AVP, Quality Engineering Lead (L10)

Own and drive end-to-end QE strategy for API releases: functional, integration, regression, and contract testing. Lead and contribute hands-on to Java-based API automation using Cucumber/Gherkin (feature design, step definitions, hooks, tags, data-driven execution) and perform manual testing when required (exploratory, validation of new/complex features, triage/verification of defects, and ad-hoc release readiness checks). Build/maintain API automation frameworks (commonly RestAssured/HTTP client, JSON schema validation, serialization/deserialization, auth handling). Implement Allure reporting (test categorization, trends, flaky test analysis, actionable dashboards). Manage test planning, execution, requirements traceability, and defects using ALM/Octane (test sets, runs, metrics). Integrate automated suites into CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins), establish quality gates for smoke/regression. Drive shift-left practices: define testable acceptance criteria, add automation during sprint. Mentor QA engineers; perform code reviews; establish automation standards and best practices. Communicate release readiness, quality metrics, and risks clearly to stakeholders. Required Skills/Knowledge: Bachelors degree in computer science/engineering or equivalent experience. 5+ years in QA/Testing with 2+ years leading QA or owning quality for a team/product. Strong test automation experience in Java with Cucumber (BDD) and API testing. Solid hands-on API automation experience (e.g., RestAssured, request/response validation, headers/auth, retries, idempotency checks). Strong experience with Allure (reports, categories, attachments, trends). Strong experience with ALM/Octane for test case management and defect lifecycle. Good understanding of test design techniques, STLC, Agile/Scrum. Experience with Git, Maven/Gradle, and CI/CD integration. Strong ownership, execution focus, and ability to unblock cross-team dependencies. Clear communication of quality status, risks, and go/no-go readiness. Coaching/mentoring mindset; sets standards and raises the bar for automation. Desired Skills/Knowledge: Contract testing experience and/or schema validation .