Quality Assurance Lead

Location: Bengaluru

Experience:
8–10 years in Software Testing, with 4+ years in Test Leadership and 8+ years in Automation Testing.

Job Summary
We are seeking an experienced Test Lead with strong hands-on Automation Testing expertise and proven leadership skills. The ideal candidate will take complete ownership of testing activities, be accountable for test strategy, execution, and delivery, and act as the primary point of contact for all testing-related matters. This role requires close collaboration with stakeholders, participation in status calls, and ensuring high-quality deliverables across the project lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities
Test Leadership & Ownership.
Take end-to-end ownership of the testing function for assigned projects.
Define and implement test strategy, test plans, and test approach aligned with business goals.
Ensure accountability for all test deliverables, timelines, and quality standards.
Act as the single point of contact (SPOC) for testing for internal and external stakeholders.

Automation Testing
Design, develop, and maintain automation frameworks using Java, Selenium, RestAssured and BDD (Cucumber)
Identify test cases suitable for automation and ensure optimal automation coverage.
Review automation scripts and ensure adherence to coding and testing standards.
Integrate automation execution into CI/CD pipelines.
Drive continuous improvement in automation effectiveness and execution speed.

Manual & Functional Testing
Oversee functional, regression, system, integration, and UAT support testing.
Ensure accurate test case design, review, and execution.
Validate business requirements and ensure comprehensive test coverage.

Team Management & Mentoring
Lead, mentor, and guide a team of automation test engineers.
Allocate tasks, track progress, and ensure productivity and skill development.
Conduct reviews for test cases, automation scripts, and defect reports.

Defect & Quality Management
Own the defect lifecycle, from identification to closure.
Ensure proper defect triaging, prioritization, and root cause analysis.
Work closely with development teams to resolve issues efficiently.
Reporting & Stakeholder Communication
Prepare and present daily/weekly test status reports and dashboards.
Participate in status calls, sprint meetings, defect triage calls, and release discussions.
Communicate risks, dependencies, and quality metrics clearly to stakeholders.

Process & Continuous Improvement
Define and enforce testing processes, standards, and best practices.
Drive quality initiatives and process improvements across projects.
Ensure compliance with organizational and client quality standards.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Technical Skills
Strong hands-on experience in Java, Selenium WebDriver & RestAssured(API testing).
Expertise in BDD frameworks using Cucumber.
Experience with TestNG / Junit.
Knowledge of Maven/Gradle, Git/BitBucket(Version Control), Jenkins(CI/CD tool).
Knowledge of test case management tools like Xray, Qmetry or Zephyr.
Strong Understanding of SQL.
Exposure to Agile/Scrum methodologies.
Hands on a SDLC tools like Jira.

Leadership & Soft Skills
Strong ownership mindset with high accountability.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver under pressure.
Proven experience leading testing teams in complex projects.

Good to Have
Experience with performance or security testing tools
Exposure to cloud-based testing environments
ISTQB or relevant testing certifications