Test Team Lead

Hollard Insurance; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 840,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company in Johannesburg seeks a Test Team Lead with over 10 years in software testing, including experience in automation, mentorship, and agile practices. This role involves overseeing testing strategies, driving automation initiatives, and leading a QA team to align with business goals. Required expertise includes automation tools like Cypress, Selenium, and leadership in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in software testing, including 4-5 years in a lead role.
• Strong expertise in automation tools and performance testing frameworks.
• Familiarity with Docker/Kubernetes environments and security testing practices.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the overall automation testing strategy.
• Design, implement, and maintain robust and scalable automation frameworks.
• Provide technical mentorship to QA engineers.

Skills

Automation testing

Cross-browser testing

Technical mentorship

Agile methodologies

Leadership

Education

Computer science degree

ISTQB Certification

Tools

Cypress

Selenium

Docker

JMeter

GitLab CI

Job description

Overview

Job title: Test Team Lead

Job Location: Gauteng, Johannesburg

Deadline: October 31, 2025

Job Purpose

Overseeing end-to-end testing strategies, driving test automation initiatives, and mentoring the QA team. Ensure quality standards across all aspects of the SDLC—from planning to delivery. Work closely with development, DevOps, and business teams to align QA efforts with overall project goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and own the overall automation testing strategy, ensuring alignment with project and product goals
• Identify areas suitable for automation, perform ROI analysis, and prioritize test cases for automation
• Design, implement, and maintain robust and scalable automation frameworks (such as Hybrid, BDD, POMbased) suitable for both UI and API layers
• Lead the creation of comprehensive automation test plans that outline objectives, tools, timelines, scope, and risk mitigation strategies aligned with business goals
• Designing, developing, and maintaining scalable and reusable automation frameworks
• Reviewing test scripts, execution results, and ensuring adherence to best practices and standards
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to understand requirements and translate them into test cases
• Providing technical mentorship to QA engineers and guiding them in automation and testing best practices
• Monitoring test coverage and quality metrics and reporting them to stakeholders
• Driving continuous improvement in testing processes and tools
• Participating in sprint planning, grooming, and retrospectives as part of agile teams

Required Knowledge and Experience

• 10+ years of experience in software testing with at least 4-5 years in a lead role
• Strong experience with automation tools like Cypress or Playwright or Selenium, or equivalent
• Solid experience in testing RESTful APIs and backend services
• Experience working with Git-based version control systems (GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab)
• 2+ years in short-term insurance projects
• Experience in performance testing tools like K6, JMeter or Gatling
• Exposure to mobile testing frameworks such as Appium. Experience with cross-browser and cross-device testing on platforms like Browser Stack or Sauce Labs
• Familiarity with Docker / Kubernetes environments
• Understanding of security testing practices and tools like OWASP ZAP
• Experience in generating reports using tools like Allure or Extent Reports

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Proficient in JavaScript / TypeScript; experience in Python is an added advantage
• Expertise in frameworks such as Cucumber, JUnit, or TestNG
• Hands-on knowledge of CI / CD pipelines and integration tools like GitLab CI, Azure DevOps or Jenkins
• Good understanding of STLC, agile methodologies (Scrum / Kanban), and DevOps practices
• Strong leadership and communication skills to lead QA teams, resolve conflicts, and manage stakeholders
• Excellent technical and analytical skills, with ability to self-learn new technologies
• User experience orientation

On the job training / familiarisation time

3 months

Educational Requirements

• Computer science university degree or equivalent - an advantage
• ISTQB Certification - an advantage

All Hollard appointments are made in line with our DEI policy.