Lead QA Engineer

We are a technology business operating in the global energy sector.

ENSEK have become the go-to option for top energy suppliers across the globe. Why? Because our technology is a significant step change away from the legacy systems that have historically dominated the market. It’s also massively cheaper to adopt the ENSEK solution, with no loss in customer service or standards.

But by far the biggest reason why ENSEK is the best choice in energy supplier software, is because of the people who work here and their endless enthusiasm, energy, and the way they support their colleagues. All our clients comment on what great people we have. Our people are our superpower.

That is where you come in.

Overview

ROLE SUMMARY: Reporting to the Engineering Manager, the Lead QA Engineers are responsible for influencing the test strategy for Engineering and Product Lines within their designated squad. Working with the engineering squad to improve the quality of ENSEK’s software, improving the test frameworks and tools we use and be adept at making risk assessments when it comes to software releases. You will coach and mentor other members of test team in the squad (change to department).

You will be responsible for leading and driving continuous improvement of testing best practices within the product line/squad remaining current on new technologies, making recommendations, and sharing knowledge within areas of domain expertise with peers.

Key Responsibilities

1. Reporting to Engineering Manager, the Lead QA Engineer is responsible for:
2. Lead role & go-to person for one squad or alternatively for one product/technical domain impacting multiple squads
3. Working in close collaboration with the Principal QA Engineer, Architects, Lead Engineers and Engineering Management on the implementation of testing best practices, testing tools and test strategy to ensure Product solutions, capabilities and outcomes are delivered.
4. Formally lead other squad members, setting a direction (in alignment with Test Strategy and Roadmap), driving continuous improvement across people, processes, quality, etc.
5. Building and maintaining core automation test frameworks to support the wider Product Engineering department.
6. Own and maintain QA environments and the associated data to ensure that testing is carried out in a clean, stable environment reflecting UAT and Production as closely as possible.
7. Responsible for the accurate test coverage within your permitter. This should be measured and focussed on automated test coverage.
8. Manage and review ENSEK testing tool set, staying up to speed with technology developments and best practice.
9. Contributing to the central view of the status of QA across the ENSEK Product Portfolio.
10. Drive continuous improvement of all areas which affect the quality of Product delivery including test environments, release strategies, production testing and monitoring within and across Tribes.
11. Maintaining and further developing the QA skill set through attendance at external training and exposure to forums internalising and sharing practices within the QA guild, which you take a strong lead in.
12. Be the focal point for all testing related queries and escalations related to Product line, drawing on subject expertise to ensure swift resolution.
13. Ownership within the release process, understanding and making calculated decisions based on risk and impact for production releases, including providing QA sign off.
14. Active involvement in the QA in recruitment process.
15. Ability to clearly communicate with senior stakeholders and clients on QA related topics.
16. Significantly contributes to an area of expertise as a member of an agile team; attending team meetings, working closely with the squad sharing skills and knowledge, which includes mentoring Test Engineers and participating in refinement sessions reviews.
17. Adding value to the experience of our clients, colleagues and other relevant stakeholders through practicing and promoting the ENSEK values.
18. Promoting and maintaining a positive, results orientated work environment, building partnerships and teamwork across ENSEK.

Technical Skills

1. Understands product/QA architecture beyond squad scope.
2. Extensive hands-on test experience within Agile projects, with a strong understanding of CI/CD or DevOps practices.
3. Experience of advising on test scope, approach, risks and assumptions, ideally within a microservice architecture.
4. Experienced Test Engineer in a delivery-focused environment, API and/or UI level test automation expertise including designing, building and maintaining automation frameworks.
5. Knowledge and experience of working with Open-Source tools and Cloud based services. Strong background with programming concepts and experience in programming languages like .NET, C#, JavaScript.
6. Experience in the non-functional aspects of testing covering security and performance as an example.
7. Ability to coach others with diplomacy and tact.
8. Experience of working as the testing lead within an agile testing environment is essential, from within the Energy/Utilities would also be advantageous.
9. Agile and Software Testing Certifications are preferred.

Soft Skills

1. Identifies/tackles challenges within the squad, resolving issues early, and inspiring members to be resilient and think positively.
2. Approachable, strong communicator who can listen, influence and persuade others and with the ability to present to senior stakeholders and external clients.
3. Strong analytical, and problem-solving skills.
4. Proven ability in managing dependencies, coordinating activities and prioritizing effort.