System QA & Automation Lead

• Will NSA/CAPS approval be required? (E.g., accessing a US Customer Network?): No
• Role Type: Individual contributor
• Laptop - support with ordering needed: Yes
• Experience level: Experienced

We are looking for an experienced System QA & Automation Lead with strong expertise in software validation and test automation, particularly within cloud-native architectures and telecommunications networks. As an individual contributor, this technical leadership role is responsible for defining and driving end-to-end testing strategies for the Core Management System, covering both functional and non-functional domains. The ideal candidate will bring proven technical leadership, exceptional analytical skills, and a strong track record of developing scalable, high-quality test and automation frameworks for modern microservices-based platforms. Experience in continuously advancing testing capabilities through agentic AI-driven automation frameworks is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Design and drive product-level testing strategies that align with both technical requirements and business objectives.
• Architect scalable test platforms and automation frameworks for cloud-native, microservices-based systems, with a focus on efficiency, reliability, and maintainability.
• Translate complex customer, product, and system requirements into comprehensive test strategies, detailed test designs, and executable test plans.
• Lead software subsystem integration and end-to-end system validation activities to ensure seamless functionality, performance, and quality across the solution.
• Identify, analyze, and address testing gaps, quality risks, support issues, and performance bottlenecks throughout the development and validation lifecycle.
• Collaborate closely with customers, product management, architecture, and engineering teams to ensure testing priorities are aligned with overall product strategy and delivery goals.
• Act as a subject matter expert in quality engineering, mentoring teams on modern testing methodologies, driving resolution of critical customer escalations, and championing continuous improvement through advanced automation and AI/agentic testing frameworks within agile environments.

Qualifications

You Have

• Engineering Degree with 12+ years of experience in software testing, quality engineering, and test automation.

• Strong expertise in test architecture and quality assurance for cloud-native, microservices-based, highly scalable distributed systems.

• Proficiency in Python, Go, and/or C++ for automation development, with hands-on experience in Linux environments and modern cloud-native technologies including Docker, Kubernetes, Helm, Envoy, CI/CD pipelines, and DevOps toolchains.

• Demonstrated experience in designing, implementing, and executing test strategies for highly scalable, resilient, and reliable systems, supported by strong debugging, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis skills. Solid understanding of database testing, observability frameworks, monitoring systems, and telemetry-driven validation practices.

• Proven ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams, deliver high-quality outcomes in fast-paced agile environments, and communicate effectively with technical and business stakeholders.

• Hands-on experience leveraging Agentic AI and AI-assisted engineering tools to enhance testing effectiveness, automation coverage, development productivity, and overall engineering efficiency.

Nice to Have

• Experience in NMS/EMS testing, including interoperability and observability testing, with validation of databases, gRPC-based services, APIs, and open-source integrations.

• Experience in the Core Network Signaling domain (4G/5G mobile core networks)