Test Automation Lead

About the team Symetra's Individual Life Division (ILD) is seeking a full-time Test Automation Lead. This is a hands-on, division-level technical leadership role responsible for establishing and driving a unified test automation strategy across ILD delivery teams owning framework standards, mentoring, and hands-on implementation. About the role As a technical leader, you will partner with engineers, product owners, QA teams, delivery leads, and stakeholders across ILD and Symetra to champion quality throughout the development lifecycle. You will provide technical leadership that fosters a quality-first mindset and builds consistent automation practices across delivery teams, advancing Symetra's shift-left, automation-first Quality Engineering model in which quality is built into the development process. The successful candidate will translate a quality first vision into standardized practice, ultimately improving customer and partner experiences and delivering greater predictability in ILD's speed to market. What you will do Utilize Symetra-approved tools and technology for quality engineering purposes for the following: Partner with engineering and DevOps on CI/CD pipelines as code (YAML) in Azure DevOps, defining the automated test execution those pipelines must include. Define the automated quality gates and validation standards for Azure DevOps pipelines -- including test execution on pull requests and the criteria for promotion -- and partner with engineering and DevOps to implement them and apply release controls. Set the standards for extending quality into production through observability -- including synthetic and health-check testing of critical paths -- and partner with operations and engineering on monitoring, alerting, and incident feedback loops that continuously improve test coverage. Develop and maintain comprehensive automated tests spanning integration, UI, end-to-end, performance, and security testing that increase coverage and improve the efficiency and reliability of testing cycles. Provide technical direction and mentorship to Software Test Engineers (STEs), SDETs, and delivery-team engineers across ILD delivery teams, leading through influence rather than a direct reporting line and fostering a quality-first mindset. Define and track meaningful automation metrics, including coverage, execution results, stability, failure trends, and test effectiveness. Lead root-cause analysis for complex automation failures, framework issues, and recurring defects, and implement improvements to prevent recurrence. Present and share cloud-based solutions with internal engineering communities for feedback and review. Collaborate effectively in a remote team environment using tools such as Microsoft Teams. Who You Are Demonstrated experience defining and implementing an enterprise or cross-team test automation strategy, including standardizing tools and frameworks across multiple delivery teams, mentoring engineers, and influencing delivery teams without direct authority. Strong understanding of QA best practices, including shift-left testing, defect triage, and quality metrics, with the ability to use metrics both to drive test coverage, efficiency, and reliability improvements and to communicate automation health and delivery risk to engineering leadership and stakeholders. Experience delivering in Scrum environments. Experience testing AWS-based applications, including serverless or container-based solutions. Hands-on experience building UI and end-to-end test automation with a modern framework such as Playwright and Selenium. Strong experience designing and governing scalable automation frameworks, including coding standards, test strategy, framework architecture, and long-term maintainability. Strong DevOps mindset, with demonstrated success integrating automated testing into CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or comparable tooling, and measurably improving automation stability, coverage, and maintainability over time. Experience testing APIs and web services using REST, JSON, and XML with tools such as Postman. Experience creating and maintaining test artifacts (test plans, test cases, test strategies), defining testing standards across teams, and keeping artifacts and results traceable in Symetra-approved tools to support compliance and audit expectations. Familiarity with security testing and vulnerability scanning as part of the delivery pipeline. Experience contributing to new solution design and architecture. Nice to Haves Experience with SpiraTest or a comparable test case management platform for test artifacts and traceability. Experience with AI-assisted testing implementation. Experience with observability tools such as Datadog or Application Insights. Experience with performance and load testing, including defining performance baselines and validating scalability under expected and peak load. Experience in insurance or another regulated financial services environment. Why Work at Symetra ""I was referred to Symetra by a family friend who's been with the company for years--and I'm so glad I took their advice. Symetra truly puts its people first. I've always felt supported, not micromanaged, and that trust has helped me grow. I started in an entry-level position and have worked my way up to Unit Manager by continuously learning and expanding my skills. It's a place that believes in its employees and invests in their success." \- Morgan D., Sr. Unit Manager ""Symetra will spoil you. There aren't many companies that will put as much effort into you being a success as Symetra. The culture will challenge you but simultaneously put you at ease. Failure is seen as integral to the learning process so there is less reason to be fearful of it." - Kerry S., Sr. Systems Analyst Benefits and Perks Flexible full-time or hybrid telecommuting arrangements Plan for your future with our 401(k) plan and take advantage of immediate vesting and company matching up to 6% Paid time away including vacation and sick time, flex days and ten paid holidays Give back to your community and double your impact through our company matching Want more details? Check out our Symetra Benefits Overview Compensation Salary Range: $128,700 - $214,600 plus eligibility for annual bonus program Please review Symetra's Remote Network Minimum Requirements: As a remote-first organization committed to providing a positive experience for both employees and customers, Symetra has the following standards for employees' internet connection: Minimum Internet Speed: 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload, in alignment with the FCC's definition of "broadband." Internet Type: Fiber, Cable (e.g., Comcast, Spectrum), or DSL. Not Permissible: Satellite (e.g., Starlink), cellular broadband (hotspot or otherwise), any other wireless technology, or wired dial-up. When applying to jobs at Symetra you'll be asked to test your internet speed and confirm that your internet connection meets or exceeds Symetra's standard as outlined above. Identity Verification Symetra is committed to fair and secure hiring practices. For all roles, candidates will be required (after the initial phone screen) to be on video for all interviews. Symetra will take affirmative steps at key points in the process to verify that a candidate is not seeking employment fraudulently, e.g. through use of a false identity. Failure to comply with verification procedures may result in: Disqualification from the recruitment process Withdrawal of a job offer Termination of employment and other criminal and/or civil remedies, if fraud is discovered We empower inclusion At Symetra, we aspire to be the most inclusive insurance company in the country. We're building a place where every employee feels valued, respected, and has opportunities to contribute. Inclusion is about recognizing our assumptions, considering multiple perspective, and removing barriers. We accept and celebrate diverse experiences, identities, and perspectives, because lifting each other up fuels thought and builds a stronger, more innovative company. We invite you to learn more about our efforts here. Creating a world where more people have access to financial freedom Symetra is a national financial services company dedicated to helping people achieve their financial goals and feel confident about the future. In our daily work, we're guided by the principles of Value, Transparency and Sustainability. This means we provide products and services people need at a competitive price, we communicate clearly and openly so people understand what they're buying, and we design products--and operate our company--to stand the test of time. We're committed to showing up for our communities, lifting up our employees, and standing up for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Join our team and help us create a world where more people have access to financial freedom. Work Authorization Employer work visa sponsorship and support are not provided for this role. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States at hire and must maintain authorization to work in the United States throughout their employment with our company. #LI-NW1 #LI-Remote #J-18808-Ljbffr