Lead - Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) / QA Manager
This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Lead - Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) / QA Manager based in India.
This role is designed for a quality engineering leader who can define and drive the overall testing strategy across complex, fast-moving product environments. You will be responsible for ensuring the highest standards of software quality through a balanced approach to automation and manual testing. The position involves leading and scaling a team of SDETs and QA professionals while partnering closely with engineering and product leadership. You will play a critical role in shaping release confidence, improving test efficiency, and strengthening engineering best practices. The environment is highly collaborative and product-driven, with strong emphasis on innovation, ownership, and continuous improvement. This is a leadership opportunity where your decisions directly influence product reliability, customer experience, and engineering velocity.
This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Lead - Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) / QA Manager based in India.
This role is designed for a quality engineering leader who can define and drive the overall testing strategy across complex, fast-moving product environments. You will be responsible for ensuring the highest standards of software quality through a balanced approach to automation and manual testing. The position involves leading and scaling a team of SDETs and QA professionals while partnering closely with engineering and product leadership. You will play a critical role in shaping release confidence, improving test efficiency, and strengthening engineering best practices. The environment is highly collaborative and product-driven, with strong emphasis on innovation, ownership, and continuous improvement. This is a leadership opportunity where your decisions directly influence product reliability, customer experience, and engineering velocity.
Accountabilities
- Define and implement the end-to-end QA and test automation strategy across products and releases
- Lead, mentor, and grow a team of SDETs, QA engineers, and test analysts
- Own test planning, scheduling, resource forecasting, and risk management for releases
- Drive the development and enhancement of automation frameworks, test harnesses, and QA tools
- Ensure strong collaboration with engineering, product, and program management teams to align quality goals
- Establish and track quality metrics, analyze test results, and report risk insights to stakeholders
- Improve test coverage and efficiency while optimizing test execution and reducing release risks
- Champion best practices in software engineering, testing methodologies, and customer-centric quality standards
- Oversee API, UI, and end-to-end test automation initiatives across multiple systems
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
- 5+ years of software engineering experience in a professional environment
- 4+ years of hands-on experience in software testing and QA automation
- Strong programming skills in Python, Java, or C#
- Experience building or scaling automation frameworks such as Pytest, Selenium, Playwright, or Appium
- Strong knowledge of QA methodologies, testing strategies, and software development lifecycles
- Experience in API automation and end-to-end testing
- Proven experience leading and mentoring QA or SDET teams
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and debugging skills
- Ability to collaborate effectively with engineering and product leadership
- Strong communication skills and ability to influence technical decisions
- Opportunity to lead and shape end-to-end quality engineering strategy for modern software products
- Remote-first and flexible work environment supporting autonomy and work-life balance
- High ownership role with direct impact on product quality and customer experience
- Collaborative, engineering-led culture focused on innovation and continuous improvement
- Exposure to modern automation frameworks and scalable test engineering practices
- Leadership growth opportunities managing and scaling QA/SDET teams
- Competitive compensation aligned with industry standards
- Strong emphasis on learning, experimentation, and professional development
In this role, you will define and execute the overall quality engineering strategy while leading and mentoring a high-performing QA organization. You will ensure product releases meet the highest quality standards through effective test planning, automation, and cross-functional collaboration.
Requirements
The ideal candidate has strong hands-on engineering experience in test automation along with proven leadership experience managing QA or SDET teams in product-driven environments.