Head of QA

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership:
  • Develop and implement a comprehensive QA strategy across the organization, encompassing manual, automated, and AI-driven testing approaches.
  • Set and manage QA goals aligned with business objectives and technology strategy.
  • Champion a culture of continuous improvement in QA processes and frameworks to enhance quality, speed, and efficiency.
• Team Leadership and Development:
  • Lead, mentor, and develop the QA team, fostering a collaborative, high-performance environment.
  • Build and manage a global QA organization that balances centralized governance with local execution.
  • Define career development paths and training plans for QA staff to keep skills sharp and aligned with industry trends.
• Automation & AI-Driven Testing:
  • Drive the adoption of automated testing frameworks, tools, and AI technologies to improve test coverage, speed, and accuracy.
  • Lead initiatives to automate the testing lifecycle, from unit tests to performance testing and deployment validation.
  • Leverage AI and machine learning technologies to enhance predictive testing and defect detection.
• Cloud & DevOps Integration:
  • Oversee the integration of QA processes into cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and DevOps pipelines.
  • Ensure seamless integration of testing into CI/CD workflows, working closely with DevOps engineers to enable automated quality gates.
  • Champion shift-left testing strategies, embedding QA early in the development lifecycle to drive quality upstream.
• Quality Governance & Compliance:
  • Establish quality metrics, reporting, and governance models to ensure that QA activities are measurable and aligned with regulatory requirements.
  • Ensure adherence to best practices and compliance standards (e.g., ISO, GDPR) relevant to quality and data privacy.
  • Implement policies and procedures for continuous monitoring of production quality and performance.

• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management:
  • Collaborate with engineering, product management, and operations teams to ensure QA objectives align with project timelines and business goals.
  • Act as the key point of contact for QA with internal stakeholders, providing regular updates on progress, risks, and areas for improvement.
  • Interface with external vendors and partners to manage third-party QA resources and tools.
• Performance, Security, and Scalability Testing:
  • Develop strategies to ensure products meet performance, security, scalability, and usability standards.
  • Oversee testing of complex enterprise systems with large-scale data and traffic, including stress and load testing in cloud environments.
• Test Management and Reporting:
  • Drive the selection and use of test management tools, ensuring efficient tracking, reporting, and resolution of bugs.
  • Implement dashboards and reporting systems to provide actionable insights on product quality, test coverage, and release readiness.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Experience:
  Minimum 10 years of experience in quality assurance with a focus on automation, cloud, and DevOps environments, including 5+ years in a leadership role.
• Automation Expertise:
  Strong experience in building and managing automation frameworks and test infrastructure. Hands-on expertise with tools such as Selenium, Appium, and CI/CD tools like Jenkins.
• Cloud and DevOps:
  Solid understanding of cloud architectures (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Alibaba Cloud) and experience integrating QA processes into DevOps practices, including continuous testing in CI/CD pipelines.
• AI Testing & Machine Learning Knowledge:
  Experience in AI/ML-driven testing strategies, including testing AI-based systems and using AI for enhanced defect prediction and analysis.
• Leadership & Communication:
  Strong leadership skills with proven experience in managing and scaling distributed QA teams. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to engage effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
• Strategic Thinker:
  Ability to think strategically about QA in the context of business objectives, ensuring QA practices contribute to broader product and technology goals.
• Certifications:
  ISTQB Advanced Level certification or equivalent; experience with compliance standards like ISO, GDPR, or other industry-specific regulations is a plus.

Preferred Skills:

• Strong understanding and hands-on experience on common Quality Assurance/ Testing tools and platforms including Test Automation Tools, Performance Testing Tools, (CI/CD) Tools, Bug Tracking and Project Management Tools, Test Management Tools, Security Testing Tools, Collaboration and Documentation Tools, AI and Machine Learning Tools.
• Familiarity with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Experience working in regulated industries (finance, healthcare, etc.) and managing compliance-driven testing.