Job Description
##Job Summary
The QA & Automation Manager will lead a team of QA and test automation engineers responsible for validating service orchestration and automation workflows, ensuring high reliability in service activation, provisioning, and orchestration logic. This role combines hands-on technical leadership with people management, process maturity, and strategic QA planning. The manager will drive test automation initiatives, enforce quality standards, and collaborate closely with development, architecture, and operations teams to ensure seamless rollout of network automation capabilities.
##Key Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and manage a team of QA and Automation Engineers.
- Drive team performance through goal-setting, regular check-ins, and continuous development.
- Foster a high-quality engineering culture focused on automation, accuracy, and continuous improvement.
- Manage workload distribution, prioritization, and execution across multiple parallel projects.
- Define the QA strategy for ONAP-based orchestration workflows, provisioning, rollback logic, and service activation.
- Establish and enforce QA processes, documentation standards, and best practices.
- Oversee the development and maintenance of automated test suites (Robot Framework, Python, etc.).
- Proficient in software testing methodologies with knowledge of CI/CD integration
- Expertise in QA Automation with hands-on experience in tools and frameworks like Robot Framework.
- Scrum master and Experience with Agile development (Scrum), JIRA, and test case management tools.
- Own the overall quality metrics, reporting dashboards, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Review and guide the execution of functional, regression, integration, and performance tests.
- Provide technical guidance in debugging provisioning failures using API logs, Cramer inventory data, and OSS workflows.
- Collaborate with architects, developers, and network SMEs to validate end-to-end orchestration logic.
- Ensure all automation workflows comply with established provisioning rules and operational policies.
- Work closely with DevOps, SRE, and development teams to integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines.
- Coordinate with stakeholders during UAT, production validation, and rollout phases.
- Partner with product owners and delivery leads to clarify requirements and define acceptance criteria.
- Drive supplier engagement for issue resolution, test feedback, and quality alignment.
- Maintain comprehensive test documentation, including test plans, traceability matrices, test cases, and defect logs.
- Implement quality gates and release readiness criteria for major deliverables.
- Ensure timely communication of risks, dependencies, and quality outcomes to leadership.
- Champion root-cause analysis and preventive action planning.
##Qualifications & Skills
- 15+ years of experience in software QA, automation testing, or network service provisioning.
- At least 5 years in a team lead or managerial role within QA/Automation.
- Experience working with ONAP, network orchestration, OSS/BSS systems, NetP provisioning, and Cramer inventory.
- Strong hands-on experience with automation frameworks (Robot Framework required PyTest optional).
- Proficient in scripting using Python, Shell, or Java.
- Expertise in API testing (Postman, SoapUI, Swagger-based validation).
- Familiarity with Kubernetes, microservices, and cloud-native architectures.
- Understanding of monitoring/observability tools (Grafana, Prometheus, Zabbix).
- Familiar with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, GitLab CI, or Azure DevOps.
- Strong people leadership, coaching, and performance management capabilities.
- Exceptional analytical reasoning and troubleshooting abilities.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, multi-project environment.
- High attention to detail, ownership mindset, and commitment to quality.
##Preferred Qualifications
- Exposure to network provisioning, orchestration platforms, or telecom automation.
- Certifications in ISTQB, Agile QA, or automation frameworks.
- Experience collaborating with globally distributed teams.
