Qa Lead (Onsite)

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Applaudo is seeking a Quality Engineering leader to build scalable QA practices across large-scale web and mobile ecosystems. You will drive testing innovation, establish governance, and mentor a ~15-person QA organization including client-side resources.

Lead AI-powered testing initiatives and advance quality throughout the software lifecycle. The role requires strong stakeholder management, strategic thinking, and deep expertise in quality engineering, automation, and modern testing

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in Quality Engineering, QA, or Test Automation.
• 5+ years leading QA teams.
• Proven experience defining quality strategies and QA governance frameworks.
• Experience with AI-driven testing or quality automation initiatives.
• Advanced English proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the Quality Engineering strategy across a portfolio of web and mobile products.
• Establish quality standards, governance frameworks, testing processes, and engineering best practices.
• Lead and mentor a QA organization of approximately 15 team members, including both internal and client-side resources.
• Foster a quality-first culture focused on collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Drive the implementation and adoption of AI-powered testing practices and Agentic AI solutions.
• Identify opportunities to improve testing efficiency, automation coverage, and overall product quality.
• Oversee test planning, execution, automation, regression testing, and release validation across multiple product teams.
• Monitor quality metrics, testing effectiveness, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Product, Delivery, and business stakeholders to align quality objectives with organizational goals.
• Proactively identify quality risks and drive mitigation strategies throughout the SDLC.

Skills

Quality Engineering leadership

QA governance

Test automation

AI-driven testing

Advanced English

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related field

Job description

You are a Quality Engineering leader passionate about building scalable quality practices, driving testing innovation, and fostering a culture of quality across complex software ecosystems. You bring a strategic mindset and extensive experience leading QA organizations, defining quality frameworks, and aligning testing initiatives with business objectives.

You thrive in fast-paced environments where collaboration, stakeholder management, and continuous improvement are essential. You are comfortable balancing technical excellence with delivery needs while guiding teams through organizational and technological change.

You are particularly excited about the evolution of AI-powered testing and quality engineering. You actively explore emerging technologies, including intelligent automation and Agentic AI solutions, to improve testing effectiveness, increase efficiency, and elevate product quality across large-scale web and mobile environments.

• Note:Open to candidates from Venezuela, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras willing to relocate.

You Bring to Applaudo the Following Competencies:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field is desired, or equivalent professional experience.
• 6+ years of experience in Software Quality Assurance, Quality Engineering, or Test Automation.
• 5+ years of experience leading QA teams within complex software development environments.
• Proven experience defining and implementing quality strategies, testing frameworks, and QA governance models.
• Strong knowledge of quality engineering practices, test automation methodologies, and testing lifecycle management.
• Experience supporting both web and mobile application ecosystems.
• Strong understanding of Agile software development methodologies and quality integration practices.
• Experience with AI-driven testing, intelligent automation, Agentic AI solutions, or similar quality innovation initiatives.
• Passion for driving quality transformation through emerging technologies.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Experience coordinating multiple teams, priorities, and delivery streams simultaneously.
• Experience leading distributed, cross-functional, or client-facing teams.
• Strong organizational and leadership capabilities.
• Advanced English proficiency.

You Will Be Accountable for the Following Responsibilities:

• Define and execute the Quality Engineering strategy across a portfolio of web and mobile products.
• Establish quality standards, governance frameworks, testing processes, and engineering best practices.
• Lead and mentor a QA organization of approximately 15 team members, including both internal and client-side resources.
• Foster a quality-first culture focused on collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Drive the implementation and adoption of AI-powered testing practices, Agentic AI solutions, and quality innovation initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to improve testing efficiency, automation coverage, and overall product quality.
• Oversee test planning, execution, automation, regression testing, and release validation activities across multiple product teams.
• Monitor and report on quality metrics, testing effectiveness, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Product, Delivery, and business stakeholders to align quality objectives with organizational goals.
• Proactively identify quality risks and drive mitigation strategies throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Ensure effective communication and coordination between client stakeholders and delivery teams.
• Support organizational growth by continuously evolving quality practices, governance models, and engineering standards.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in Quality Engineering, QA, or Test Automation.
• 5+ years leading QA teams.
• Experience defining quality strategies and QA governance frameworks.
• Experience with AI-driven testing or quality automation initiatives.
• Advanced English proficiency.

Additional Information

About Us

We Are Engineered Different.

At Applaudo, talented people design, build, and scale meaningful, AI-powered solutions that create real business impact. As an AI-native organization, we collaborate across design, development, cloud, data, and artificial intelligence to turn ideas into scalable products that transform how companies operate, make decisions, and grow.

We are building a high-performance culture grounded in five values:Empowering Excellence, Collaborative Teamwork, Unsolicited Respect, Consistent Transparency, and Efficient Communication. These define how we work, how we support one another, and how we hold ourselves accountable.

Applaudois a place for people who want to learn fast, take ownership, and work alongside strong teams they are proud to belong to. Joining us means being part of an organization that is evolving intentionally, investing in modern ways of working, and leading AI-native transformation at scale.