Lead Quality Assurance Engineer (Automation)

Job description

iGaming: If it’s iGaming, we know a thing or two. At Light & Wonder, It’s all about the games, and our digital team leads the global iGaming market, providing jaw-dropping content and innovative software that powers the world's most successful online gaming providers. Position Summary Required Experience: 10–13 years of experience in software testing, with at least 3 years in a QA lead role managing people and bringing/guiding technical experience. Proven experience in managing QA teams, including workload management, mentoring and performance reviews. Strong expertise in UI and API automation testing using Selenium or Playwright with Java. Solid understanding of object-oriented programming and automation framework design principles. Hands-on experience in Agile/Scrum environments. Proficiency in Git, JIRA and QTest (or equivalent tools). Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Experience in leveraging AI/GenAI tools to improve QA efficiency — e.g., AI-assisted test case generation, self-healing automation scripts, or intelligent test prioritization. Key Responsibilities: Define and drive the overall QA strategy, test plans and automation standards in alignment with project goals. Plan, monitor, and deliver QA activities within defined timelines and quality benchmarks. Facilitate cross-functional collaboration with Development, Product, and DevOps teams to ensure seamless delivery. Oversee and track automation coverage & Utilization, ensuring test efficiency and continuous improvement. Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance evaluations and manage leaves and resourcing. Identify training needs and guide team members in skill enhancement and professional development. Review and approve test cases, automation scripts and defect reports to maintain testing excellence. Monitor and communicate QA metrics, test results and release quality status to stakeholders. Participate in tasks planning, daily stand-ups and retrospectives to represent QA interests. Ensure compliance with established QA processes and recommend enhancements as needed. Explore and champion the adoption of AI-augmented testing tools to improve test coverage, reduce manual effort, and speed up release cycles. Guide the team in responsibly using AI coding/testing assistants while maintaining code quality and security standards. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Strong understanding of software testing methodologies, tools and best practices. Proven ability to analyze complex systems, identify risks and define mitigation strategies. Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills in both manual and automated testing contexts. Hands-on experience in developing and maintaining automation scripts and frameworks. Mentors junior and mid-level QA engineers; reviews their test cases and automation scripts; provides constructive feedback and guidance. Understands and executes basic performance tests (e.g., JMeter). Aware of OWASP standards and ensures basic security checks are covered in QA processes. Able to trigger, monitor, and troubleshoot test automation runs in CI/CD pipelines. Collaborates with DevOps to maintain seamless QA automation integration. Oversees setup and stability of QA environments. Coordinates with DevOps and environment teams to ensure test readiness. Represents QA in project meetings, sprint ceremonies, and release discussions, ensuring QA deliverables are aligned with project goals. Ensures consistent documentation of test cases, issues, and automation updates. Maintains project-level QA documentation and contributes to process improvement. Reviews requirements and provides early input on testability and quality risks. Facilitates test case review discussions. Contributes to high-level estimates and resource planning for QA efforts. Validates estimates provided by the team. Working knowledge of how AI/GenAI can be applied across the SDLC — particularly in test design, automation maintenance, and defect analysis — and awareness of associated risks (e.g., over-reliance on AI-generated tests without proper validation). Soft Skills: Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills. Organized, proactive, and outcome-driven approach. High level of ownership, accountability and attention to detail. Empathy for end users and strong business understanding. Adaptability to evolving tools, technologies and processes. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Acts as the QA point of contact for the project. Communicates testing progress, risks and blockers clearly to stakeholders. Foster a positive, collaborative and accountable team culture that promotes ownership and innovation. Qualifications Essential Job Functions: Communicate daily/weekly goals and monitor and monitor self-progress. Ensure tasks are completed to achieve self-goals. Communicate with other departments within LNW to prevent issues from arising and correct existing problems during the development cycle. Escalations of any product issues found during testing are properly communicated. Own continuous improvement for existing and new test processes and methodologies. Responsible for ensuring that proper communication regarding testing is maintained throughout the project lifecycle. Responsible for mentorship, evaluations, conflict resolution and recognition of the staff to maintain highly motivated and engaged employees. Ensures automation is developed through the agreed acceptance criteria. Recommends software test methodologies/procedures/tools that provide value. Adhere to all current QA Processes. Education : Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, or relevant area or equivalent experience.