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 deliveryfor 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.