Principal 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. Our technology is a significant step change away from the legacy systems that have historically dominated the market. It is also massively cheaper to adopt the ENSEK solution, with no loss in customer service or standards. 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. Our people are our superpower.

Role Summary

Reporting to the Tribe Engineering Manager, the Principal QA Engineer leads testing efforts, ensuring product quality through collaboration, QA process enhancement and automation. With extensive QA leadership experience, this role involves mentoring QA engineers, managing test environments and releases, supporting incident resolution, and communicating QA results to the stakeholders. This role involves collaborating with cross-functional squads/tribes, defining, and enhancing QA processes, and maintaining robust automation frameworks.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead role & go-to person for approximately 2-3 squads or for a domain impacting many squads.
• Influential leader across multiple squads through formal supervisory responsibility and/or technical authority, as well as by example/influence, challenging mindsets/behaviours if needed.
• Working in collaboration with the 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.
• Define and implement the overall testing strategy, encompassing both manual and automated testing approaches.
• Collaborate with product management, development, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment of testing efforts with business objectives.
• Ensuring the overall quality of the Product through development of test strategies and execution of various test techniques including E2E implementation and production monitoring.
• Contribute to the central view of the status of QA across the product portfolio.
• Drive continuous improvement of all areas affecting the quality of product delivery, including test environment, release strategies, production testing, and monitoring and across engineering.
• Establish and enforce quality standards and best practices throughout the development and testing life cycle.
• Conduct root cause analysis of defects and implement corrective actions to prevent reoccurrence.
• Take a strong lead in internalising and sharing practices within the QA guild.
• Mentor and guide test engineers, providing support to enhance their skills and performance.
• Participate actively in QA recruitment process.
• Conduct and lead QA academy.
• Work closely with the Head of QA Enablement and take ownership within the release process, understanding and making calculated decisions based on risk and impact for production releases, including providing sign-off.
• Present testing results, metrics and insights to senior management and other stakeholders.
• Promote and maintain a positive results-oriented work environment, building partnerships and teamwork across the company.
• Add value to the experience of our clients, colleagues, and other relevant stakeholders through practicing and promoting company values.
• Working with the tribes Lead Engineers to ensure that PR reviews provide the requisite level of quality assurance.

Technical Skills

• A technology leader with prior experience empowering and working within a small team of software engineers.
• Expertise in QA processes and best practices with hands-on experience in a QA leadership role.
• Technical expertise and proficiency in test automation tools and deep understanding of SDLC.
• Experience of working in an agile environment and from within the Energy/Utilities would be advantageous but not essential.

Soft Skills

• Understands the business bigger picture and able to make decisions leading to significant long-term business impact.
• Works effectively to bring a wider range of other people on board with the chosen directions on mindset, behaviours, and ways of working.
• Experience of coaching and mentoring others in their personal and professional development.
• Approachable, strong communicator who can listen, influence and persuade others and with the ability to present to senior stakeholders.
• Values the importance of teamwork and experience of working as part of a remote, multi-disciplined team is advantageous.
• A highly organised, prioritised and structured approach to work.
• Foster a culture of quality within engineering teams.

Seniority level: Mid-Senior level

Employment type: Contract

Job function: Information Technology

Industries: IT System Testing and Evaluation