QA Automation Lead - Cape Town at Collinson

Purpose of the job

• We’re looking for a QA Automation Lead who’s passionate about quality; not just as a phase, but as a core part of how great software gets built. In this role, you’ll help shape what “great” looks like across our engineering teams, including setting test standards, supporting engineers and making sure quality is everyone’s responsibility.
• You’ll be embedded in a collaborative environment where software is shipped fast, iteratively, and often. Your work will focus on making sure things don’t just work but work well together.
• You’ll bring clarity, structure and confidence to the way we test by balancing automation with human insight and keeping the end-user in mind.
• Your role would straddle multiple engineering squads, supporting with not just the QA strategy, but personally leading the automated testing efforts as well. You’ll bring your considerable knowledge of test automation to help us build new products that are reliable, performant, and resilient.
• If you’re curious, love asking the awkward questions, and want to support software engineers build and iterate quickly, you’ll thrive here.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and uphold the standards for test quality across engineering squads, ensuring consistency and confidence in our releases.
• Oversee the work of our Automation QAs/SDeTs, and manual testers.
• Write high quality integration and end-to-end tests across our software portfolio.
• Partner with engineers, product managers, and delivery leads to embed quality thinking from day one, and not as an after-thought.
• Design and oversee test strategies that combine automation, exploratory testing, and regression coverage.
• Drive the implementation and evolution of automated testing frameworks, ensuring integration into our CI/CD pipelines.
• Own the structure and health of test suites and regression packs, helping teams keep them lean, relevant, and valuable.
• Support squads in front-end, API, and end-to-end testing, using tools like Playwright, Cypress, Postman, RestAssured and other modern frameworks.
• Facilitate and promote BDD and 3-amigos sessions, helping clarify requirements and prevent misunderstandings before they happen.
• Help engineers understand and own quality; coaching without gatekeeping, advising without blocking.
• Perform and organise performance testing with tools such as K6, JMeter.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure cross-squad functionality and integration is properly tested.
• Get involved in the testing cycle, helping to investigate issues, write tests, support on manual QA, and signing-off changes.

Preferred

• Computer Science or Information Technology degree, Diploma or similar
• ASTQB ISTQB Advanced Certification
• Certified Automation Tester (i.e. Selenium, Cypress, Playwright)

Non Negotiable

• 5+ years experience in Test Automation and Manual Testing, with the ability to define and enforce testing standards across engineering teams
• Strong hands-on experience with test automation frameworks and API testing tools.
• Confident writing automated tests in Typescript.
• Expertise in Designing and Executing End-to-End Test Strategies that aligns with Agile delivery
• Solid experience embedding quality early in the SDLC by working closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Principal Engineers and Delivery Managers
• Coaching-oriented leadership style, with a proven ability to mentor engineers on quality ownership
• Hands-on Leadership of UAT Defect Triage, driving this process, including daily coordination with cross-functional stakeholders (Product, Engineering, and Delivery) to evaluate, prioritize, and drive resolution of defects based on reproducibility, business impact, and release scope

Personal Attributes

• Quality mindset – deeply values software quality and strives for continuous improvement across teams
• Strong leadership – able to guide, motivate, and hold team members accountable without micromanaging
• Collaborative nature – works well with engineers, product managers, and delivery managers to embed quality early in the SDLC
• Proactive attitude toward continuous improvement, always seeking better ways to optimize QA processes
• Critical thinker – approaches testing with curiosity and rigor; digs deep to uncover root causes
• Adaptability – comfortable with change and able to pivot priorities in fast-paced, agile environments
• Detail-oriented – thorough in reviewing test cases, strategies, and outcomes without losing sight of the bigger picture
• Ownership-driven – takes responsibility for the overall health of the QA process and quality outcomes