Lead QA Automation Engineer

Job Brief

We are looking for an experienced Lead QA Automation Engineer to define and drive the QA and test automation strategy across products, lead a team of QA engineers, and establish modern automation and AI-assisted engineering practices that raise quality and delivery speed. The candidate will be accountable for test strategy, automation architecture, and team performance, partnering with PM/BA and engineering leads to deliver high-quality products that meet business and client requirements.

Responsibilities

• Own delivery outcomes for the automation team, including sprint automation delivery and framework health.
• Plan and allocate work based on priorities, team capacity and project scope alignment.
• Ensure automation implementation aligns with defined technical standards and framework architecture, including the use of AI coding tools such as Claude Code, Cursor, or Copilot, with AI-generated code reviewed for correctness, security, performance, and maintainability.
• Unblock the team by providing solutions and direction on framework, CI/CD pipeline, and environment issues.
• Own automation coverage targets, pipeline health, and release gating for automated test suites.
• Collaborate with PM/BA and engineering leads to agree automation scope and testability.
• Manage escalations, risks, and production stability within the team, and report automation status and risks to stakeholders.
• Address and resolve conflicts that arise within and across teams.
• Coach and mentor automation engineers, supporting their growth and performance.
• Provide input for performance reviews, KPIs, and development plans.
• Participate in hiring and candidate evaluation.
• Improve team processes, delivery practices, and engineering discipline.
• Maintain clear documentation of test plans, automation frameworks, test results, and team processes.
• Maintain strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Support hands-on automation and manual testing when needed and perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in IT, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Fluent speaking and writing in English for business communication needs.
• 6–8 years of experience in software test automation, with proven experience leading automation initiatives and owning test frameworks.
• Strong hands-on team leading and mentorship experience.
• Deep understanding of SDLC, Agile, and automation strategy design.
• Competent in test planning and strategy, CI/CD integration, and automation scripting in Python and JavaScript/TypeScript for Web, Mobile Web, and Mobile (iOS/Android) applications, using tools such as Playwright, Selenium, Appium, or equivalent.
• Experience in using AI to improve the team speed, coverage, and quality, and establish team practices and review standards so AI-generated work stays correct, secure, and maintainable.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with competent reporting and documentation.
• Strong logical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage priorities in fast-paced Agile environments, with resilience and flexibility.
• Strong ownership, collaboration, and decision-making abilities.
• Foundational experience in people management, resource and project management, strategic planning, conflict resolution, and interviewing.