Quality Assurance Lead

Job Title: Quality Assurance Lead (QA Lead)

Location: Durham, NC (Hybrid)

Duration: 12+ Months

Contract: W2 Only (No C2C/1099)

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Quality Assurance Lead (QA Lead) to drive quality strategy, testing execution, and continuous improvement across complex software products. The QA Lead will combine strong hands-on manual testing expertise with test automation exposure, Agile leadership, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure high-quality, reliable releases in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee QA activities across the full software development lifecycle (SDLC)
• Define, implement, and continuously improve QA processes, methodologies, and best practices
• Perform and guide hands-on manual testing, with strong capability to identify, isolate, and document defects
• Support and enhance test automation efforts using tools such as Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, or similar
• Plan, execute, and maintain test cases, test plans, and test documentation using tools like JIRA and TestRail
• Execute and validate API testing, including integration and regression scenarios
• Write and execute SQL queries (MySQL) to validate backend data and ensure data integrity
• Collaborate closely with engineering, product, and DevOps teams to clarify requirements and ensure quality deliverables
• Support and improve QA workflows within CI/CD pipelines, ensuring efficient and reliable releases
• Track defects, analyze root causes, and report quality metrics and release readiness
• Mentor and guide QA team members, promoting quality ownership across teams

Required Qualifications & Experience

• 12+ years of experience in software testing, quality assurance, quality engineering, or software development
• Strong hands-on experience in manual testing, with a proven ability to identify complex issues
• Experience using test automation tools such as Selenium, Playwright, or similar
• Experience with API testing and integration testing
• Experience working in CI/CD-driven environments supporting automated QA workflows
• frameworks
• Proficiency in SQL with hands-on experience working with MySQL
• Exposure to additional automation and testing tools such as Cypress, Postman, Maestro, or similar
• Strong understanding of Agile development processes and QA methodologies
• Experience with bug tracking and test management tools such as JIRA and TestRail
• Solid understanding of SDLC, QA best practices, and Agile testing frameworks
• Excellent analytical, documentation, and attention-to-detail skills
• Strong verbal and written communication and collaboration skills