Type: Contract, per-project.
Location: Remote - within LATAM time zones (GMT-3 to GMT-5) - Remote with meetings across U.S. time zones
Availability: Contractor (40 hours per week)

Windows Application Developer - Partner Engineer
We’re looking for a Windows Application Developer - Partner Engineer to join our Windows Ecosystem Enablement team.
This role is focused on helping strategic ISV partners bring their desktop applications into the Windows ecosystem and the Microsoft Store. You will work directly with senior engineers, solve complex packaging and platform issues, build reference implementations, and navigate Microsoft’s internal teams to unblock partner success.
This is not a traditional Windows developer role. We are looking for someone with deep understanding of the Windows ecosystem—someone who understands how software is packaged, distributed, installed, and integrated at the OS level.

Core Responsibilities
Partner Technical Support & Onboarding

• Support ISV partners with packaging, publishing, and onboarding applications into the Microsoft Store

• Resolve technical blockers related to installers, Store dependencies, Windows Update, drivers, policies, and OS-level integrations

• Help partners adopt the right architecture across Win32, .NET, UWP, WebView2, PWA, MSIX, and unpackaged app models

Prototyping & Technical Problem Solving

• Build small tools, sample apps, sandbox environments, and reference implementations to reproduce and solve partner issues

• Create proof-of-concepts without touching client codebases

• Deliver targeted fixes across packaging workflows, SDK usage, and publishing processes

Internal Microsoft Collaboration

• Work across Microsoft teams including Windows Store, WinGet, Copilot, and platform engineering groups

• Identify the right internal stakeholders, escalate technical blockers, and drive solutions across siloed teams

• Support high-priority partner escalations in fast-moving, cross-functional environments

Documentation & Best Practices

• Create technical guides, internal playbooks, and reusable reference implementations based on partner learnings

• Document packaging best practices and onboarding standards for Microsoft teams and ISV partners

• Help establish scalable technical guidance for future partner onboarding

Partner Outreach

• Support outreach efforts to software vendors not yet publishing in the Microsoft Store

• Help qualify leads, follow up with ISVs, and support partner adoption initiatives

Required Experience
Strong Windows Ecosystem Background

• 5+ years of experience working with Windows applications and desktop software distribution

• Strong understanding of installers, drivers, OS-level APIs, software packaging, and Windows platform integrations

• Experience across Win32, .NET, UWP, WebView2, PWAs, or similar desktop architectures

Commercial Software Distribution Experience

• Background working at companies that ship and distribute commercial software products

• Exposure to packaging, deployment, signing, Store submission, and operating system integration

• Experience only building internal business systems is not enough for this role

Prototyping & Troubleshooting Mindset

• Ability to independently reproduce issues, create sandbox environments, and build reference implementations

• Strong problem-solving skills across low-level platform issues and technical ambiguity

Strong Communication & Ownership

• Comfortable working directly with clients and senior engineers

• Able to explain technical tradeoffs clearly and drive solutions proactively

• Strong ownership mindset with a bias toward action

Nice to Have

• Experience with MSIX, unpackaged apps, Xbox-to-Windows migration, PWA packaging, and Windows Store publishing

• Familiarity with installer technologies such as WiX

• Experience with GitHub Actions, SDK fixes, and CI publishing workflows

• Data pipeline literacy (Spark, Fabric, large-scale systems)

• Experience using AI tools like Copilot for prototyping and workflow acceleration

• Previous Microsoft experience is a strong plus
  
  (*) SOUTHWORKS only hires individuals from countries that are not blocked or sanctioned by the United States, including those identified on the United States Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC).

WHY DEPT®?

We are pioneers at heart. What this means, is that we are always leaning forward, thinking of what we can create tomorrow that does not exist today. We were born digital and we are a new model of agency, with a deep skillset in tech and marketing. That’s why we hire curious, self-driven, talented people who never stop innovating.

