Lead QA Engineer (Hands-on Automation)

Experience
8+ years of experience in Software Quality Assurance and Test Automation.
2+ years of experience leading QA teams or driving QA initiatives.
Proven experience working as a hands-on automation engineer while leading technical efforts.
Required Skills
8+ years of experience in Software Quality Assurance, Test Automation, and Quality Engineering.
2+ years of experience leading QA teams while remaining actively involved in automation development.
Strong hands-on experience with automation testing using Java and/or Python.
Expertise in Selenium, Playwright, REST Assured, Postman, and API automation testing.
Proven experience designing, developing, and maintaining scalable test automation frameworks.
Strong understanding of UI, API, Integration, End-to-End, and Backend testing.
Experience with BDD/TDD frameworks, Agile/Scrum methodologies, and shift-left testing practices.
Hands-on experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, Git, Maven, Gradle, or similar tools.
Experience working with cloud platforms such as AWS or Azure and container technologies including Docker and Kubernetes.
Proficiency with QA and defect management tools such as Jira, TestNG, Cucumber, Appium, and HP ALM.
Strong debugging, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis skills.
Ability to perform automation code reviews and drive quality engineering best practices.
Experience collaborating with Development, Product, and Operations teams to ensure high-quality software delivery.
Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and mentoring skills.
Demonstrated ability to balance technical leadership and hands-on contribution, with active involvement in automation design, development, and execution.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or equivalent experience.