Automation Lead

IPI Technolab; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

IPI Technolab seeks an experienced QA Automation Lead to design and drive scalable automation for web, API, and mobile apps. You will lead framework development, define standards, and integrate tests into CI/CD pipelines, while mentoring QA/instrumentation teams.

The role requires strong coding skills in Java/Python/JavaScript, deep API/UI automation expertise, and experience with CI/CD tools. Collaboration across product, DevOps, and QA teams is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or related discipline.
• 5 to 10 years of software testing/QA with hands-on test automation experience.
• Proven experience leading or mentoring QA automation teams.
• Strong programming in Java, Python, or JavaScript/TypeScript.
• Hands-on expertise with Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, or equivalent.
• Strong API automation experience with REST Assured, Postman/Newman, Karate, or similar.
• Experience building scalable, maintainable automation frameworks from ground up.
• Knowledge of Page Object Model, data-driven, keyword-driven, BDD, and hybrid architectures.
• Experience with CI/CD and DevOps tools.
• Knowledge of Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, Docker, and cloud platforms (AWS/Azure).
• Good SQL, databases, REST APIs, JSON/XML, and microservices.
• Experience with Agile/Scrum and modern practices.
• Appium exposure is a plus.
• Performance testing tools like JMeter/Gatling a plus.
• Cloud-based testing, containerization, and distributed test execution.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted testing and AI coding tools a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, implementation, and maintenance of scalable test automation frameworks for web, API, mobile, and enterprise apps.
• Define automation strategy, roadmap, standards, and best practices across projects.
• Develop robust automated test scripts using Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, REST Assured, Appium, or similar.
• Design and maintain automation frameworks using Java, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript.
• Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines with Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Azure DevOps.
• Drive continuous improvement of test coverage, speed, reliability, maintainability, and ROI.
• Lead API, UI, regression, smoke, integration, end-to-end, and cross-browser automation initiatives.
• Enable parallel and distributed test execution to reduce cycle time.
• Collaborate with developers, PMs, BAs, DevOps, and other QA teams through SDLC.
• Review requirements for automation opportunities and quality improvements.
• Perform code reviews and establish coding and framework standards.
• Troubleshoot failures, identify root causes, improve framework stability.
• Manage test data, environments, configuration, and automation dependencies.
• Establish QA metrics, dashboards, and health indicators for stakeholders.
• Mentor and guide QA engineers and automation engineers.

Skills

Leadership

Automation

Java

Python

JavaScript/TypeScript

CI/CD

Selenium

Playwright

Cypress

REST Assured

Appium

REST APIs

SQL

Cloud (AWS/Azure)

Agile/Scrum

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related

Tools

Selenium

Playwright

Cypress

REST Assured

Appium

Jenkins

GitHub Actions

GitLab CI

Azure DevOps

Docker

Job description

Role & responsibilities:

• Lead the design, development, implementation, and maintenance of scalable test automation frameworks for web, API, mobile, and enterprise applications.
• Define and execute the overall automation strategy, roadmap, standards, and best practices across projects.
• Develop robust automated test scripts using tools such as Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, REST Assured, Appium, or equivalent technologies.
• Design and maintain automation frameworks using Java, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, or other appropriate programming languages.
• Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, or similar tools.
• Drive continuous improvement of test coverage, execution speed, reliability, maintainability, and automation ROI.
• Lead API, UI, regression, smoke, integration, end-to-end, and cross-browser automation initiatives.
• Implement parallel and distributed test execution to reduce test-cycle duration.
• Collaborate closely with developers, product managers, business analysts, DevOps engineers, and other QA teams throughout the SDLC.
• Review requirements and identify opportunities for automation, quality improvement, and early defect prevention.
• Perform code reviews and establish coding, framework, and automation quality standards.
• Troubleshoot automation failures, identify root causes, and improve framework stability.
• Manage test data, test environments, configuration, and automation dependencies.
• Establish QA metrics, dashboards, reporting, and automation health indicators for stakeholders.
• Mentor and technically guide QA engineers and automation engineers.

Preferred candidate profile:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 5 to 10 years of overall software testing/QA experience, with significant hands‑on experience in test automation.
• Proven experience leading or mentoring QA automation teams.
• Strong programming experience in Java, Python, or JavaScript/TypeScript.
• Strong hands‑on expertise with Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, or equivalent automation frameworks.
• Strong experience in API automation and testing, preferably using REST Assured, Postman/Newman, Karate, or similar tools.
• Experience designing and implementing scalable, maintainable automation frameworks from the ground up.
• Strong knowledge of Page Object Model, data‑driven, keyword‑driven, BDD, and hybrid framework architectures.
• Experience integrating automated tests with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps tools.
• Working knowledge of Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, Git, Docker, and cloud platforms such as AWS or Azure.
• Good understanding of SQL, databases, REST APIs, JSON, XML, and microservices architecture.
• Experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies and modern software development practices.
• Exposure to mobile automation using Appium is an advantage.
• Exposure to performance testing tools such as JMeter or Gatling is an advantage.
• Understanding of cloud‑based testing, containerization, and distributed test execution.
• Familiarity with AI‑assisted software testing and AI coding tools is highly desirable.