QA Lead

QA Lead


Client: Altimetrik / Alcon


Location: Fort Worth, TX - Hybrid


Pay Rate: $70- C2C

Role Summary


The QA Test Lead is responsible for defining and driving the overall Quality Engineering strategy for one or more product domains. This role leads a team of SDETs and QE engineers, ensuring high-quality releases across web, mobile, and API channels, with strong emphasis on automation, shift-left practices, and adoption of AI-enabled quality engineering capabilities.


Skills Required - Leadership, Web UI, API and AI


Qualifications / Skillset Requirements


Roles & Responsibilities


Experience & Leadership


Quality Strategy & Planning
• 8-10 years of experience in Quality Engineering / Software Testing, with at least 3-4 years in a lead role.
• Own end-to-end QA strategy and test planning for assigned product/domain, covering functional, regression, integration, non-functional, and UAT testing.
• Proven experience leading distributed QA/SDET teams in Agile/Scrum environments.
• Define and maintain test approaches, risk-based coverage, and entry/exit criteria for each release and environment.
• Strong background as a hands-on SDET / Automation Lead (web, mobile, API).
• Embed QA activities into backlog refinement, sprint planning, and development workflows (shift-left).
• Align test scope with product priorities and release timelines in collaboration with Product and Engineering.


Technical & Tooling Skills


Automation, Tooling & CI/CD
• Strong understanding of test automation across UI (web and mobile) and API layers.
• Ensure high-value scenarios are automated and integrated into CI/CD pipelines for fast feedback.
• Proficiency with at least one programming language (Java or Python preferred) and experience working with modern automation frameworks (Selenium/Appium/Rest Assured or equivalents).
• Review and approve framework design decisions, code quality, and reusability of automation assets.
• Hands-on experience with CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitHub Actions), version control (Git), and test execution on grids/device farms.
• Collaborate with DevOps to define and maintain test environments, smoke suites, and regression packs.
• Familiarity with API testing, JSON/XML payloads, and microservices-based architectures.
• Drive continuous improvement of automation suites-stability, performance, coverage, and execution time.


AI & Advanced QE


AI-Enabled Quality Engineering
• Advanced GenAI/AI engineering expertise, including: - Experience with RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) architectures. - Understanding of AI-based applications and agentic AI workflows. - Strong Python programming skills and familiarity with libraries like LangChain and related ecosystems. - Experience designing or using QE accelerators and AI-assisted test tools.
• Define and own the roadmap for AI adoption in Quality Engineering: RAG-based testing utilities, agentic AI workflows, and AI-driven analytics.
• Ability to evaluate AI/QE accelerators and integrate them into existing QA processes and frameworks.
• Guide the team on safe and effective use of AI for test design, test data generation, log/defect analysis, and root cause analysis.
• Ability to mentor other team members in consuming AI toolchains and interpreting AI outputs.
• Partner with architecture and platform teams to ensure AI-based testing utilities are robust, observable, and governed.


Process, Governance & Collaboration


Team Management & Stakeholder Communication
• Strong knowledge of Agile/Scrum, DevOps practices, and continuous testing.
• Lead and mentor SDETs and QE Engineers; perform workload distribution, coaching, and performance feedback.
• Experience with test management and defect tracking tools (e.g., Jira, XRay or similar, Confluence).
• Conduct regular reviews of test scenarios, automation scripts, and test reports to maintain high standards.
• Solid understanding of metrics and KPIs for quality (defect density, leakage, automation coverage, cycle time, etc.).
• Establish and publish QA dashboards; communicate quality status, risks, and mitigation plans to stakeholders.
• Excellent verbal and written communication; able to work effectively with product owners, architects, developers, DevOps, and business stakeholders.
• Facilitate defect triage and Root Cause Analysis sessions; ensure corrective and preventive actions are implemented and tracked.


Domain & Compliance (Preferred)


Continuous Improvement
• Experience testing large-scale web/mobile platforms; experience in regulated or data-sensitive domains is an advantage.
• Drive process improvements, best practices, and standardization across squads (test design, automation, AI usage, documentation).
• Understanding of security, privacy, and compliance considerations in testing (preferred).
• Champion a culture of quality-first mindset, continuous learning, and AI-enabled innovation within the QA team.