Lead Automation SME

JR United Kingdom; Southampton; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the UK is looking for a Lead Test Automation Subject Matter Expert to oversee the design and implementation of advanced test automation frameworks. This role emphasizes leadership and deep technical expertise in various automation tools to enhance quality and efficiency in automated testing processes. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in software testing, especially in automation, and will lead QA teams in ensuring best practices and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of software testing experience, 4+ years in test automation.
• Proven leadership in test automation initiatives.
• Strong understanding of CI/CD tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead automation framework design and implementation.
• Collaborate with teams for CI/CD automated testing.
• Mentor QA engineers and automation testers.

Skills

Test Automation

Leadership

Problem-solving

Communication

Critical Thinking

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field

Tools

Selenium

Cypress

Postman

Jenkins

Job description

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We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Lead Test Automation Subject Matter Expert (SME) to drive the design, development, and implementation of robust test automation frameworks and strategies. This role requires deep technical expertise in test automation tools and practices, leadership in guiding QA teams, and a strong focus on quality and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and implementation of scalable and maintainable test automation frameworks.
• Define and enforce best practices for test automation across teams and projects.
• Collaborate with development, DevOps, and QA teams to integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines.
• Mentor and guide QA engineers and automation testers, providing technical leadership and training.
• Evaluate and recommend new tools, technologies, and processes to improve test automation efficiency.
• Develop and maintain automated test scripts for functional, regression, performance, and integration testing.
• Analyse test results, identify root causes of failures, and work with teams to resolve issues.
• Ensure test coverage and traceability for all automated test cases.
• Participate in code reviews and contribute to test strategy and planning sessions.
• Report on automation progress, quality metrics, and risks to stakeholders.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in software testing, with at least 4 years in test automation.
• Proven experience leading test automation initiatives and teams.
• Expertise in automation tools such as Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, Appium, TestNG, JUnit, etc.
• Strong understanding of CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps).
• Experience with API testing tools (e.g., Postman, RestAssured).
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• ISTQB or equivalent certification.
• Experience with performance testing tools (e.g., JMeter, Gatling).
• Knowledge of BDD frameworks (e.g., Cucumber, SpecFlow).
• Exposure to security and accessibility testing practices.

Soft Skills:

• Strong analytical and critical thinking.
• Ability to work independently and in a team.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Passion for quality and continuous improvement.