Head of QA

About Our Client:
Our client is reimagining how IT assets are managed for a distributed, modern workforce. As a fast-scaling organization, they are building a powerful platform that simplifies operational complexity for their customers and are expanding into new areas like SaaS and Big Data solutions. At this pivotal stage of growth, they are looking for a leader to establish and guide their quality assurance function, leveraging cutting-edge approaches including AI-driven automation with Playwright.

Role Purpose:
Our client is seeking a visionary and hands-on Head of QA to design and drive their quality strategy in a high-growth, startup environment. This role blends technical leadership, strategic foresight, and team mentorship. You will be responsible for setting the frameworks, processes, and culture that ensure rapid, reliable delivery. A central part of the role will be advancing AI-led testing automation, establishing best practices, and building a world-class QA organization from the ground up.

Key Responsibilities:

• Quality Strategy & Architecture: Define and implement a forward-looking QA strategy aligned with the product roadmap. Strengthen automation frameworks using Playwright, create quality best practices, and select tooling and infrastructure that enable continuous, seamless delivery.

• AI-Enhanced QA Innovation: Lead the adoption of AI technologies to improve test efficiency and effectiveness. Assess new tools, implement safeguards for AI-generated test cases, and guide the organization in applying AI for practical, scalable quality outcomes.

• Process Leadership & Advocacy: Own QA processes from requirements through release sign-off. Establish quality KPIs, develop robust testing methodologies, and serve as the voice of quality across engineering, product, and business functions.

• Team Building & Mentorship: Lead and grow a high-performing QA team. Mentor engineers in advanced testing practices, conduct design and test plan reviews, and build a culture of shared responsibility for quality. Recruit and develop team members as the QA function scales.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with product and engineering leaders to ensure quality is integrated into every stage of development. Provide clear feedback on risks and feasibility, and communicate technical concepts to diverse audiences to drive alignment.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience preferred.

• 8+ years of QA experience in SaaS or eCommerce platforms, including at least 3 years in a leadership role.

• Experience working in startup or high-growth environments (US startups preferred).

• Proven success managing distributed/offshore QA teams (EU-based teams strongly valued).

• Strong expertise in testing SaaS APIs, including security, resilience, and versioning.

• Experience testing complex distributed systems, with a strong background in observability and cloud-native principles.

• Skilled in building and maintaining test suites and managing full QA processes.

• Proficiency in Playwright with JavaScript/TypeScript (1+ years).

• Experience testing applications built with React, Node/Nest.js, and modern frameworks.

• 2+ years of experience in API testing (REST and GraphQL) with Postman, Insomnia, or automation frameworks.

• SQL and NoSQL experience for managing test data and validating outcomes.

• Familiarity with AWS and cloud platforms preferred.

• Experience in frontend/backend performance testing and tuning.

• Strong interest in AI-powered QA, with hands-on experience using AI developer tools (e.g., Cursor, Windsurf).

Core Attributes:

• Commitment to Technical Excellence: Track record of driving high standards in QA and delivering robust testing strategies.

• Ownership & Practicality: Balances quality coverage with release velocity to meet business goals.

• Customer-Centric Mindset: Prioritizes user experience and advocates for customer trust through quality.

• Continuous Learning: Passion for emerging QA technologies and AI-driven testing methods.

• Proactivity & Agency: Identifies risks and improvements independently.

• Adaptability: Thrives in fast-changing, early-stage environments and brings structure to ambiguity.

Other Details:

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

• Comfortable commuting to the NYC office three times per week.

• Compensation: $180k base salary + equity + benefits.