QA Lead 100% remote in London

The goal of a QA Lead is to drive the overall quality strategy and ensure that products meet the highest standards of reliability, performance, and user satisfaction. This role combines technical expertise with leadership, guiding QA Engineers in both manual and automated testing practices while fostering a culture of quality across the organization.

A QA Lead defines test strategies, plans, and processes; ensures alignment with development and product goals; and oversees the execution of testing activities throughout the release cycle. They establish and maintain automation frameworks, metrics, and reporting systems to provide visibility into quality trends and release readiness.

Focused on prevention rather than detection, the QA Lead collaborates closely with cross‑functional teams to integrate quality early in the development lifecycle, optimize testing efficiency, and continuously improve QA processes, tooling, and standards. Ultimately, the QA Lead ensures that every release is predictable, traceable, and confidently delivered to users.

• Define and Drive QA Strategy: Establish and continuously refine the overall QA vision, goals, and strategy to align with product and engineering objectives, balancing manual and automated testing approaches.
• Plan and Manage Testing Activities: Oversee test planning, prioritization, and execution across projects. Ensure test coverage aligns with business impact, release timelines, and risk assessment.
• Mentor and Guide QA Engineers: Provide technical and procedural guidance to QA Engineers, fostering skill development in both manual and automation testing. Conduct regular reviews and coaching sessions.
• Ensure Quality Governance and Standards: Define QA processes, templates, and best practices to standardize testing across teams. Maintain consistency in documentation, defect management, and reporting.
• Collaborate with Cross‑Functional Teams: Work closely with product managers, developers, and DevOps to ensure quality is embedded throughout the SDLC. Participate in planning and other ceremonies where applicable to provide support and guidance.
• Oversee Test Automation Strategy: Guide the design, maintenance, and optimization of automation frameworks. Ensure automation coverage is effective, scalable, and well‑integrated into CI/CD pipelines.
• Manage Test Environments and Data: Coordinate environment setup, data preparation, and version control to ensure test consistency and reliability across manual and automated executions.
• Monitor and Report on Quality Metrics: Define and track key QA KPIs (e.g., defect density, test coverage, pass rate, release readiness). Use insights to drive continuous improvement.
• Facilitate Release Readiness and Risk Assessment: Lead go/no‑go decisions based on test outcomes, quality metrics, and known issues. Communicate quality status and risks clearly to stakeholders.
• Drive Continuous Improvement: Evaluate tools, processes, and team performance to identify opportunities for efficiency and quality enhancement. Champion a culture of learning and proactive defect prevention.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• Experience: 5+ years of experience in Quality Assurance, including both manual and automation testing. 3+ years of proven experience leading QA teams or managing QA processes across multiple projects. Demonstrated experience defining and executing QA strategies for complex software systems. 3+ years of experience in JavaScript, Typescript & NodeJS. 3+ years of experience in test automation design and implementation (e.g., Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, or equivalent). 3+ years of experience in native mobile test automation design and implementation (e.g., Appium, Espresso, XCUITest, Detox, AWS Device Farm, BrowserStack App Automate, Firebase Test Lab, Sauce Labs, Kobiton, Robot Framework, BitBar, LambdaTest Mobile, HeadSpin, Fastlane, Tricentis Testim or equivalent).
• Technical Knowledge: Strong understanding of QA methodologies, test design techniques, and SDLC/Agile/Scrum practices. Proficiency in one or more programming/scripting languages (e.g., JavaScript, Python, Java, C#). Hands‑on experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices (e.g., GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI). Proven experience integrating automated tests into build and deployment workflows. Knowledge of performance, load, and security testing principles. Proficiency in QA and defect tracking tools (e.g., Qase, TestRail, Jira, Asana, Confluence).
• Leadership & Strategy: Proven experience in leading the design and execution of QA strategies across multiple projects. Expertise in defining and implementing test plans, automation frameworks, and quality metrics. Strong collaborative skills to align testing efforts with development, DevOps, and product management. Ability to critically evaluate requirements and proposals for quality, ensuring clarity, testability, and completeness. Proficiency in monitoring and reporting on quality KPIs, defect trends, and test coverage metrics. Experience driving automation adoption and optimizing CI/CD pipelines for quality integration. Demonstrated ability to act as a “red team” for quality—identifying risks and raising no‑go flags when release criteria are not met.
• Project Management Skills: Strong proficiency in planning, scheduling, prioritizing, and coordinating testing activities across teams. Experience managing distributed QA teams and collaborating across global time zones. Ability to balance speed, quality, and scope in fast‑paced product development environments.
• Soft Skills: Good leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills. Strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities. Proven mentorship experience—guiding QA Engineers in both manual and automation domains. Ability to influence and advocate for quality‑first principles across all stages of software delivery.
• Language: Proficiency in English (spoken and written).

• Certifications: ISTQB Advanced Level, Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), or equivalent QA leadership certification.
• Technical Knowledge: Experience with cloud environments and containerization (e.g., AWS, Docker, Kubernetes). Knowledge of database systems (SQL, NoSQL) and API testing tools (Postman, Newman, REST Assured). Understanding of system architecture and software integration testing. Familiarity with performance testing tools (JMeter, k6, Gatling). Understanding of cybersecurity principles and secure software testing practices. Experience with test data management and environment configuration.
• Project Management Skills: Ability to lead multiple QA projects concurrently with clear ownership and accountability. Proven ability to establish QA roadmaps and continuous improvement initiatives.