Lead QA Automation Engineer

The role

• Define and deliver the test strategy, plans and quality standards across internal and supplier-led delivery.
• Set up, develop and maintain automated test frameworks, integrating automation into CI/CD pipelines.
• Lead and carry out integration, API, functional and regression testing, supporting UAT and performance testing.
• Review test cases, automation scripts, coverage and supplier testing evidence.
• Own defect management, prioritising issues according to business risk and driving resolution.
• Coordinate test environments and test data, supporting release readiness decisions.
• Communicate progress, risks and quality issues clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Hold suppliers and contractors accountable, handling challenging conversations constructively.
• Coach colleagues and improve testing practices across the project.

What you'll bring

• Experience of working in Social Housing/Housing Association (or Housing supplied by a local authority) organisation.
• Proven experience in a hands-on QA Automation Lead or Test Lead role.
• Strong practical experience setting up test frameworks, writing automated tests and executing testing yourself.
• Experience testing complex integrations and enterprise systems, including APIs and data flows.
• Experience with relevant tools and technologies such as C#, Postman, REST API testing, Selenium, Cypress, Playwright or BDD frameworks.
• A strong understanding of manual and automated testing, CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.
• Experience managing quality across multiple third-party suppliers and full delivery lifecycles.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge stakeholders and drive action.
• Experience working in Agile environments, such as Scrum or Kanban.
• A relevant testing or QA qualification, such as ISTQB, and a degree or equivalent experience in a related field.

This opportunity would suit someone who combines technical testing expertise with the confidence and judgement to lead quality across a complex supplier landscape.