IT Software Quality Engineering Lead / QA Lead
IT Software Quality Engineering Lead / QA Lead
Location: London UK (Hybrid)
Experience: 12+ Years
Domain: Energy Trading / Large-Scale IT Transformation
About the Role
We are supporting our client to hire an experienced IT Software Quality Engineering Lead to take full ownership of end-to-end quality delivery for a large, business-critical transformation programme within the Energy Trading and Renewables domain.
This is a senior leadership role combining hands-on test automation expertise, people management, and strategic QA ownership, working closely with Architects, Scrum teams, and senior business stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
- Own and deliver end-to-end testing across a portfolio of medium to large-scale IT programs
- Lead and manage a QA team of 10–12 engineers, including goal setting, appraisals, mentoring, and career development
- Drive automation strategy and execution, ensuring high-quality, scalable testing solutions
- Work closely with Architects and Agile teams to:
- Clarify requirements
- Ensure testability
- Enable automation-first approaches
- Provide feedback on functional and technical designs
- Innovate using modern QA tools, accelerators, and best practices
- Design, enhance, and maintain test automation frameworks
- Support CI/CD pipelines and continuous deployment
- Develop Proofs of Concept (POCs) for QA automation improvements
- Define and document QA standards and best practices
- Build and drive the QA roadmap in collaboration with Portfolio and IT Managers
- Engage confidently with senior business and IT leadership
- Work independently with minimal supervision while ensuring delivery excellence
Mandatory Skills & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent
- 12+ years of experience in Software Quality Engineering, with significant time as a QA Lead
- Strong experience in Agile testing methodologies
- Proven expertise in Test Automation, including:
- Selenium with C#
- BDD frameworks (SpecFlow)
- API Automation
- Selenium Grid implementation
- Experience defining and applying test metrics and quality measurements
Nice-to-Have Skills
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to drive change through influence
- Strategic mindset with a long-term vision for QA excellence
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Flexibility to collaborate across UK and US time zones
- Prior exposure to Energy Trading, Risk Management, or Financial Systems is a plus
Why Join?
- Lead QA for a high-impact, multi-year transformation programme
- Work at the intersection of technology, business, and strategy
- Influence quality practices at an enterprise level
- Collaborate with senior stakeholders across global teams
Interested?
Apply now or reach out for a confidential discussion.