Automation QA Engineer (Volunteer)

Role ID: TAIRC-ROLE-024.1 Department: Applied AI Engineering Engagement Type: Volunteer (unpaid) Work Arrangement: Remote. Working hours are aligned to US Eastern Time (EST/EDT); the exact schedule is agreed with your supervisor at onboarding. Duration and Time: Initial 6-month volunteer term, which may be extended by mutual agreement. Weekly time commitment is agreed at onboarding and should be realistic for you. Compensation: Unpaid volunteer opportunity. TAIRC is currently in a pre-funding stage and is building its funding base. No salary, stipend, or other compensation is offered at this stage. Supervision: Review and guidance from the Director of Engineering (TAIRC-ROLE-003) or a designated engineering lead, confirmed at onboarding. About TAIRC The AI Research Center, Inc. (TAIRC) is a nonprofit research organization advancing transparent evaluation, responsible governance, and public-interest AI infrastructure. Our work focuses on helping institutions and communities better understand AI systems, evaluate their limitations, and translate research into responsible practice. TAIRC connects technical research with public communication, accessibility, governance, and human accountability. We aim to make AI research more transparent, understandable, and useful for the public good. This position is with TAIRC, not Metasys. Metasys supports the recruitment and administrative process on behalf of TAIRC. Position Overview TAIRC is seeking an Automation QA Engineer volunteer to design and maintain automated tests that help keep TAIRC's tools and websites reliable, accessible, and correct, including tests that check the behavior of AI components. TAIRC's published research agenda does not mean that every program is funded, staffed, or complete. Specific assignments are confirmed at onboarding, and volunteer work is not presented as approved TAIRC research or institutional findings until it has been reviewed.

Responsibilities

• Test Suites: Develop and maintain end-to-end, API, and regression tests for TAIRC applications.
• Quality Gates: Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines so regressions are caught before release.
• Performance Checks: Run basic load and performance tests and report findings.
• API and Data Validation: Test data contracts between services and validate data integrity by querying databases directly.
• Accessibility Testing: Include automated and manual accessibility checks in test plans.
• AI Behavior Testing: Help design tests for the deterministic and non-deterministic behavior of AI components, including data-access boundaries.
• Reporting: Document defects and test results clearly for engineering review.

Qualifications

• Experience writing automated tests (for example Playwright or Cypress).
• Proficiency in TypeScript, JavaScript, or Python.
• Understanding of testing concepts: unit, integration, regression, and end-to-end.
• Attention to detail and clear written communication.
• Ability to work remotely during US Eastern Time (EST/EDT) hours and to collaborate asynchronously with a distributed team.
• Understanding and acceptance that this is an unpaid volunteer opportunity at this stage.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with k6 or JMeter.
• Experience integrating tests into CI/CD.
• Ability to query PostgreSQL or similar databases.
• Interest in evaluating AI system behavior.

Learning and Contribution Opportunities

Through this opportunity, volunteers may gain experience in:

• Testing software and AI components for a transparency-focused research organization.
• Building quality gates into delivery pipelines.
• Applying accessibility testing in practice.
• Collaborating remotely with engineers and designers.

Engagement and Compensation Disclosure TAIRC is currently building its funding base. This is a volunteer opportunity, and no salary, stipend, or other compensation is offered at this stage. Any future paid appointment would depend on available funding, organizational approval, applicable legal compliance, and a separate written agreement. Participation does not guarantee future employment or compensation. This is a volunteer contribution, not an employment relationship or a formal educational internship. Volunteers contribute by choice, may step back at any time with reasonable notice, and are asked to keep time commitments realistic. Applicants who need academic credit may inquire, but credit is not guaranteed and would require a separate arrangement with their institution. Equal Opportunity and Accessibility TAIRC evaluates candidates based on role-related skills, relevant experience, and documented review criteria. Decisions must not be based on protected personal characteristics. Applicants who need an accommodation or an alternative application format may contact hr@tairc.com. How to Express Interest Candidates interested in contributing to TAIRC's quality assurance and test automation work may contact hr@tairc.com with questions about the opportunity.