QA Manager (C2) - QA

Description We are seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Manager – Quality Engineering & Test Automation to lead enterprise-wide quality assurance initiatives across multiple programs, products, and client engagements. The role demands strong expertise in QA governance, test automation, quality engineering, UAT management, performance testing, and AI-driven testing practices. The ideal candidate will be responsible for defining quality strategy, managing high-performing QA teams, driving automation transformation, ensuring delivery excellence, and serving as a trusted advisor to clients and senior leadership. This individual will play a key role in establishing modern quality engineering practices leveraging Automation, CI/CD, Performance Engineering, GenAI, and Shift-Left Testing approaches. Responsibilities Key Responsibilities Quality Strategy & Governance - Define and implement enterprise-level QA strategies, standards, frameworks, and best practices. - Establish quality governance models, KPIs, metrics, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms. - Drive adoption of Quality Engineering and Shift-Left testing practices across programs. - Review and approve test strategies, test plans, estimation models, and release quality assessments. - Monitor defect leakage trends and lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA) initiatives. - Ensure compliance with organizational quality policies and audit requirements. Test Management & Delivery Leadership - Lead end-to-end testing activities across multiple projects and programs. - Manage SIT, UAT, Regression, Performance, and Production Validation testing. - Drive test planning, execution, risk management, and defect governance. - Monitor project health, quality risks, schedules, and mitigation plans. - Support release planning, go-live readiness reviews, and production deployments. - Ensure adherence to entry and exit criteria across testing phases. - Manage project quality, schedule, budget, and resource utilization. Test Automation & Engineering Excellence - Define automation roadmap and enterprise automation strategy. - Architect and implement scalable automation frameworks from scratch. - Lead automation initiatives using: - Playwright - Selenium - Cypress - ReadyAPI - TestComplete - Robotic Process Automation tools - Establish automation standards, reusable frameworks, and coding best practices. - Integrate automated test suites into CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or equivalent platforms. - Drive automated API, UI, integration, regression, and end-to-end testing. - Implement scheduling, parallel execution, and execution optimization strategies. Performance Engineering - Lead performance engineering initiatives across applications and platforms. - Define performance testing strategies and success criteria. - Drive performance testing execution using: - LoadRunner - JMeter - BlazeMeter or equivalent tools - Analyze bottlenecks and recommend performance optimization solutions. - Perform capacity planning and scalability assessments. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Governance - Define UAT strategy, timelines, governance model, and success criteria. - Manage UAT planning, environment readiness, and test data preparation. - Coordinate business users and stakeholders during UAT execution. - Facilitate defect triage and escalation management. - Track UAT progress, risks, defect trends, and quality metrics. - Drive continuous improvement of UAT processes and stakeholder engagement models. Stakeholder & Client Management - Serve as the primary quality leader for clients, business stakeholders, and leadership teams. - Present executive-level quality dashboards, risk assessments, and delivery updates. - Partner with Product Owners, Business Teams, Architects, and Engineering Leaders. - Drive customer satisfaction through proactive quality management. - Provide strategic recommendations for quality improvement and operational efficiencies. Team Leadership & Capability Development - Lead and mentor QA Leads, Automation Architects, Test Engineers, and Performance Engineers. - Drive workforce planning, capacity forecasting, and resource allocation. - Conduct performance reviews, coaching, and career development discussions. - Build competency development plans and technical learning pathways. - Conduct internal training and enablement programs for automation, performance testing, and AI-led testing practices. - Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement. Quality Engineering & Test Data Management - Ensure complete requirement traceability and test coverage. - Drive defect prevention and continuous quality improvement initiatives. - Define test data management strategies using synthetic data generation and automation tools. - Support database, ETL, migration, and data validation testing initiatives. - Establish quality gates throughout the SDLC and DevOps lifecycle. Mandatory Skills Test Automation - Selenium (Java/Python) - Playwright - Cypress - API Automation Testing - Framework Development from Scratch - Test Automation Architecture CI/CD & DevOps - Jenkins - Azure DevOps - Git - CI/CD Pipeline Integration - Automated Quality Gates Quality Engineering - Agile Testing - Quality Governance - Test Strategy Development - Risk-Based Testing - Defect Management & RCA - Test Metrics & Reporting Tools - JIRA - Azure DevOps - Postman - ReadyAPI - Test Management Platforms Leadership & Consulting Skills - Stakeholder Management - Client Engagement - Team Leadership - Delivery Governance - Executive Communication - Resource & Capacity Planning Nice to Have - AI & GenAI Testing and AI-Assisted Automation - Knowledge of ETL, Data Migration, and Database Testing. - Exposure to Synthetic Test Data generation tools. - Knowledge of Cloud Testing and Observability platforms. - Experience establishing Testing COEs or Quality Transformation programs. - Hands-on experience with Agentic AI testing tools. - ISTQB Advanced, CTAL, Performance Testing, Automation Testing, or equivalent certifications. Qualifications Preferred Qualifications - Bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, Computer Science, or related field. - ISTQB Advanced/Test Manager Certification preferred. - Agentic AI/GenAI Certifications. - Hands-on experience with Azure DevOps, Jira, and Quality Management tools. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) - Test Automation Coverage % - On-Time Test Delivery - Release Quality Metrics - Team Utilization & Productivity - Audit and Compliance Adherence