QA Team Lead

Position title QA Team Lead Primary work unit Product Responsible to SVP Product Responsible for Establishing and leading quality assurance across ikeGPS's product portfolio, with hands-on ownership of test automation for key product releases. Position status ☒Indefinite Duration • Fixed Term • Contract Hours of work 40 Hours per week Salary Annual Market Related Range ($95,000 - $115,000) Our vision IKE plays a key role in the engineering of the electrical grid across North America, and also enables communications networks to be built faster and at a higher quality digital standard. We care most about the success and wellbeing of the amazing people doing this important work. Our mission and purpose Our Mission is that, by 2033, IKE is the most trusted and admired company delivering productivity solutions for overhead network assessment and design in North America. Our Purpose is Manaakitanga, which means We Rise By Lifting Others. Our values Simplicity and Clarity: In an industry dominated by complex products and language, IKE is differentiated by products and communications that are simple and clear. Ingenuity: Our value chain stretches from the field to the cloud. Every player on the IKE team brings their talents and resourcefulness to our customers and to each other. Open Interactive Communication, No Bullsh*t: With ourselves and with our customers. No ego. No politics. No hidden agendas. No hierarchical barriers that inhibit individual, team and company performance. Be Yourself: Bring the best of yourself and all your gifts to work. We're lucky to have such talent both on and off the field. It makes work better. Position purpose We are in an exciting and consequential phase of growth, expanding our product portfolio to include multi-source data acquisition, advanced analytics, AI-powered workflow automation, and next-generation infrastructure intelligence. Quality is not an afterthought here. It is a competitive advantage. The QA Team Lead is a player-coach role, not a traditional people manager position. You will spend the majority of your time working alongside the team, building automation, executing tests, and setting technical standards hands-on, while providing day-to-day direction and mentorship to a current team of two US-remote QA Specialists. Formal performance management, compensation decisions, and headcount budgeting sit with the SVP of Product and Human Resources. The most immediate priority is building automated test coverage for key upcoming product releases. Delivering on that is the foundation for everything else this role will grow into. You will work at the intersection of legacy product maintenance and next-generation platform development, and help shape how a growing company thinks about quality. ikeGPS operates AI-first across the business. That means using tools like Claude and Copilot as a core part of how work gets done, including test case generation, defect analysis, and documentation. Position location Broomfield, Colorado, USA. Hybrid work schedule, with Wednesday onsite required and additional onsite days as business needs evolve. Work authorization: This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored work authorization. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future employer-sponsored work authorization. Travel: Estimated at 5 to 10 percent for company meetings, conferences, and team collaboration. Working hours: Collaboration with our New Zealand-based engineering teams may require flexibility to accommodate meetings outside standard business hours. Strategic context The QA Team Lead plays a critical role in ikeGPS's transformation from a hardware-focused company to an AI-powered platform. As we expand our product portfolio to include multi-source data acquisition, advanced analytics, and intelligent workflow automation, quality assurance must evolve to address: Software quality for customer-facing applications and enterprise platforms Data quality for imagery and remote sensor data from diverse collection sources AI/ML model quality, including accuracy, bias detection, and performance monitoring Integration quality across complex data pipelines and third-party systems User experience quality, ensuring intuitive interfaces for complex technical capabilities Engineering calculation quality, ensuring consistency and accuracy of analytical outputs across software version updates, with version-to-version variance documented and explained This role is defined as a player-coach because the immediate need is hands-on: someone who personally builds test automation for our key upcoming product releases. Successful delivery of automated test coverage on these releases is the pathway to taking on a fuller QA management role. Key responsibilities & Expected Outcomes This role is ideal for a quality assurance professional who combines deep QA expertise with leadership capability, hands-on testing skills, and the ability to establish scalable quality processes that support both legacy products and next-generation platform development. This year, new product releases anchor these responsibilities, and the QA Team Lead is directly responsible for building and running automated test coverage to support successful delivery to market. Hands-On Testing & Quality Assurance (30%) Personally execute test plans and conduct testing for high-complexity or high-risk features. Perform exploratory testing to uncover issues automated tests miss. Validate critical customer-facing releases before production deployment. Test new product capabilities, including geospatial data processing, 3D visualization, and AI-powered features. Validate engineering calculation outputs against known reference results and prior versions, maintaining a documented audit trail across releases. Think like the end user, understanding how outputs translate to real-world infrastructure decisions. Test Process & Automation (25%) Design and implement scalable test processes that support Agile development and continuous delivery. Build and own the automated test suite for key product initiatives through general availability release this calendar year. Establish automated testing for regression, integration, and end-to-end workflows. Develop performance and load testing capabilities for cloud-native applications. Create efficient test data management practices, and evaluate and implement testing tools and frameworks. Use AI-powered tools, including Claude and Copilot, to accelerate test creation, documentation, and defect pattern analysis. Quality Strategy & Standards (20%) Define and maintain quality standards for software, data, and AI/ML products. Establish testing strategies appropriate for different product types and development stages. Define data quality standards for multi-source data acquisition, including drone imagery, vehicle-based capture, mobile, airborne, and satellite. Establish AI/ML quality criteria, including model accuracy, bias detection, and explainability. Define engineering calculation quality standards with a documented audit trail of version-to-version variance. Partner with Product Management to define acceptance criteria and definition of done. Cross-Functional Collaboration (15%) Partner with Product Managers and Engineers to advocate for testability, quality, and customer experience. Frame defect priority in terms of customer impact and business risk, not just technical severity. Coordinate with User Support