Our culture is big enough to cope and small enough to care. Meaning, that with people across 20+ countries, we’re big enough to provide you with the best tools, global opportunities, and benefits that help you thrive. While acting small by investing in you, your growth, your team, and giving you the autonomy to solve our clients’ problems, no matter where you are in the world. 

We are seeking a Senior Test Automation Engineer. This is a hands-on, individual contributor role focused on 90% Automation and 10% Exploratory/Manual Testing.

You will work within an existing test automation framework, focusing on expanding coverage, improving flaky tests continuously, maintaining the health of our CI/CD pipelines, and identifying extensions in the framework to support commerce e2e tests. Partner with the Test Automation team to align on framework improvements and architectural changes, requesting and/or implementing the extensions needed to support complex commerce testing scenarios.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Test Development & Maintenance: Write, optimize, and maintain automated E2E test scripts using Playwright and TypeScript. You will focus on script stability, using best practices to eliminate flakiness.
• Exploratory Testing: Perform manual exploratory testing on new features to uncover edge cases, logic gaps, and usability issues that automated checks might miss.
• Pipeline Health: Monitor and troubleshoot test execution in CI/CD (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or CircleCI). You are responsible for analyzing failure logs and ensuring rapid feedback for the nightly smoke/regression tests and builds.
• Framework Collaboration: Act as a primary consumer of our internal automation framework. You will identify the gaps in the framework, propose solutions, and collaborate with the Test Automation Team to review and implement the proposed solutions.
• Defect Reporting: Create detailed bug reports with reproduction steps, logs, and screenshots, working closely with developers to verify fixes.

WHAT YOU BRING (Baseline)

• Test Development & Maintenance: Write, optimize, and maintain automated E2E test scripts using Playwright and TypeScript. You will focus on script stability, using best practices to eliminate flakiness.
• Exploratory Testing: Perform manual exploratory testing on new features to uncover edge cases, logic gaps, and usability issues that automated checks might miss.
• Pipeline Health: Monitor and troubleshoot test execution in CI/CD (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or CircleCI). You are responsible for analyzing failure logs and ensuring rapid feedback for the nightly smoke/regression tests and builds.
• Framework Collaboration: Act as a primary consumer of our internal automation framework. You will identify the gaps in the framework, propose solutions, and collaborate with the Test Automation Team to review and implement the proposed solutions.
• Defect Reporting: Create detailed bug reports with reproduction steps, logs, and screenshots, working closely with developers to verify fixes.

TAKE INTO ACCOUNT: 

• You will have to communicate with your team members abroad, therefore fluency in English and excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) are a must for this role

WHAT DO WE OFFER?

• We enjoy spending time together, working closely with other local colleagues, and getting to know one another. Our Buenos Aires offices (Villa Crespo or Mar del Plata) are fully equipped with refreshments and great common spaces!
• Premium healthcare through OSDE for the employee and their immediate family members
• Mendel prepaid card with a monthly allowance for grocery purchases
• Monthly reimbursements for Wi-Fi/electricity expenses
• Monthly reimbursements for training/English classes
• 100% covered “Plan Total” membership at Sportclub
• Access to a our benefits platform through Bonda
• A flexible vacation policy

WE SUPPORT YOU BEING YOU

DEPT® is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We believe our work is at its best when our people feel safe and free to be themselves. We’re committed to an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment and selection process and workplace, regardless of anyone’s lived experience, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, and genetic information. So tell us about any accommodations you need. It’s totally confidential and only used to make sure you feel fully supported at every step.

We are a B Corp-certified company passionate about purpose-driven work. Our hope is that you can feel good about the contributions DEPT® is making to the world, and we always have an open door for your ideas in making the world a better place.

DEPT® is a pioneering technology and marketing services company that creates integrated end-to-end digital experiences for brands such as Google, KFC, Philips, Audi, Twitch, Patagonia, eBay and more. Its team of 2,500+ digital specialists across 30+ locations on 5 continents delivers pioneering work on a global scale with a boutique culture.

Learn more about DEPT®

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine.

We also encourage you to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us.

Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here.