QA Lead (Automation + Manual)

Job Description
Role: QA Lead (Automation + Manual)
Location: Bengaluru
Experience: 8+ Years
Job Overview:
We are looking for a hands-on QA Lead with 8+ years of experience in manual and automation testing to own quality for the ZEISS VisioGen platform, including HiApp (the Optometrist-facing operations application), the Customer Portal, the Operations Portal, and the AI chatbot engine. You will set the test strategy, build and maintain automation, guide a small team of QA engineers, and act as the quality gate for every release in a healthcare, patient-facing environment.
Key Responsibilities:
Define and own the test strategy, test plans, and quality metrics across web applications, APIs, and AI-driven conversational features.
Lead and mentor QA engineers; allocate work, review test assets, and raise the overall quality bar of the team.
Design, build, and maintain UI and API automation frameworks and integrate them into CI/CD pipelines.
Plan and execute functional, regression, integration, and exploratory testing, balancing manual and automated coverage.
Own release readiness and sign-off, acting as the quality gate within the release control process.
Test integrations with CRMs, messaging channels, and third-party services, including webhook and API behavior.
Validate AI/chatbot behavior for accuracy, consistency, and regressions alongside product and AI engineering teams.
Support performance and load testing of critical user journeys.
Lead defect triage and root cause analysis; track defect trends and report quality status to stakeholders.
Maintain traceable test documentation suitable for a regulated healthcare environment.
Collaborate with developers, product managers, DevOps, and support teams for timely and quality delivery.
Required Skills & Qualifications:
8+ years of experience in software quality assurance, with strong depth in both manual and automation testing.
Proven experience leading or mentoring QA engineers and owning test strategy for a product.
Hands-on experience building automation frameworks for web UI and REST APIs using tools such as Playwright, Cypress, Selenium, or Postman.
Strong understanding of test design, regression strategy, defect lifecycle, and risk-based testing.
Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions).
Working knowledge of SQL and the ability to validate data across APIs and databases.
Experience working in Agile teams with frequent releases.
Strong written and verbal communication, including clear defect and status reporting.
Nice to Have:
Experience in healthcare, medtech, or another regulated environment (e.g., awareness of IEC 62304 or ISO 13485).
Experience testing AI/LLM-based or conversational applications.
Experience with performance and load testing tools such as JMeter or k6.
Exposure to Azure-hosted applications and log analysis tools.
ISTQB or equivalent certification.
Soft Skills:
Strong communication and collaboration skills.
A team player who adapts quickly and works well in cross-functional teams.
Proactive in identifying issues, suggesting solutions, and driving them to closure.
Committed to quality, ownership, and continuous improvement.
Educational Qualification:
Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, or related field.

Work arrangement
Hybrid