We are seeking a hands-on, collaborative Lead SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test) to drive the UI automation strategy, framework architecture, and continuous improvement of our frontend quality practices. As Lead UI SDET, you will provide technical leadership and guidance to the UI test automation team, ensuring robust, maintainable, and effective Playwright-based test suites for our modern web applications. This is a cross-functional leadership role focused on UI quality, maintainability, and efficiency.
Our core UI test automation stack includes :
- Playwright (primary UI automation framework)
- TypeScript (primary language for test development)
- Jest (for unit testing and test utilities)
- Docker and Kubernetes (for containerized test environments)
- GitHub Actions (for CI / CD)
- Karate (for E2E API Testing) Key Responsibilities
- Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to the UI SDET / QA engineering team
- Lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of Playwright-based UI automation frameworks
- Architect and enforce the use of the Page Object Model (POM) and data-driven testing paradigms for UI automation
- Design and own comprehensive test plans in partnership with Product Owners to align testing strategies and automation scripts with BDD delivery practices
- Ensure UI test suites are maintainable, reliable, efficient, and scalable
- Drive adoption of best practices for reducing flakiness, increasing speed, and ensuring meaningful assertions in UI tests
- Establish and maintain robust regression testing processes to ensure ongoing UI quality
- Implement feedback loops from test results and production issues to continuously improve test coverage and effectiveness
- Drive the evolution and refactoring of UI test suites to adapt to product changes, reduce technical debt, and maximize long-term value
- Champion a culture of quality, rapid feedback, and continuous improvement throughout the SDLC
- Drive a TDD (Test-Driven Development) culture across the UI engineering team, including promoting learning and adoption of test automation by all engineers
- Collaborate closely with product, development, UX, and DevOps teams to deliver integrated, high-quality solutions
- Lead the adoption of modern UI testing tools, frameworks, and best practices
- Drive root cause analysis and continuous improvement for UI defects and quality issues
- Ensure engineering rigor, code quality, and effective documentation in all UI test assets
- Facilitate clear communication, knowledge sharing, and effective documentation within the team
- Support team growth through coaching, feedback, and skills development
Core Qualities & Skills
Proven experience leading UI SDET or QA engineering teams and delivering complex UI automation projectsDeep expertise in Playwright and the Page Object Model for UI automationExperience with data-driven testing approaches for UI, including test data creation and test data management, with knowledge of BDD frameworks and practicesDemonstrated ability to deliver maintainable, reliable, and efficient UI test suitesStrong understanding of explicit waits, robust locator strategies, and atomic test designExperience with test reporting and analytics for UI automationExperience with risk-based testing and exploratory testing for UIStrong programming and scripting skills in TypeScriptExperience with CI / CD pipelines and integrating UI automated tests into the SDLCStrong collaboration and alignment skills across disciplinesWillingness to learn, share knowledge, and adapt to evolving technologiesSystem design skills and awareness of technical debt and tradeoffs in UI test automationExcellent communication, documentation, and stakeholder management abilitiesComfort with ambiguity, discovery, and rapid changeCommitment to engineering excellence, security, and responsible practices PreferredQualifications
5+ years of hands-on UI SDET, QA, or software engineering experience, with 2+ years in a technical leadership roleTrack record of architecting and delivering scalable, reliable UI automation systemsExperience with modern development and testing practices (CI / CD, automated testing, code reviews)Demonstrated ability to mentor and grow engineersExperience working in cross-functional, agile teamsHighly DesirableExperience testing non-deterministic systems, AI / ML outputs, or GenAI-powered UI featuresExperience using AI to accelerate the SDLC, UI test automation, and quality analysisExperience with test strategies for non-deterministic, probabilistic, or data-driven UI systemsExperience with containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) for UI test environmentsFamiliarity with the Test Pyramid and balancing UI, integration, and unit testsExperience thriving in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and balancing rapid delivery with technical excellenceExperience leading or working with distributed, multidisciplinary teams