QA Manager

About the Role

We are looking for a sharp, ownership-driven QA Manager who can run a team of 4-5 QA engineers while

remaining hands-on as an individual contributor. This is a player-coach role: you will personally own test

strategy and execution for critical modules, while also leading, mentoring, and unblocking a small QA

team, and driving AI-first ways of working across the function. You deeply understand systems, identify

risks early, and hold your team to the same bar of quality and curiosity that you hold yourself to.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership

Lead, mentor, and grow a team of 4-5 QA engineers, providing technical direction and career

guidance

Plan and distribute work across the team; balance workload against sprint and release

commitments

Review team members' test plans, test cases, and automation code; hold the line on quality

standards

Run 1:1s, contribute to performance reviews, and support hiring/interviewing for QA roles

Act as the QA point of contact for developers, product managers, and delivery stakeholders

Escalate and unblock issues for the team without slipping into micromanagement

Individual Contribution

Own end-to-end quality for at least one critical module or product as a hands-on tester

Design, develop, and execute comprehensive test strategies (Functional, API, UI, Regression,

E2E)

Perform hands-on API testing using tools like Postman / Playwright / similar

Build and maintain automation frameworks (UI/API) that the rest of the team builds on

Identify edge cases, hidden risks, and potential production issues proactively

Process & Quality Ownership

Own the defect triage process and root cause analysis across the team's scope

Contribute to and oversee CI/CD pipeline integration of automated test suites

Drive continuous improvement in QA processes, test coverage, and release quality org-wide

Report on team quality metrics, release readiness, and risk to leadership

AI-First Quality Engineering

Leverage AI tools to accelerate test case creation, test data generation, and defect analysis —

for yourself and the team

Use AI-assisted automation for smarter test coverage and faster feedback cycles

Explore and implement AI-driven testing approaches (self-healing locators, visual validation,

anomaly detection)

Utilize AI for root cause analysis, log analysis, and predictive risk identification

Continuously evaluate and roll out new AI tools across the team to improve QA efficiency

Own the team's adoption of AI-driven QA workflows and agentic testing strategies

Required Skills & Qualifications

6+ years of experience in Software Testing / Quality Assurance

2+ years leading, mentoring, or informally guiding a QA team (formal title not required)

Proven ability to balance hands-on IC delivery with people leadership

Strong understanding of SDLC, STLC, and Agile methodologies

Hands-on experience with automation tools (e.g., Playwright, Cypress, Selenium, etc.)

Solid experience in API testing and backend validation

Good understanding of databases and ability to write SQL queries

Experience with bug tracking and test management tools

Familiarity with CI/CD tools and version control (Git)

Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and stakeholder communication skills

What We Value (Beyond Skills)

High ownership mindset — accountable for the team's quality output, not just your own

Servant leadership — ability to unblock and grow the team without micromanaging

Strong logical thinking and ability to break down complex problems

Curiosity to understand systems deeply, not just at surface level

Heaptrace •

Ability to ask the right questions and challenge assumptions

Openness to adopt AI-first ways of working and continuously evolve

Clear and professional communication with both the team and leadership

Good to Have

Experience with performance testing tools (JMeter, k6, etc.)

Knowledge of security testing basics (OWASP concepts)

Exposure to cloud environments (AWS, Docker, Kubernetes)

Experience with visual testing or accessibility testing

Hands-on experience with AI tools or frameworks in testing

Prior experience hiring or interviewing QA candidates

Why Join Us

Opportunity to lead a team while staying hands-on in an AI-first engineering environment

Ownership-driven culture with real influence on quality decisions and team growth

Continuous learning with exposure to modern QA and AI-driven practices