Lead - software Engineering - qa

Lead Software Engineering QA

We are seeking a Lead QA Engineer to own and drive end to end quality engineering across all projects, including those delivered by external vendors. This role is responsible for defining QA strategy, automation standards, and quality governance, while working closely with engineering, DevOps, and vendors to ensure reliable, secure, and production ready software. You will act as the central point of accountability for software quality across the delivery lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the overall QA and quality engineering strategy across all projects and teams.
• Define and implement QA standards, processes, and best practices for vendor delivered and internal projects.
• Establish and govern test automation frameworks (API, integration, regression, and UI where applicable).
• Ensure quality is embedded into CI/CD pipelines, working closely with DevOps teams.
• Review vendor test strategies, test plans, and automation coverage for compliance with standards.
• Define quality gates for builds, releases, and deployments.
• Drive shift left testing, early defect detection, and prevention practices.
• Own test environments, test data strategies, and release readiness criteria.
• Track and report on quality metrics (defect leakage, automation coverage, escaped defects).
• Lead defect triage, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Mentor QA engineers and guide vendors on quality expectations and execution.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and platform teams to ensure functional and non-functional quality (performance, security, reliability).

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in QA / Quality Engineering, with leadership or lead level responsibilities.
• Strong experience defining QA strategy and governance across multiple teams or vendors.
• Hands on experience with test automation for APIs and backend systems.
• Strong understanding of SDLC, Agile methodologies, and CI/CD driven delivery.
• Experience testing cloud based and microservices architectures.
• Solid understanding of REST APIs, authentication mechanisms (JWT, OAuth2, SSO), and backend workflows.
• Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong defect management, debugging, and root cause analysis skills.
• Excellent communication skills to work effectively with vendors and cross functional teams.

Preferred Skills

• Experience testing applications deployed on GCP or other cloud platforms.
• Familiarity with performance, load, and reliability testing.
• Exposure to security testing concepts and vulnerability validation.
• Experience validating AI/ML or data driven systems is a plus.
• Familiarity with test data management and environment automation.
• Experience working in vendor led or distributed delivery models.
• Exposure to monitoring, logging, and production validation practices.
• Experience contributing to quality metrics and leadership reporting.

Soft Skills

• Strong quality ownership mindset with attention to detail and long term product health.
• Ability to influence and enforce standards without direct authority.
• Excellent collaboration skills across engineering, DevOps, product, and vendors.
• Structured, analytical thinker with strong problem solving skills.
• Comfortable operating in fast paced, multi project environments.
• Proactive, pragmatic, and continuous improvement oriented.
• Strong mentoring and coaching approach.