Director of Quality Engineering

The Director of Quality Engineering – Automation & Performance is the senior technical, delivery, and practice leader for iLAB U.S. Automation and Performance Testing. The role is accountable for the day-to-day management of U.S. engineering initiatives and resources, while also providing hands-on consulting leadership for strategic clients. 

This leader defines the practice strategy, architecture, standards, delivery assurance, reusable solutions, and capability roadmap for Automation and Performance Testing. Working as part of a global delivery organization, they combine technical credibility, client leadership, people management, and commercial judgment to deliver measurable quality outcomes, strengthen service offerings, and build scalable engineering capability. 

•         Own the day-to-day delivery, prioritization, staffing, allocation, utilization, performance, and technical direction of all iLAB U.S. Automation and Performance Testing initiatives and resources.     

•          Define and evolve Automation and Performance Testing strategies, capability roadmaps, service offerings, architectures, standards, frameworks, methods, tools, reusable accelerators, and intellectual property. 

•         Oversee technical assurance across high-impact deliveries, including solution architecture, automation and performance engineering design, CI/CD integration, AI-enabled engineering guardrails, test-data readiness, and environment readiness. 

•         Lead critical client-facing activities, including technical discovery, project kickoffs, solutioning workshops, executive presentations, steering reviews, escalations, and project recovery. 

•         Serve as the senior technical escalation point for complex or at-risk engagements and personally provide architecture, assessment, technical review, troubleshooting, and recovery leadership until delivery is stabilized. 

•         Lead the technical development and review of RFIs, RFPs, proposals, SOWs, estimates, staffing models, assumptions, deliverables, risks, acceptance criteria, and service commitments 

•         Establish and oversee practical engineering governance, including quality gates, code and architecture reviews, documentation standards, source-control practices, repository security, and technical approval processes. 

•         Define and guide responsible, value-focused uses of AI within Automation and Performance Testing, including test design assistance, script development and maintenance, results analysis, defect insight, and knowledge retrieval, while applying company security, privacy, data-handling, and human-review requirements 

•         Hire, coach, develop, and retain engineering managers, architects, principal engineers, and technical specialists; establish competency expectations, career paths, succession plans, and backup coverage for critical capabilities. 

•         Collaborate with global delivery leaders to align technical standards, share reusable assets and expertise, and support other geographies with strategic client and delivery needs. 

•         Partner with Sales, Professional Services, Operations, Finance, and Talent Management on capacity planning, forecasting, utilization, delivery margin and growth opportunities. 

•         Represent iLAB as a Quality Engineering thought leader through conferences, industry events, client advisory councils, publications, demonstrations, and market-facing content. 

•         At least 15 years of progressive experience in Quality Engineering, including senior leadership of complex Automation and Performance Testing solutions, consulting engagements, engineering teams, and CxO-level client relationships

•         Deep knowledge of Automation and Performance Testing strategies, architectures, frameworks, tools, workload models, execution practices, analysis, reporting, and integration with modern software delivery pipelines

•         Experience leading technical delivery across multiple clients, programs, or business units, including distributed teams and critical project recovery.

•         Working knowledge of CI/CD integration, testability, observability, test-data and environment readiness, cloud delivery, and AI-assisted engineering practices.

•         Proven people leadership, including resource planning, coaching, performance management, prioritization, utilization, and organizational development.

•         Strong consulting and client-advisory skills, with the ability to translate business needs into practical technical solutions and delivery plans.

•         Experience shaping proposals, SOWs, estimates, resource models, and commercial commitments.

•         Sound understanding of consulting engagement economics, including forecasting, utilization, margin, cost-to-serve, and measurable client outcomes.

•         A mature, politically astute leadership style; calm in a crisis, able to lead by influence and example, with excellent written and oral communication.

•         Willing and able to travel interstate and occasionally internationally for critical client-facing initiatives, project kickoffs, workshops, presentations, escalations, and recovery efforts.

•         Demonstrated experience in a Quality Assurance, Quality Engineering, Automation, or Performance Testing consulting or professional-services organization.

•         Experience across the consulting lifecycle and multi-country delivery teams; relevant industry expertise and advanced professional certifications are beneficial.