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Job Description

Job Title

Lead Software Test Engineer – Manual & Automation Testing

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Lead Software Test Engineer to lead the Quality Assurance function for enterprise applications. The ideal candidate will be responsible for defining the QA strategy, leading a team of test engineers, driving automation initiatives, ensuring release quality, and collaborating with business and technology teams throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

The role requires extensive experience in manual and automation testing, test planning, quality governance, defect management, API testing, database validation, Agile delivery, and mentoring QA teams. The successful candidate will play a key role in establishing testing best practices, improving automation maturity, and ensuring high-quality software delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the QA team and oversee all testing activities across multiple projects and releases.
Proven hands-on experience in designing and developing automation frameworks from scratch,
Define and implement the overall Test Strategy, Test Plan, Test Approach, and Quality Assurance processes.
Review business requirements, functional specifications, and technical designs to ensure complete test coverage.
Plan, estimate, assign, and monitor testing activities to ensure timely project delivery.
Lead functional, integration, system, regression, API, database, end-to-end, and user acceptance testing support.
Design, develop, review, and maintain automation frameworks and automated test suites using Selenium and Playwright.
Drive automation adoption and continuously improve test coverage and execution efficiency.
Ensure effective defect lifecycle management using Azure DevOps and facilitate defect triage meetings.
Manage test environments, test data, test execution schedules, and release validation activities.
Review test cases, automation scripts, and test results to ensure compliance with quality standards.
Track and report testing progress, defect metrics, automation coverage, quality KPIs, and release readiness to project stakeholders.
Identify project risks, quality issues, and dependencies, and provide mitigation plans.
Collaborate closely with Product Owners, Business Analysts, Architects, Developers, DevOps Engineers, and Project Managers.
Mentor, coach, and technically guide QA team members while conducting code reviews for automation scripts.
Participate in sprint planning, backlog refinement, sprint reviews, retrospectives, and release planning.
Evaluate and recommend testing tools, automation frameworks, and QA best practices.
Support CI/CD implementation by integrating automated tests into deployment pipelines.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance product quality, testing efficiency, and team productivity.
Stay current with emerging technologies, software testing trends, and industry best practices.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related discipline.
8–12 years of experience in Software Testing, with at least 2–3 years in a QA Lead or Test Lead role.
Proven hands-on experience in designing and developing automation frameworks from scratch,
Proven experience leading QA teams in Agile/Scrum environments.
Strong experience in Manual Testing and Automation Testing.
Hands-on experience with Selenium WebDriver using Java or .NET.
Experience with Playwright automation.
Strong knowledge of Test Automation Framework design and maintenance.
Experience with API testing using Postman and REST API automation.
Strong SQL skills for database validation and backend testing.
Hands-on experience with Azure DevOps for Test Management, Work Item Management, Sprint Planning, and Defect Tracking.
Experience working with Git / Azure Repos.
Good understanding of STLC, SDLC, defect management, release management, and quality assurance processes.
Experience with Agile methodologies and Scrum ceremonies.
Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and decision-making skills.
Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Primary Technical Skills

Manual Testing
Automation Testing
Selenium WebDriver
Selenium with Java or .NET
Playwright
Test Automation Framework Development
API Testing (Postman)
REST API Automation
SQL
Azure DevOps
Git / Azure Repos
Agile / Scrum
JMeter (Performance Testing)

Good to Have

Experience in the Banking or Financial Services (BFSI) domain.
Knowledge of Core Banking Systems and Banking Operations.
Familiarity with Payment Systems such as UPI, IMPS, NEFT, RTGS, SWIFT, and ISO 20022.
Understanding of Banking Regulatory Compliance and Financial Transaction Processing.
Experience with CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps Pipelines, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, etc.).
Experience with Performance Testing using JMeter.
Experience in API Automation using Rest Assured or similar frameworks.
Exposure to Security Testing concepts.
Experience working with cloud platforms (Azure preferred).
ISTQB Advanced Level Certification or equivalent QA certifications.

Leadership Competencies

Strong leadership and people management skills.
Experience in mentoring and developing QA engineers.
Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
Strong stakeholder management and client communication skills.
Excellent planning, estimation, and resource management capabilities.
Data-driven decision-making using QA metrics and KPIs.
Strong risk management and problem-solving skills.
Ability to drive continuous improvement and quality transformation initiatives.

Lead Engineer QA-(Automation, API, Performance, Security)