · Full time

Posted Aug 14, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a bug that got past your tests. What did you change afterwards?

What they are checking: Learning from escapes rather than defending coverage numbers.

This asks for a bachelor's degree plus two years in software testing, pays eighty to one hundred twenty thousand dollars, and is forty hours a week in Chicago. What would you want to know about the engineering team before accepting?

What they are checking: That they read the terms and would ask about how the team actually works.

What would you do

How do you deal with a flaky test that fails intermittently and nobody has time to chase?

What they are checking: Whether they fix flakiness or let it erode trust in the suite.

A developer disagrees that something you filed is a defect. How do you resolve it?

What they are checking: Working the boundary between quality and development without escalating everything.

The posting says you are responsible for priority technical tasks and timely delivery at a required level of quality. When the date and the quality bar conflict, what do you do?

What they are checking: Where they stand when schedule pressure arrives, which is the real test of this role.

About the work

This role designs and evaluates tests for web applications, application programming interfaces and backend services. Where do you get the most value per test, and where is testing usually wasted?

What they are checking: Judgment about where to spend testing effort rather than covering everything.

Walk me through how you would build an automated regression suite in Python for a system you did not write.

What they are checking: Practical approach to testing unfamiliar code, which is the situation here.

This sits in a research center building data platforms for biomedical research. How does testing software that handles sensitive research data differ from testing an ordinary web app?

What they are checking: Awareness of data protection and correctness stakes in this specific setting.

How do you test an application programming interface well enough to catch a breaking change before a consumer does?

What they are checking: Contract testing thinking, named directly in the required skills.

How would you decide what belongs in a unit test versus an integration test versus an end-to-end test?

What they are checking: Test pyramid reasoning applied rather than recited.

Practice this interview out loud.

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Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by University of Chicago.

Department BSD CTD - Engineering: Plan X - QA About the Department The Center for Translational Data Science (CTDS) at the University of Chicago is a research center whose mission is to develop the discipline of translational data science to impactful problems in biology, medicine, healthcare, and the environment. We envision a world in which researchers have ready access to the data needed and the tools required to make data driven discoveries that increase our scientific knowledge and improve the quality of life. We architect ecosystems of large-scale commons of research data, computing resources, applications, tools, and services for the broader research community to use data at scale to pursue scientific inquiry and accelerate discovery. Learn more at https://gdc.cancer.gov/, https://gen3.org/, https://stats.gen3.org/, and https://ctds.uchicago.edu/. Job Information Senior Software in Test for Chicago, IL location. Responsible for priority technical tasks and timely delivery of such tasks, meeting the required level of quality. Participation in complex and challenging activities, including design and implementation. Provide support and maintenance for existing applications. Provide technical mentorship to interns and onboarding staff and technical leadership in technical initiatives. Actively participate in the hiring process and provide fair and productive interview feedback. Elaborate on technical solutions internally and externally when required. Investigates, analyzes and resolves day-to-day technical problems using standard procedures. Works with stakeholders to gather and analyze requirements for developmental programs. Receives a moderate level of guidance to design applications to meet University and business requirements. Performs code testing on components and works to ensure that appropriate implementation standards are met. Evaluates design alternatives for development cost and solutions using various methods. Tech Env: Python programming; Golang/Javascript; C/C++/Java/C#; design and evaluate tests for web apps, APIs, and backend; unit & automated regression testing; test case development; Pytest; UX/UI testing & browser test automation w/Selenium; performance & load testing w/LoadRunner; Unix/Linux programming; version control experience; JIRA; Jenkins; Cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Openstack); CI/CD; Agile SDLC. Additional Responsibilities Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT or related field plus 2 years of experience in software testing required. Required Skills: 2 years with each: software developer or engineer in test; Python programming; design and evaluate tests for web apps, APIs, and backend; unit & automated regression testing; test case development; Pytest; UX/UI testing & browser test automation with Selenium; performance & load testing with LoadRunner; Unix/Linux programming; version control experience; JIRA; Jenkins; Cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Openstack/Oracle); CI/CD; Agile SDLC. Background check including review of conviction history required. Some telecommuting permitted. The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions. When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application. Benefit Eligibility ​ Yes The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Pay Rate Type Salary Pay Range $80,000.00 - $120,000.00 The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting. Scheduled Weekly Hours 40 Union Non-Union Job is Exempt Yes Drug Test Required No Health Screen Required No Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required No Posting Date 2026-08-14 Posting Statement The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form. All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position. The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu . Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

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