Test Lead

The Test Lead is responsible for leading the testing function across projects, ensuring high-quality delivery through effective test strategy, planning, and execution. This role places a strong emphasis on test automation, with primary ownership of designing, implementing, and scaling automated testing frameworks using Playwright for both UI and API testing. They will support the development and growth of junior testers or non-testers within the team. The Test Lead will drive quality engineering practices, reduce delivery risk, and ensure solutions meet both functional and non-functional requirements. They will provide leadership across teams, embed automation-first principles, and ensure consistent, reliable, and repeatable testing across all environments. They will be able to apply the appropriate testing strategy based on the requirements, rather than one size fits all. Test Automation (Playwright – UI & API) • Design, develop, and maintain scalable Playwright automation frameworks for UI and API testing. • Integrate automation into CI/CD pipelines to enable continuous testing. • Ensure high test coverage, stability, and maintainability of automated test suites. • Establish best practices, coding standards, and reusable components for automation. • Drive adoption of automation across projects and teams. Test Design & Execution • Design, build, and execute manual and automated test cases based on requirements and risks. • Ensure appropriate test environments, data, and tools are in place. • Validate end-to-end solutions across integrated systems. Defect & Risk Management • Manage defect reporting, triage, and resolution processes. • Clearly articulate risks, impacts, and mitigation plans to stakeholders. • Support timely resolution of defects and maintain quality standards. Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement • Contribute to and evolve organisational quality engineering practices and standards. • Identify opportunities to improve testing efficiency through tooling and automation. • Ensure testing is aligned with security, performance, and reliability requirements. • Support audit, compliance, and accreditation activities where required. Stakeholder Engagement • Communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. • Provide clear reporting on quality, risks, and progress. • Collaborate with developers, architects, business analysts, and product teams to ensure quality is embedded throughout delivery. Technical Expertise • Strong hands-on experience in test automation using Playwright (UI and API). • Proficiency in programming languages (e.g., TypeScript/JavaScript). • Experience testing RESTful APIs (e.g., Postman, Playwright API testing). • Solid understanding of test frameworks, design patterns, and automation architecture. • Experience integrating automated tests within CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions). • Strong knowledge of cloud-based environments (Azure, AWS, or GCP). • Proven experience using Jira with Xray Test Management for test planning, execution, traceability, and reporting Test Leadership & Delivery • Proven experience leading testing across complex projects. • Strong understanding of test methodologies, including Agile and DevOps practices. • Ability to define test strategies and implement risk-based approaches. • Experience in managing defects, risks, and quality reporting. • Provide leadership and mentoring to testers and wider delivery teams. Communication & Stakeholder Management • Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders. • Strong facilitation and collaboration skills across multidisciplinary teams. • Ability to challenge constructively and influence decision-making Desirable Criteria • Experience with data validation and SQL. • Experience with performance and security testing. • Knowledge of additional automation tools (e.g., Cypress, Selenium) for cross-tool comparison. • Experience working in regulated or government environments. • Exposure to containerisation (Docker) and microservices architectures.