Head of Quality Assurance

OLI Systems; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading software company located in Cambridge is seeking a QA leader to drive the quality strategy for their cloud-native platform. This role involves designing and executing testing frameworks, collaborating with engineering teams, and ensuring production-ready software. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in software testing, a strong background in automation, and a commitment to quality. This is an opportunity to shape solutions that promote sustainability.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in software testing/QA with at least 2-3 years in a lead role.
• Proven track record of implementing QA strategies in complex software.
• Experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Own the overall QA strategy and frameworks.
• Design, implement, and maintain testing procedures.
• Act as a gatekeeper for releases.

Skills

Leadership in QA

Test automation frameworks

Agile/Scrum experience

Performance testing tools

Analytical skills

Tools

Selenium

Azure DevOps

Jira

Job description

Overview

OLI’s reputation is built on five decades of chemical expertise, transformed into powerful software trusted by the world’s most critical industries. As we expand Galileo, our next-generation cloud-native platform, quality is mission-critical.

We seek a QA leader to drive our quality strategy—establishing frameworks, standards, and processes that keep OLI’s software rock-solid, secure, and scalable. You’ll work closely with engineers, customer facing teams, and DevOps to embed QA early and foster a culture where quality is everyone’s responsibility.

If you thrive in high-stakes environments and want your work to directly shape solutions powering a more sustainable world, OLI needs you.

Mission Statement

You will own the design and execution of OLI’s QA strategy, building the guardrails that let teams move fast without compromising quality. In your first year, you’ll deliver scalable test frameworks, enforce standards, and implement metrics that continually raise the bar for reliability and performance.

As the trusted gatekeeper for Galileo’s releases, you’ll ensure only production-ready software reaches customers. By embedding QA into pipelines, advancing test automation, and leveraging AI, you’ll set the stage for faster breakthroughs and long-term platform resilience.

Responsibilities

• Own the overall QA strategy, frameworks, and processes across the organization.
• Establish and enforce quality standards, ensuring software meets reliability, performance, and usability goals before release.
• Act as a gatekeeper for releases: exercise authority to block shipping until critical issues are resolved.
• Design, implement, and maintain automated and manual testing procedures and pipelines (end-to-end, integration, regression, stress, performance, and user acceptance).
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Product, and DevOps to embed QA early in the development lifecycle.
• Support development teams in building solid and robust software solutions, reinforcing a culture of responsibility and continuous improvement.
• Define and track quality metrics (defect leakage, coverage, test efficiency, regressions etc.).
• Drive adoption of best practices in testing, including test automation, shift-left testing and integration to CI/CD pipelines
• Coordinate and execute test plans for major releases, patches, and hotfixes.
• Stay current with industry trends in QA methodologies, automation frameworks, and tools.
• Identify ways of making use of AI to monitor and improve quality

Experience

• 7+ years in software testing/QA, with at least 2–3 years in a lead or management role.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing QA strategies in complex software environments.
• Hands-on experience with both manual and automated testing.
• Hands-on experience in defining, executing and maintaining test plans throughout software products life cycle
• Demonstrated ability to confidently advocate for quality—even under delivery pressure.
• Prior experience working in Agile/Scrum development environments.

Knowledge & Technical Skills

• Strong background in testing scientific/engineering tools, enterprise software, or similarly complex applications.
• Proficiency with modern test automation frameworks (e.g., Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, PyTest, etc.).
• Strong understanding of CI/CD systems (e.g., Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI,).
• Familiarity with source control (Git).
• Knowledge of software development practices (C++, C#, Python, or similar languages helpful for integration with dev teams).
• Experience with performance/load testing tools (e.g., JMeter, Locust, k6).
• Knowledge of cloud-based testing strategies (Azure, AWS, or similar).
• Understanding of modern web security standards and relevant coding/testing practices.
• Familiarity with issue tracking and test management systems (Jira, TestRail, etc.).
• Strong analytical, debugging, and root cause analysis skills.

Equal Opportunity Employer

OLI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. Applicants will be evaluated through a structured, rubric-based interview process to ensure consistency and fairness. OLI supports equitable career progression. Advancement decisions are guided by consistent evaluation criteria and regular performance conversations."