Lead QA Engineer Hands-on Automation

Position: Lead QA Engineer (Hands-on Automation)Location: Irvine, CA (Hybrid - 3 days onsite: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)Experience8+ 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 Skills8+ 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.Key Job Functions / RequirementsLead the design, development, and implementation of enterprise-level test automation architecture and frameworksSupervise, mentor, and manage a team of QA engineers, ensuring high performance, skill growth, and accountabilityOwn and drive end-to-end quality strategy, including functional, integration, E2E, performance, and automation testingLead technical discussions and decision-making with Development teams to ensure testability, quality standards, and defect preventionAct as the primary QA point of contact for Production/Operations teams, driving: Production defect analysis and root cause identification, Feedback loop into QA and Development, Continuous improvement in production stabilityDevelop test tools, test beds, data mock-ups, and other test infrastructure to enable continuous testing and integrationDrive implementation of advanced automation practices in an Agile/Scrum environment (BDD/TDD, shift-left testing)Research tool capabilities and integrate with other technologies by coding interfaces, custom functions, and reusable componentsWork with multiple teams to drive continuous improvement initiatives and ensure successful adoptionConduct automation code reviews to ensure quality, scalability, and adherence to best practicesCollaborate with Product and Development teams for requirement clarification, estimation, and test strategy designEstablish and maintain a Behavior/Test-Driven Development cultureSupport refactoring of legacy code to improve testability and automation coverageProvide oversight on test infrastructure, environments, and test data managementOwn Release Automation & Deployment Automation across multiple environmentsLead release readiness discussions and ensure quality gates are met before production deploymentsCollect and analyze test metrics, provide insights, and make recommendations to stakeholdersDrive usage of monitoring tools, log aggregation, dashboards, and analytics to ensure operational excellenceProvide technical guidance on automation, performance, scalability, security, and testing designLead stakeholder communications, providing clear updates on quality status, risks, and mitigation plansEnsure strong collaboration across QA, Development, Product, and Production teams for seamless deliveryEducationBachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or equivalent experience.