Software Testing Lead @ Limerick, Ireland - 24 Months with EXT - Onsite

Cbase Inc; Munster; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Cbase Inc in Ireland is seeking an experienced Software Testing Lead to own QA across the MES programme. You will lead a team of testers responsible for validating complex, regulated manufacturing software environments, with a preference for hands-on Syncade experience and familiarity with DevOps to enable continuous testing.

You will define testing strategy, mentor engineers, develop test plans and scripts, integrate automated testing into CI/CD, drive quality gates, and partner with validation

Qualifications

• Proven Testing Lead on enterprise software with regulated environments.
• Experience leading QA teams and defining testing strategy across MES implementations.
• Hands-on testing in Syncade MES or similar platforms preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define, own, and continuously improve the testing strategy for MES implementations, upgrades, and integrations.
• Lead and mentor a team of test engineers and foster a culture of quality.
• Develop and maintain test plans, cases, and scripts for functional, regression, and UAT testing.
• Collaborate with DevOps to integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines.
• Act as the quality gate for MES releases to ensure regulatory and performance requirements are met.
• Partner with stakeholders to reflect real-world manufacturing processes in test scenarios.
• Oversee defect management and root cause analysis using Azure DevOps/Jira.
• Support CSV validation activities in line with GxP regulations where applicable.

Skills

Test leadership

Automation testing

DevOps

ISTQB

Azure DevOps

Jira

Selenium

Playwright

Cypress

GxP compliance

CSV validation

Mentoring

Test planning

UAT

Regulated industry

Syncade MES

Electronic batch records

CI/CD pipelines

MES integrations

ERP integrations

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in CS/Engineering

Tools

Azure DevOps

Jira

Zephyr

qTest

Selenium

Playwright

Cypress

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Software Testing Lead to own and drive quality assurance across our Manufacturing Execution System (MES) programme. The successful candidate will lead a team of testers responsible for validating complex, regulated manufacturing software environments, with a strong preference for candidates who have hands-on experience with off-the-shelf MES platforms — particularly Syncade — and an understanding of DevOps practices to support continuous testing in modern delivery pipelines.

Key Responsibilities:

• Define, own, and continuously improve the overall testing strategy for MES implementations, upgrades, and integrations.
• Lead and mentor a team of test engineers, fostering a culture of quality and continuous improvement.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive test plans, test cases, and test scripts for functional, regression, integration, performance, and UAT activities.
• Collaborate closely with DevOps and development teams to integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines, reducing manual effort and accelerating release cycles.
• Act as the quality gate for MES releases, ensuring all changes meet regulatory, functional, and performance requirements before deployment.
• Partner with business stakeholders, process owners, and validation teams to ensure test scenarios reflect real-world manufacturing processes.
• Oversee defect management — triage, prioritisation, root cause analysis, and resolution tracking — using appropriate tooling (e.g. Azure DevOps, Jira).
• Support computer system validation (CSV) activities in compliance with GxP regulations where applicable.
• Produce clear, concise testing metrics and progress reports for project stakeholders and senior leadership.
• Evaluate and implement test automation frameworks and tooling appropriate to MES environments.
• Ensure testing environments are adequately configured and maintained to mirror production conditions.
• Proven experience as a Testing Lead or Senior QA Engineer on complex enterprise software implementations.
• Strong knowledge of software testing methodologies, tools, and best practices (ISTQB or equivalent preferred).
• Experience working in or closely with Agile/DevOps delivery environments.
• Demonstrable experience writing and executing test plans, test cases, and test scripts for large-scale enterprise systems.
• Hands-on experience with defect and test management tools (e.g. Azure DevOps, Jira, Zephyr, qTest).
• Ability to communicate complex quality and risk topics to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience in regulated industries (e.g. pharmaceutical, life sciences, food & beverage, or similar) with an understanding of quality and compliance requirements.
• Direct experience testing off-the-shelf MES platforms, ideally Syncade (Emerson) — including electronic batch records, workflow configuration, and system integrations.
• Hands-on DevOps experience: CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, Jenkins, GitHub Actions), automated testing integration, and deployment pipeline quality gates.
• Familiarity with GxP computer system validation (CSV), GAMP 5 methodology, and regulated software lifecycle practices.
• Experience with test automation frameworks (Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, or similar).
• Understanding of MES integrations with ERP systems (e.g. SAP) and laboratory systems (LIMS).
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes within pharmaceutical or life sciences sectors.

Personal Attributes:

• Detail-oriented with a strong quality mindset and commitment to delivering right-first-time outcomes.
• Proactive, organised, and able to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously.
• Strong leadership and coaching skills — able to develop and motivate a testing team.
• Collaborative, with the ability to build effective relationships across technology, operations, and quality functions.
• Pragmatic risk-based thinker who can balance thoroughness with delivery pace.