Description : Role Overview :
The Senior Engineer / Lead Tester will be responsible for driving the testing strategy, ensuring end-to-end quality across applications, and providing leadership to the QA team. This role requires strong hands-on expertise in test automation, test planning, and quality engineering practices. The ideal candidate combines deep technical testing skills with the ability to guide teams, collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, and continuously improve test processes and tooling.
Key Responsibilities
Test Strategy & Leadership
- Define, own, and execute the test strategy for complex and distributed systems.
- Lead a team of testers, providing technical guidance, review, and coaching.
- Partner with engineering, product, and architecture teams to integrate quality engineering early in the development lifecycle.
- Champion best practices in test automation, CI / CD, and quality governance.
Hands-on Testing & Automation
Develop and maintain automated test suites across UI, API, performance, and integration layers.Build robust frameworks using modern tools and technologies (e.g., Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, REST Assured, JMeter).Execute functional, regression, integration, performance, and security testing.Ensure high test coverage, reliability, and maintainability of test assets.Quality Governance & Process Improvement
Establish test metrics, dashboards, and reporting for release readiness.Drive continuous improvement in QA processes, tooling, and automation.Implement shift-left testing, risk-based testing, and test optimization techniques.Influence development teams to adopt quality-first engineering practices.Collaboration & Communication
Work closely with developers, DevOps, product managers, and business analysts to ensure alignment on requirements and deliverables.Provide clear defect analysis, root-cause identification, and risk assessments.Support release management and production validation activities.Required Skills & Experience
7+ years of experience in software testing, with at least 23 years in a lead / mentor role.Strong hands-on expertise in automation frameworks using Java, Python, JavaScript, or similar.Proficiency in tools such as Selenium WebDriver, Cypress, Playwright, TestNG, JUnit, REST Assured, Postman, JMeter, etc.Solid understanding of API testing, microservices validation, and database testing.Experience with CI / CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps).Strong knowledge of SDLC, STLC, agile methodologies, and quality engineering best practices.Experience with cloud-based testing environments (AWS, Azure, GCP) is preferred.Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.Preferred Qualifications :
Experience in performance engineering or security testing.Understanding of containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes).Exposure to BDD frameworks (Cucumber, Behave).Experience in leading QA for distributed systems or enterprise-scale applications.ISTQB, CSTE, or similar certifications.Personality & Leadership Traits :
Quality-driven mindset with strong attention to detail.Ability to lead, mentor, and influence cross-functional teams.Strong organizational and documentation skills.Proactive approach to problem-solving and process improvements.(ref : hirist.tech)
