Lead QA Automation

Group 1001; United States; Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) plan with matching contributions

Employee Assistance Program and wellness programs

Job summary

Group 1001 is seeking a Lead QA Automation Engineer to spearhead the automation strategy across multiple product surfaces. The ideal candidate will enhance existing frameworks and create new ones, directly influencing quality standards and engineering decisions.

With strong expertise in test automation using Playwright and TypeScript, this senior role offers a pathway to leadership, with the opportunity for team management within 12-18 months. Comprehensive benefits and competitive compensation are provided, reflecting the varied labor markets across the U.S.

Qualifications

• Strong test automation experience with Playwright and TypeScript.
• Experience building automation infrastructure from scratch.
• Ability to design rigorous test coverage with detailed scenarios.
• Experience in making architectural decisions backed by evidence.

Responsibilities

• Own the automation framework and make tooling decisions.
• Conduct thorough code reviews and improve QA processes.
• Represent QA in sprint planning and negotiate with product and engineering.
• Raise the quality bar for the QA engineers around you.

Skills

Test automation with Playwright

TypeScript

Architectural decision making

Mentorship skills

Job description

Why This Role Matters

We're looking for a Lead QA Automation Engineer to own the automation strategy across a multi‑surface product portfolio. You'll improve existing frameworks where they exist and build from the ground up where they don't.

You'll make the architectural calls, set the quality bar, and work directly with engineering and product. You'll join an established QA team and report to the QA Manager.

This is a senior IC role with a path to people leadership – if you perform, you'll have engineers reporting to you within 12–18 months.

How You’ll Contribute

• Own the automation framework across the portfolio: structure, conventions, CI integration, scalability
• Make tooling and architectural decisions – you set the direction, you're accountable for outcomes
• Build new automation foundations on greenfield surfaces; raise the bar on existing ones
• Conduct code reviews that set the standard, not just check the box

Quality Bar

• Define what gets tested, to what depth, and with what trade‑offs – across multiple product surfaces simultaneously
• Design coverage from requirements: decomposition, edge cases, environments, failure modes – not just automating cases handed to you
• When release readiness isn't there, you say so – clearly, with evidence, to whoever needs to hear it

Cross‑Functional Accountability

• Close requirement gaps before development begins
• Represent QA in sprint planning, architecture reviews, and cross‑team syncs
• Negotiate scope and timelines with product and engineering when quality risk isn't accounted for

Team and Process

• Raise the craft of the QA engineers around you through structured code reviews and direct feedback
• Evaluate and improve QA and SDLC processes – if something is slow or unclear, fix it
• Participate in hiring as the team grows – screening candidates, conducting technical interviews, helping shape the bar

What We’re Looking For

• Strong test automation experience with Playwright and TypeScript
• You’ve built automation infrastructure from scratch and improved inherited systems – you’re comfortable with both
• You design test coverage rigorously – decomposition, edge cases, environment and data scenarios, failure modes – and can explain why a plan is shaped the way it is
• You’ve made architectural decisions and can defend the reasoning with evidence others can follow
• You’ve made the case to hold a release when quality wasn’t there – backed by data, not just conviction
• You communicate quality risk directly, without softening it for the room
• Your estimates are accurate; when they’re not, you say so early and adjust
• You’ve raised the quality of the engineers around you – through reviews, feedback, or direct mentorship

You’ll Thrive Here If You

• Treat ownership as the default, not a perk
• Hold a high bar through rigor and evidence, not just force of will
• Make decisions with incomplete information and adjust when you’re wrong
• Give your manager information they didn’t know to ask for
• Are open to leading a team within 12–18 months if the path emerges

Compensation

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several U.S. geographic markets. The base pay for this position ranges from $160,000/year in our lowest geographic market up to $180,000/year plus bonus in our highest geographic market. Pay is based on a number of factors including market location and may vary depending on job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Benefits Highlights

Employees who meet benefit eligibility guidelines and work 30 hours or more weekly have the ability to enroll in Group 1001’s benefits package. Employees and their families are eligible to participate in the company’s comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plan options. Employees are also eligible for Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance, Short and Long‑Term Disability. All employees (regardless of hours worked) have immediate access to the company’s Employee Assistance Program and wellness programs – no enrollment is required. Employees may also participate in the company’s 401(k) plan, with matching contributions by the company.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Group 1001, and its affiliated companies, is strongly committed to providing a supportive work environment where employee differences are valued. Diversity is an essential ingredient in making Group 1001 a welcoming place to work and is fundamental in building a high‑performance team.