Job Description: QA Lead

Position: QA Lead
Experience: 8+ years
Location: Office, Mohali.
Employment Type: Full-time
Budget: Upto 18LPA

About the Role:
We are looking for an experienced QA Lead to establish and lead the Quality Assurance (QA) practice within our organization. This role requires a candidate who can not only build the QA strategy from scratch but also enforce and standardize QA processes across all projects. The successful candidate will have a proven track record in Automation Testing, Security Testing, and Performance Testing, along with the ability to lead a team, drive quality initiatives, and collaborate with various project stakeholders to ensure adherence to QA best practices and standards.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Establish and Lead the QA Practice:
o Set up the QA department and define quality goals and objectives.
o Create and implement a comprehensive QA strategy that includes test planning, execution, automation, security, and performance testing.
o Build and lead a high-performing team of QA engineers.

2. Enforce QA Processes Across Projects:
o Develop and enforce a standardized QA process across all projects, ensuring consistency in testing approaches, quality benchmarks, and issue tracking.
o Collaborate closely with project managers, developers, and business analysts to ensure that QA processes are integrated seamlessly into the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
o Conduct regular project audits to ensure that testing standards are maintained and that projects are meeting defined quality criteria.

3. Automation Testing:
o Design, develop, and implement automated test scripts using frameworks such as Selenium, Appium, or similar tools.
o Create and maintain automation scripts for regression, integration, and end-to-end testing.
o Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines to facilitate continuous testing.

4. Security Testing:
o Lead security testing efforts to identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with security standards.
o Use tools like OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite, and others to perform penetration testing and security assessments.

5. Performance Testing:
o Design and execute performance testing strategies using tools like JMeter, LoadRunner, or Gatling.
o Analyze performance test results and provide recommendations for performance optimization.

6. Defect Management & Reporting:
o Establish and maintain a robust defect management process, tracking issues from identification to resolution.
o Prepare and present QA metrics, quality reports, and recommendations to stakeholders and senior management.

7. Team Leadership & Mentoring:
o Lead, coach, and mentor QA team members, ensuring they have the necessary skills and tools to perform their duties effectively.
o Conduct training sessions on QA best practices, automation tools, and new testing methodologies.

8. Continuous Improvement:
o Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the QA practice, evaluating and implementing new tools, technologies, and methodologies.
o Stay up-to-date with industry trends and innovations in software testing and quality assurance.

9. Stakeholder Communication:
o Serve as the primary point of contact for all QA-related matters, working closely with clients and internal teams.
o Participate in project meetings, provide inputs on quality risks, and suggest mitigation strategies.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in software quality assurance, with extensive experience in automation, security, and performance testing.
• Proven experience in leading and establishing QA practices and enforcing them across multiple projects.
• Expertise in Automation Testing tools and frameworks (e.g., Selenium, Appium, Cucumber).
• Strong experience in Security Testing tools (e.g., OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite) and methodologies.
• Proven track record in Performance Testing using tools like JMeter or LoadRunner.
• Knowledge of programming/scripting languages such as Java, Python, or JavaScript.
• Experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.
• Certifications like ISTQB, CSTE, or CEH are a plus.

Preferred:

• Experience with cloud-based testing environments (AWS, Azure).
• Familiarity with DevOps and CI/CD practices.