Head of Quality Engineering

Premium Credit Ltd; Leatherhead; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

25 days annual leave

Private health and dental cover

EAP and Mental Health First Aiders

Job summary

Premium Credit Ltd is seeking a Head of Quality Engineering to lead the enterprise QA strategy across Product and Technology. You will define testing, automation, performance, security and AI-driven quality engineering to deliver faster, safer and more reliable technology for customers and colleagues.

You will lead a multi-disciplinary QA function, partner with Engineering, Product, Information Security and senior leaders to reduce incidents, strengthen security and accelerate release cadence,

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in complex technology environments.
• Proven track record in defining and executing quality engineering strategy.
• Hands-on understanding of test automation, performance engineering and DevOps.
• Experience embedding security testing into software delivery.
• Practical use of AI/ML tooling in testing or engineering.

Responsibilities

• Define and deliver the enterprise quality strategy across functional areas.
• Set the roadmap for testing capability, tooling and governance.
• Embed quality gates into CI/CD pipelines and promote shift-left practices.
• Drive AI and automation across the testing lifecycle to improve speed and confidence.
• Collaborate with InfoSec to integrate security testing into the SDLC.
• Own performance, load testing, observability and resilience strategies.

Skills

Senior leadership

Quality engineering strategy

Test automation

CI/CD & DevOps

Security testing

Tools

Selenium

Playwright

CI/CD tooling

Observability tooling

Job description

At Premium Credit, we are proud to be one of the UK and Ireland's leading providers of premium finance, supporting millions of customers and partners through simple, convenient payment solutions. We lend more than £6bn to more than 3 million customers and we are continuing to grow, powered by a purpose-led culture, strong values and a focus on creating opportunities for our colleagues, customers and partners.

We are now looking for an experienced and forward-thinking Head of Quality Engineering to lead our enterprise quality strategy across Product and Technology. This is a high-impact leadership role where you will set the direction for testing, automation, performance, security and AI-driven quality engineering, helping us deliver faster, safer and more reliable technology for our customers and colleagues.

Why join Premium Credit?

We are certified as a Great Place to Work and have been named in the UK’s Best Workplaces 2026 Top 100. We are also recognised as one of the Best Workplaces for Development, ranking 72nd in the top 100 large companies in the UK.

Our employee experience is reflected in our strong external ratings, including a Glassdoor rating of 4.4, a Trustpilot rating of 4.5, a Net Promoter Score of +78 and a Silver Sustainability medal.

You’ll also benefit from:

• Hybrid working that supports flexibility and collaboration
• A purpose-led, people-first culture where inclusion, learning and development are genuinely prioritised
• Opportunities to shape modern engineering practices across automation, AI, security and performance testing
• Career and skills development in a business recognised for colleague growth and workplace culture
• Employee resource groups and colleague-led initiatives that help create an inclusive environment
• A chance to make a visible impact in a regulated financial services business with strong customer, partner and colleague focus

We offer

• Hybrid working, with collaborative days in our Leatherhead office
• 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), with options to purchase and sell up to 5 days holiday per year (pro rata)
• Private health and dental cover
• 24/7 access to Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aiders

The role

As Head of Quality Engineering, you will be accountable for the quality, reliability and security of the software we deliver across the organisation. You will define and own our enterprise quality strategy, embedding quality as a shared responsibility across engineering and making it a competitive advantage for Premium Credit.

You will lead a multi-disciplinary QA function, working closely with Engineering, Product, Information Security, senior leaders and third-party suppliers to reduce production incidents, strengthen security, improve delivery confidence and accelerate release cadence.

You will also play a key role in embedding AI and automation across the testing lifecycle, from intelligent test selection and self-healing automation through to anomaly detection and governance for AI-powered features.

What you'll be doing

• Defining and delivering the enterprise quality strategy across functional, automation, performance, security and integration testing
• Setting the roadmap for testing capability, tooling, governance and team structure
• Embedding quality gates into CI/CD pipelines and championing shift-left engineering practices
• Driving the use of AI and automation across the testing lifecycle to improve speed, confidence and productivity
• Partnering with InfoSec to embed security testing, threat modelling and vulnerability management into the SDLC
• Owning performance, load testing, observability and resilience strategies across critical systems
• Translating technical risk into clear, business-focused insight for senior and executive audiences
• Leading, developing and inspiring a QA team, creating clear objectives, development pathways and a culture of ownership, curiosity and continuous improvement

What we're looking for

• Significant QA experience, including senior leadership responsibility within complex, multi-system technology environments
• A proven track record of defining and executing quality engineering strategy
• Strong hands‑on understanding of test automation, performance engineering, CI/CD and DevOps practices
• Experience embedding security testing into software delivery, ideally working closely with Information Security teams
• Practical experience applying AI, ML or AI-augmented tooling within a testing or engineering environment
• Knowledge of automation frameworks such as Selenium, Playwright or equivalent, plus performance and security testing tooling
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to influence senior and executive audiences
• A pragmatic, commercial approach to balancing risk, cost, speed and customer outcomes

Ready to make quality a competitive advantage?

We're committed to providing reasonable adjustments or accommodations for applicants, so if you need support during the recruitment process, please let us know on the application form or send an email to [e-mail]

If you're made an offer of employment you'll be required to prove your eligibility to work in the UK before you start work. You must reside in the UK from the start date of this role; unfortunately we are unable to provide visa sponsorship at this time.

To ensure you can work from home efficiently you'll be asked to provide your internet speed at the application stage.

Premium Credit are an equal opportunities employer with a strong and passionate commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in the workplace. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.

By submitting your application, you agree that Premium Credit may collect your personal data for recruiting and related purposes. PCL uses AI tools to assist with our review of applications, including to summarise CVs against relevant job criteria and transcribe interviews. However, our team always makes the final decision on any application. Please see our privacy notice (https://www.premiumcredit.com/Recruitment-privacy-notice) for further information how we process your personal data during the application process.

All postholders will be subject to appropriate pre-employment vetting procedures and a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check prior to appointment.

Please note, we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we identify a number of suitable candidates. All applicants will be advised if the vacancy closes early.

We are not engaging agency support for this role and respectfully ask that agencies do not submit unsolicited candidate details to Premium Credit Limited in relation to this role.