QA & Release Lead | Quality Engineering & Automation

Extend Recruitment; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Extend Recruitment is engaged with a long-standing, multi-award-winning trading and risk management software provider serving energy and commodities markets. The role sits in Sydney CBD with a hybrid working arrangement and leads a small QA team while staying technically hands-on in testing, automation and investigation.

You will drive quality engineering practices, own release readiness, write SQL for validation and improve the existing Python automation framework, across APIs and enterprise

Qualifications

• Strong experience leading a QA team or QA function.
• Hands-on experience with test automation, Python and SQL.
• Experience with release management and coordinating software delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and develop a small QA team while remaining technically involved.
• Improve the Python-based test automation framework (integration, regression, end-to-end).
• Design and execute functional, integration, API and end-to-end tests.
• Write SQL queries for test validation and investigate DB behavior.
• Work across APIs and enterprise software to identify quality issues.
• Own release readiness, regression testing and production verification.
• Establish quality metrics and promote quality engineering practices across the org.
• Manage application licensing and coordinate renewals with stakeholders.

Skills

Test automation

Python

SQL

QA leadership

Release management

API testing

End-to-end testing

SQL Server

Source control

Defect tracking

Quality metrics

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering or Mathematics

Tools

Git

Jira

SQL Server

Job description

QA & Release Lead | Quality Engineering & Automation

I am recruiting on behalf of a long-term client, a multi-award-winning trading and risk management software provider serving the energy and commodities markets.

With an international presence across Australia, the UK and the USA, and clients in more than twenty countries, the business develops technically sophisticated software used in pricing, analytics and risk management.

The opportunity

This is a senior technical leadership role for someone who enjoys both improving the way QA is done and getting into the work themselves.

You will lead a small QA team, drive quality engineering practices, own release management and contribute directly to testing, automation and technical investigation.

The role is suited to an experienced QA manager or technical QA lead who has retained strong practical skills and does not want to move into a position that is exclusively about managing people and distributing tasks.

The role reports to the Head of Engineering and is based in Sydney CBD, with a hybrid working arrangement.

What you will be doing

• Lead, mentor and develop a small QA team while remaining technically involved in the work.
• Improve and evolve the existing Python-based test automation framework, including integration, regression and end-to-end testing.
• Design and execute test scenarios, including functional, integration and regression testing.
• Write SQL queries for test validation and investigate application and database behaviour.
• Work across APIs, integrations and enterprise software to identify and troubleshoot quality issues.
• Own release readiness, regression testing, production verification and continuous improvement of the release process.
• Establish quality metrics, improve testing effectiveness and promote quality engineering practices across the engineering organisation.
• Manage application licensing, ensuring provisioning aligns with client contracts and coordinating renewals with relevant stakeholders.

What we are looking for

You will bring robust experience in software QA, including experience leading a QA team or QA function. Just as importantly, you will be comfortable remaining close to the technical detail.

You should be able to demonstrate:

• Strong experience with test automation, including improving existing automation suites rather than simply managing their execution.
• Practical experience designing and executing functional, integration, API and end-to-end testing.
• The ability to write SQL queries for test validation, ideally in a SQL Server environment.
• The ability to read and understand Python code used in test automation. Experience modifying or writing Python automation is highly desirable.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to work through calculations and technical testing scenarios.
• Experience with source control, defect-tracking tools and quality metrics.
• Experience with release management and coordinating software delivery across engineering and other stakeholders.
• Experience leading, mentoring or developing QA professionals.
• A quantitative degree in computer science, engineering, mathematics or a related discipline.

Experience with quantitative or financial software, C#/.NET, enterprise applications or distributed systems would be advantageous.

A note about the selection process

This is a technically involved role. The selection process includes a practical assessment designed to explore your hands‑on capability.

This will likely include quantitative reasoning, writing SQL statements and reading Python code, alongside technical testing scenarios.

The assessment is intended to understand how you approach practical QA and engineering problems, not simply your experience managing a team.

Is this you?

You may be a QA Manager, QA Lead, Senior QA Engineer or Quality Engineering Lead. The title matters less than your ability to combine technical depth, leadership and practical contribution.

If you enjoy leading people but also want to remain close to the technology, testing and engineering problems, this could be a strong opportunity.

You must have unrestricted rights to work in Australia and be able to access the Sydney CBD office.