Technical QA Engineer with Backend Development Experience

We are looking for an experienced Technical QA Engineer with a strong software development background for a long-term project. This is not a basic manual testing role. We are looking for someone who can understand application logic, investigate issues across the backend, reproduce difficult bugs, validate API and database behavior, and work closely with developers to verify fixes before release. A professional software engineering background is strongly preferred. Experience with server-side technologies such as Node.js, Java, PHP, or similar backend technologies is a strong advantage. You should be comfortable reading existing code and understanding how application logic, APIs, databases, and external services work together. You should have strong experience with: - Functional and regression testing - REST API testing and debugging - SQL and relational databases - Backend and business-logic validation - Data consistency and edge-case testing - Bug investigation and reproduction - Testing and verifying production fixes - Cloud-hosted applications - Git-based development workflows Experience with AWS is strongly preferred. You should be comfortable investigating issues involving cloud-hosted applications, logs, services, and application environments. experience with modern AI-assisted development and QA tools is also important. Hands-on experience with tools such as Codex, Cursor, Claude, or similar AI coding/debugging tools is strongly preferred. We are particularly interested in people who use these tools practically for debugging, code investigation, test creation, and understanding unfamiliar codebases. The right person should have strong analytical skills and be comfortable investigating complex application behavior rather than simply following predefined test cases. Availability Reliable availability and communication are very important. You must be available to work and communicate in real-time between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM Eastern Time (ET). Candidates with extensive availability are strongly preferred. Weekly Meeting availability and the exact working schedule will be discussed during the interview. Contract Hourly Rate: $7-$15/hour Project Type: Long-term hourly contract Expected Duration: Through approximately September 2027 When applying, please include: 1. Your QA/testing experience 2. Your previous software development experience 3. Backend languages and frameworks you have used professionally 4. Your API and database experience 5. Your AWS/cloud experience 6. Which AI coding or debugging tools you currently use 7. Your current location and time zone 8. Your normal working hours and availability 9. Your hourly rate within our budget 10. Your English level. C1/C2 prefer Important: Please apply only if you are currently based in Eastern Europe. Applications from outside Eastern Europe will not be considered.