Lead QA Engineer — Automation & AI Transformation

Hastings Direct; Bexhill-on-Sea; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working

Private medical insurance

Pension contributions

Cycle to work

Job summary

Hastings Direct, a digital insurance provider, seeks a senior Lead Quality Engineer to drive automation and AI‑enabled testing across pricing platforms. You will lead a high‑performing QA function, collaborate with pricing and ML engineers, and enhance governance, tooling, and environment readiness to reduce post‑live issues.

You will balance hands‑on technical work with strategic leadership, shaping testing standards and metrics while delivering high‑quality software in a regulated, hybrid work

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Hands-on technical capability, with the ability to write, read, and review code and actively contribute to test design and automation decisions.
• Strong proficiency in Python, including writing and reviewing automated tests and debugging failures in complex rules‑based or decisioning systems.
• Proven experience designing and maintaining test automation, including API and integration testing using frameworks such as pytest, with working knowledge of UI tools such as Selenium, Playwright, or Cypress where appropriate.
• Experience applying AI‑assisted testing tools to improve coverage, efficiency, or defect detection, with governance and control requirements.
• Practical experience with Git/GitHub, CI/CD pipelines, and Azure‑based engineering environments.
• Strong understanding of modern testing practices, including risk‑based testing, shift‑left quality, and end‑to‑end assurance.
• Experience with test environments and test data, including validation of complex inputs and outputs using SQL and data comparison techniques.
• Familiarity with Azure DevOps and producing clear, meaningful quality metrics.
• Excellent leadership skills, with experience managing senior QA roles and automation specialists.
• Strong stakeholder‑management and influencing skills, with the ability to balance technical, commercial, and governance considerations.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills, with the ability to navigate complex pricing and engineering challenges and deliver robust solutions.
• Strong communication skills, able to clearly explain technical quality risks and solutions to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Experience working in Agile delivery environments and collaborating closely with engineering, data, and ML teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead end‑to‑end QA strategy and execution across all underwriting lines of business, ensuring testing supports high‑quality delivery at pace.
• Design, implement, and continuously evolve the QA strategy covering pre‑live testing, post‑release monitoring, and live issue investigation.
• Provide hands‑on technical leadership in reviewing test strategies, automation design, and investigation of complex or high‑impact defects.
• Lead the strategic use of test automation, ensuring automation is targeted, maintainable, and focused on high‑risk areas.
• Drive improvements in automation and tooling to reduce manual effort and strengthen preventative quality controls, applying AI where beneficial.
• Work with pricing engineers and ML teams to apply AI‑assisted testing techniques where value is added, within regulated constraints.
• Own post‑release quality activities, including monitoring, alerting, and validation of controls.
• Improve QA environments for data testing with minimal environment‑related failures.
• Support incident RCA activity with testing insight and embed learnings into practices.
• Line‑manage QA Leads and Automation Manager with clear direction and coaching.
• Ensure QA activities prevent customer harm and comply with governance requirements.

Skills

QA leadership

Python testing

Test automation

AI testing

Git/GitHub

CI/CD

Azure DevOps

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/CE or related

Tools

pytest

Selenium

Playwright

Cypress

Job description

Hastings Direct, a digital insurance provider, seeks a senior Lead Quality Engineer to drive automation and AI‑enabled testing across pricing platforms. You will lead a high‑performing QA function, collaborate with pricing and ML engineers, and enhance governance, tooling, and environment readiness to reduce post‑live issues.

You will balance hands‑on technical work with strategic leadership, shaping testing standards and metrics while delivering high‑quality software in a regulated, hybrid work