to analyze customer-reported issues and identify systemic improvements. Engage with US and New Zealand-based engineering teams, accommodating time zone differences. Communicate quality status, risks, and improvements clearly to leadership and stakeholders. Participate in sprint planning, retrospectives, and product planning. QA Practice Leadership & Mentorship (10%) Serve as the senior quality voice for a current team of two US-remote QA Specialists, setting the standard through your own work. Help the team grow through example, feedback, and collaboration. Establish consistent quality standards and testing methodologies across the QA function. Foster a culture of quality, continuous improvement, and customer advocacy. Support onboarding of new QA team members and build team capability in emerging practices, including AI/ML testing and data quality validation. Note: This role provides technical mentorship and day-to-day team direction. Formal performance management, compensation decisions, and headcount budgeting sit with the SVP of Product and Human Resources. Key relationships SVP Product Product Managers and Product Owners QA Specialists (peer collaboration and mentorship) Engineering Teams (US and New Zealand) User Support Customer Success Competencies AI-Powered Quality Tools Experience with AI-powered test automation and productivity tools (LLMs like Claude, AI code assistants). Ability to leverage AI for test documentation, test case generation, and coverage analysis. Understanding of AI/ML testing, including model validation and bias detection. QA Leadership & Team Development 3+ years leading or managing QA teams, or serving in a senior/lead QA role. Proven ability to build and develop high-performing QA teams. Experience establishing quality culture and standards, with strong coaching and mentoring skills. Quality Assurance Expertise 5+ years of quality assurance experience in software product companies. Deep knowledge of QA methodologies, including functional, integration, regression, and acceptance testing. Experience with both manual and automated testing approaches. Engineering Calculation Validation Ability to validate analytical and engineering calculation outputs for accuracy against known results. Familiarity with utility engineering calculations, such as structural analysis, load analysis, or secondary voltage, is preferred. Understanding of how version-to-version output variance should be identified, documented, and explained. Test Automation Hands-on experience building and maintaining automated test frameworks. Proficiency with test automation tools such as Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, or SmartBear. Understanding of CI/CD integration and continuous testing, and the ability to define automation strategy and prioritize opportunities. Agile & DevOps Practices Strong understanding of Agile/Scrum development processes and CI/CD integration. Experience with sprint-based testing and continuous delivery, and the ability to balance speed and quality in agile environments. Technical Aptitude Proficiency with bug tracking and test management tools such as Jira or TestRail. Understanding of software architecture and system integration. Ability to read and understand code for test automation, and knowledge of performance testing concepts and tools. Selection criteria Essential Qualifications 5+ years of quality assurance experience in software product companies. 3+ years in a senior, lead, or team lead QA role. Deep knowledge of QA methodologies, including functional, integration, regression, and acceptance testing. Hands-on experience building and maintaining automated test frameworks. Proficiency with test automation tools such as Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, SmartBear, or similar. Strong understanding of Agile/Scrum development processes and CI/CD integration. Experience with AI-powered test and productivity tools, including LLMs and AI code assistants. Experience with bug tracking and test management tools such as Jira, TestRail, or similar. Ability to validate engineering calculation outputs for accuracy; experience with utility engineering calculations such as structural analysis, load analysis, or secondary voltage is preferred. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical quality issues for diverse audiences. Proven ability to work effectively across time zones with distributed teams. Preferred Qualifications Familiarity with electric utility operations and field workflows. Experience with geospatial data, GIS systems, engineering software, or mapping applications. Knowledge of utility, telecommunications, or infrastructure industries. Experience with data quality testing for imagery, LiDAR, or sensor data. Knowledge of AI/ML testing, including model validation and bias detection. Experience with computer vision or image analysis quality assurance. Background in both legacy system maintenance and new product development. Experience in high-growth or transformation environments. Personal Attributes A continuous and curious learner who stays current with QA tools and practices. A passionate advocate for quality and customer experience. Equally comfortable writing test automation and mentoring a junior team member. Detail-oriented with a systematic approach to problem-solving. Adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity in a fast-moving environment. A clear communicator who can make technical quality issues understandable to any audience. Results-oriented with focus on measurable quality improvements. Delegated Authority Team Lead: Authority to guide, develop, and prioritize the day-to-day activities of the QA team. Quality Standards: Authority to establish and maintain quality standards and testing methodologies. Tool Selection: Authority to recommend and implement QA tools and frameworks within approved budgets. Test Planning: Authority to define test strategies and prioritize testing activities. Release Quality: Authority to escalate quality concerns and recommend release readiness decisions. Physical Demands and Work Environment This position requires working at a computer terminal, either standing or sitting, for the entire workday. Ability to travel as needed, estimated at 5 to 10 percent, for company meetings, conferences, and team collaboration. Hybrid work environment based in Broomfield, Colorado, with Wednesday onsite required and additional onsite days as business needs evolve. Occasional coordination with New Zealand-based teams may require flexibility in work hours. Compensation & Benefits Base salary range: $95,000 to $115,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications. Final compensation is determined based on a variety of factors, including skills, experience, and market data. ikeGPS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan with company match, paid time off, paid holidays, and an employee assistance program. Benefits are subject to change; details will be provided during the offer process. Application Deadline This position will remain open until filled. Equal Opportunity Employer ikeGPS is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Acknowledgement I have read the foregoing job description and understand the responsibilities of the job. I agree that I am able to perform the essential duties of this position. Employee Name Manager Name Employee Signature Manager Signature Date Signed Date Signed ikeGPS