Automation Lead with Automation Awareness, EMS / NMS App
Job Description :
We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Manual Test Lead with an understanding of automation principles to lead and execute comprehensive manual testing activities for the EMS / NMS App. This role is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day manual testing efforts, ensuring the quality and reliability of the application, especially focusing on complex user workflows, UI / UX validation, and critical failover / failback scenarios. The lead will also collaborate with the automation team to identify opportunities for automation and understand automation results. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in manual testing, excellent organizational skills, and a proven ability to lead a team of testers, with an appreciation for how automation complements manual efforts.
- NMS / EMS or L1 / L2 / L3 protocol with Automation experience with script execution (Python or Playwright )and script development
- Embedded testing is mandatory for Test Manual lead
- L2 / L3 Protocol Knowledge and Interop and Network testing with traffic generation tools are mandatory for Test Manual lead
Key Responsibilities :
Test Execution & Oversight :Lead and coordinate the execution of manual test cases across different phases (Day-0, Day-1, Day-2 workflows, functional, integration, system, regression testing).
Ensure adherence to the defined test plan and strategy, focusing on Failover and Failback Testing , and UI / UX Validation .Monitor testing progress, identify bottlenecks, and re-allocate resources as needed to meet testing timelines.Test Case Design & Review :Collaborate with the Test Architect(s) to understand the overall test strategy (manual and automation) and contribute to detailed manual test case design.
Review and provide feedback on test cases created by junior testers to ensure completeness, accuracy, and clarity.Create detailed, step-by-step manual test cases for critical and complex functionalities.Defect Management :Take primary responsibility for logging, prioritizing, and tracking defects in the defect management system.
Work closely with development teams to ensure defects are clearly understood and resolved.Verify bug fixes and ensure no regressions are introduced.Reporting & Communication :Provide regular updates on manual testing status, progress, and identified risks to the Test Architect(s) and project stakeholders.
Prepare and present manual test summary reports, highlighting key findings and quality metrics for each release.Communicate and understand results from automated test runs to inform manual testing efforts.Team Leadership & Mentorship :Guide and mentor junior manual testers, providing coaching on testing techniques, best practices, and effective defect reporting.
Foster a collaborative and high-quality focused testing environment.Act as a primary point of contact for manual testing activities within the team.Test Environment & Data Preparation :Work with development and operations to ensure test environments are correctly set up and maintained for manual testing.
Oversee the preparation and management of test data required for various manual test scenarios.Requirement Analysis :Participate in requirements and design reviews to gain a deep understanding of the application and ensure testability from the outset.
Automation Collaboration :Collaborate with the automation team to identify test cases that are good candidates for automation.
Understand the capabilities and limitations of the automation framework and tools.Utilize automation reports to prioritize manual testing efforts.Skill Set Requirements :
Technical Skills :
Manual Testing Expertise : Extensive hands-on experience with various manual testing techniques (functional, integration, system, regression, exploratory).Test Case Management Tools : Proficient in using test case management systems (e.g., TestRail, Zephyr, qTest, or similar) for creating, executing, and reporting test cases.Defect Tracking Tools : Strong experience with defect management systems (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps, Bugzilla, or similar), including logging, tracking, and verifying defects.Requirement Interpretation : Ability to accurately interpret and translate functional specifications, user stories, and UI / UX mockups into actionable test cases.Basic Networking : Fundamental understanding of networking concepts (IP addressing, subnets) and protocols (gRPC, SSH, SFTP) relevant to device communication.Operating Systems : Familiarity with Linux / Unix, Windows, and macOS environments.Database Interaction (Awareness) : Basic understanding of how to verify data in databases (e.g., CouchDB) or metrics (Prometheus / Thanos) via UI or simple queries, to support test validation.Terminal Device Interaction : Practical experience with configuring and testing network devices (like Optical and RF terminals) through their respective interfaces (UI, CLI).Automation Awareness (Good to Have) : Basic understanding of test automation principles, common automation tools (e.g., Selenium, Cypress, Playwright), and how automation fits into a CI / CD pipeline. Ability to read and understand automation reports.Methodological & Domain Skills :
Test Planning & Execution : Strong ability to plan, organize, and execute manual test cycles efficiently.End-to-End Workflow Testing : Proven experience in testing complex end-to-end user workflows (Day-0, Day-1, Day-2 operations).Hybrid Link Specifics : Good understanding of multi-band concepts, particularly primary / secondary link failover and failback mechanisms.Data Consistency : Meticulous approach to verifying data consistency and integrity across different system components and UI displays.UI / UX Validation : Keen eye for detail in validating user interfaces against design specifications and ensuring a positive user experience.Agile Methodologies : Experience working in Agile / Scrum development environments.Soft Skills :
Leadership & Mentorship : Demonstrated ability to lead small teams of testers, delegate tasks, and provide constructive feedback.Organizational Skills : Excellent planning, time management, and organizational abilities.Attention to Detail : Exceptional attention to detail to identify subtle functional and visual defects.Analytical Skills : Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to understand system behavior and pinpoint root causes of issues.Communication : Clear and effective verbal and written communication skills to articulate test results, issues, and progress.Collaboration : Ability to work collaboratively with developers, product managers, and other QA team members, including the automation team.Proactiveness : Self-motivated and proactive in identifying testing needs and areas for improvement.Experience :
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.6+ years of experience in manual software quality assurance, with at least 2-3 years in a lead or senior manual testing role.Proven experience in leading testing for complex, multi-component applications, ideally in telecommunications or network management domains.Experience collaborating with automation teams and understanding automation outputs (Good to Have).