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.

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.

• 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

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.

• 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

Benefits

• 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