The Principal Software Engineering role at AT&T involves defining and driving the overall strategy for the delivery of various web initiatives, including native apps, mobile, and desktop. The position requires designing, developing, and maintaining automation frameworks using various tools such as Selenium, UFT/QTP, Katalon, Browserstack, REST assured, web services testing, SOAP UI, JMeter, Blazemeter, and Perfecto. The role also includes researching and recommending new automation technologies, standardizing processes, and ensuring the efficient use of resources. The Principal Software Engineer will work closely with a team of Software Developers in Test and Quality Assurance Engineers to enhance the AT&T customer experience, lead testing initiatives, and provide quality sign-off for biweekly releases. The position demands collaboration with product teams and engineering teams to optimize agile testing scrum pods, as well as providing functional and technical leadership to other engineers and product managers. The role also involves defining QA policies, selecting automation tools, and overseeing QA aspects for project planning and execution.