Position Overview
We're seeking an experienced QA Automation engineering to establish and lead our quality assurance function. This is a critical role responsible for building comprehensive test automation frameworks, defining quality processes, and ensuring the reliability and security of our AI-native financial platform.
You'll be the first dedicated QA responsible for creating our testing strategy from the ground up, building a high-performing QA team, and establishing quality standards across frontend, backend, API, and AI/ML components. This role requires both deep technical expertise in test automation and leadership skills to build and scale a world-class QA organization.
Why This Role is Exciting
- Build from Scratch - Define QA strategy, frameworks, and processes from day one
- AI/ML Testing - Test cutting-edge LLM applications and agentic workflows
- Full Stack Ownership - Cover frontend (React), backend (Python/FastAPI), APIs, and databases
- Leadership Impact - Build and lead a QA team; shape quality culture
- Ensure quality for mission-critical financial operations
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Key Responsibilities
Test Automation Strategy & Framework (35%)
- Design and implement comprehensive test automation framework
- Build API test automation (REST, GraphQL)
- Implement frontend E2E testing (Playwright, Cypress)
- Create backend/integration test suites
- Establish CI/CD integration for automated testing
- Define test data management strategy
- Implement performance and load testing frameworks
Quality Leadership & Team Building (25%)
- Build and lead QA team (2-5 engineers initially, scaling to 8-10)
- Define QA processes, standards, and best practices
- Establish quality metrics and KPIs
- Conduct 1-on-1s and performance reviews
- Mentor QA engineers on automation and testing practices
- Drive quality culture across engineering
AI/ML & LLM Testing (20%)
- Develop testing strategies for LLM-powered features
- Test agentic workflows and AI decision-making
- Validate model outputs and prompt engineering
- Test AI accuracy, consistency, and edge cases
- Implement monitoring for AI behavior in production
- Ensure responsible AI practices (bias, fairness)
Security & Compliance Testing (10%)
- Implement security testing (SAST, DAST)
- Test authentication, authorization, and RBAC
- Validate data encryption and privacy controls
- Ensure SOC 2, GDPR compliance requirements
- Conduct penetration testing coordination
- Test multi-tenant isolation and security
Release & Deployment Quality (5%)
- Define release testing procedures
- Implement smoke and regression test suites
- Validate staging and production deployments
- Coordinate with DevOps on deployment gates
- Post-deployment validation and monitoring
Collaboration & Communication (5%)
- Partner with Product on acceptance criteria
- Work with Engineering on testability
- Report quality metrics to leadership
- Identify and escalate critical issues
- Document testing processes and runbooks
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Technical Stack
Test Automation Tools
- API Testing: Postman, REST Assured, PyTest
- E2E Testing: Playwright, Cypress, Selenium
- Backend Testing: PyTest, unittest, integration tests
- Load Testing: JMeter, Locust, k6
- Performance: Lighthouse, WebPageTest
Programming & Frameworks
- Languages: Python, JavaScript/TypeScript
- Backend: FastAPI, PostgreSQL, REST APIs
- Frontend: React, Next.js, TypeScript
- Test Frameworks: PyTest, Jest, Mocha
CI/CD & DevOps
- CI/CD: GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI
- Containerization: Docker, Kubernetes
- Cloud: AWS (EC2, ECS, EKS, Lambda)
- Monitoring: Datadog, CloudWatch, Prometheus
Security & Quality Tools
- SAST: SonarQube, Snyk, CodeQL
- DAST: OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite
- Test Management: TestRail, Zephyr, Jira
- Version Control: Git, GitHub
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Required Qualifications
Technical Expertise
Automation & Testing
- 10+ years of QA/test automation experience with 3+ years in leadership
- Expert-level test automation skills (API, UI, backend)
- Strong programming in Python and JavaScript/TypeScript
- Proven experience building test automation frameworks from scratch
- Deep knowledge of testing methodologies (functional, integration, E2E, performance)
- CI/CD integration expertise with automated test pipelines
- API testing expertise (REST, GraphQL, WebSockets)
Technical Skills
- Backend testing: Python, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, SQLAlchemy
- Frontend testing: React, TypeScript, Playwright/Cypress
- Performance testing: Load testing, stress testing, scalability validation
- Security testing: SAST, DAST, vulnerability scanning
- Database testing: SQL, data validation, database performance
- Cloud platforms: AWS (preferred), GCP, or Azure
AI/ML Testing (Preferred)
- Experience testing LLM applications or AI/ML systems
- Knowledge of prompt engineering and model validation
- Understanding of AI testing challenges (non-determinism, bias)
- Familiarity with LangChain, LangGraph, or similar frameworks
Leadership & Management
- Proven track record of building QA teams (3+ people)
- Experience establishing QA processes and standards from scratch
- Strong mentorship and coaching skills
- Excellent communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Experience with cross-functional collaboration (Product, Engineering, DevOps)
- Startup experience preferred - ability to work in fast-paced environment
Domain Knowledge
- SaaS platform testing experience (multi-tenant architecture)
- FinTech or financial services domain knowledge (preferred)
- Compliance testing experience (SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA)
- Agile/Scrum methodology experience
Nice to Have
- ISTQB Advanced or similar certifications
- AWS Certified Developer or Solutions Architect
- Experience with chaos engineering and resilience testing
- Knowledge of observability tools (Datadog, New Relic)
- Open-source contributions to testing frameworks
- Technical writing or conference speaking experience
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Success Metrics
First 90 Days
- Assess current testing landscape and create comprehensive QA strategy
- Implement API test automation framework with 50+ test cases
- Set up E2E testing framework (Playwright/Cypress) with critical path coverage
- Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipeline
- Hire 1-2 QA engineers
- Establish test data management approach
- Define quality metrics and KPIs
First 6 Months
- Achieve 70%+ API test coverage
- Achieve 60%+ E2E test coverage for critical user flows
- Build QA team to 3-4 engineers
- Implement performance testing framework
- Establish security testing practices (SAST/DAST)
- Reduce production defects by 40%
- Implement AI/ML testing strategy for LLM features
- Achieve <10 minute test execution time in CI/CD
First Year
- Scale QA team to 5-8 engineers
- Achieve 80%+ overall test coverage
- Reduce production defect escape rate to <5%
- Implement continuous testing with <15 minute feedback loops
- Establish quality gates for all releases
- Achieve 99.5%+ test pass rate
- Build comprehensive test documentation and runbooks
- Establish SOC 2 compliant testing processes
