Lead QA Engineer

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California.

📋 Description

• Take ownership of the comprehensive quality engineering strategy across the application portfolio, which includes test architecture, tool selection, and coverage objectives.

• Establish and implement automation framework architecture across various suites and repositories.

• Manage CI/CD test orchestration, encompassing deployment-triggered and nightly regression runs, health checks, artifact and version gating, reporting, and automated notifications.

• Lead release readiness assessments and go/no-go decisions by utilizing risk evaluations, validation evidence, and quality metrics.

• Promote shift-left practices within Agile Scrum teams and integrate quality gates into delivery pipelines.

• Oversee compliance for regulated testing practices, including HIPAA and SOX requirements, PHI management, access controls, audit trails, and traceability.

• Define and act upon quality metrics such as automation coverage, flake rate, escape rate, MTTR, and regression runtime.

• Mentor and develop the QA/SDET team, including Senior engineers, through code reviews, pairing, onboarding, technical roadmaps, and career advancement.

• Serve as the final escalation point for complex or systemic failures and facilitate root cause analysis across team boundaries.

• Establish standards for non-functional testing and responsible AI-assisted QA workflows.

• Collaborate with software engineering, DevOps, and product leadership on architectural, platform, and release process decisions.

• Personally design, build, and maintain automation for the portfolio's most critical risk areas.

• Validate scheduled night-time and off-hours deployments in both lower and production environments.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 10 years of experience in software QA or test engineering, including more than 7 years of hands-on test automation experience, with at least 3 years in a lead, staff, or principal-level technical role overseeing a test practice.

• Proven history of managing test architecture and automation standards across multiple applications or teams.

• Expert-level programming skills in Java and/or Python.

• Extensive hands-on experience with Playwright and/or Selenium WebDriver, as well as JUnit 5 or TestNG, developed using Maven or Gradle.

• Significant hands-on experience with API test automation and tools like REST Assured or Postman.

• Experience in managing automation within CI/CD environments using GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI, Bamboo, or similar tools.

• Advanced SQL and relational database proficiency, such as with MySQL.

• Experience in formulating performance and load testing strategies, with hands-on expertise in tools like JMeter, k6, or Gatling.

• Familiarity with cloud-native delivery, particularly AWS or Azure, and Docker.

• Practical experience with observability tools such as Datadog or CloudWatch and application logs.

• Working knowledge of HIPAA, SOX, HL7, FHIR, and testing within validated or regulated environments.

• Demonstrated mentorship of Senior and mid-level engineers.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to establish technical direction and independently drive multi-quarter initiatives.

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• Preferred: ISTQB/ASTQB certification; experience with CLIA/CAP, FDA-regulated, or SOX-controlled software; exposure to AI/LLM-assisted QA workflows; knowledge of genetic testing or molecular biology.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.

• Flexible work hours and remote work opportunities.

• Professional development and continuous learning opportunities.

• Collaborative and inclusive work environment.