Director - Quality Assurance & Test Automation

The OpportunityWe're seeking an exceptional Director of Quality Assurance & Test Automation to lead and transform our quality engineering function during this critical growth phase. This is a rare opportunity to shape quality strategy for a security-critical product while leading the QA transformation for our SaaS evolution.This role requires a hands-on technical leader who can provide strategic thought leadership while remaining deeply engaged in building and implementing quality frameworks. You'll lead quality assurance across two critical tracks : 1. Business-As-Usual (BAU) Track : Ensuring continuous quality excellence for our existing REL-ID platform serving production customers 2. SaaS Transformation Track : Establishing quality frameworks and practices for our multi-tenant, multi-cloud SaaS architecture The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in security application testing, automation leadership, and the ability to scale quality practices for both traditional and cloud-native architectures.Position OverviewAs Director of Quality Assurance & Test Automation, you will : - Lead quality strategy across both BAU operations and SaaS transformation initiatives - Design and implement comprehensive test automation frameworks from the ground up - Provide thought leadership on quality engineering best practices for security-critical applications - Build and scale quality engineering capabilities for multi-tenant SaaS architecture - Drive cultural transformation toward continuous testing and quality-first development practices - Collaborate with executive leadership to establish quality standards, release criteria, and risk management frameworks - Mentor and develop the QA organization while being hands-on in critical technical implementations This is a strategic leadership role with significant hands-on technical involvement-you'll set direction while actively contributing to framework development, architecture decisions, and complex testing challenges.Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic Leadership & Thought Leadership - Define and execute the comprehensive quality assurance strategy for REL-ID across BAU and SaaS tracks - Provide thought leadership on quality engineering practices for authentication, security, and identity verification systems - Establish quality gates, release criteria, and risk management frameworks aligned with business objectives - Build the business case for quality investments and communicate quality metrics to executive leadership - Drive quality culture transformation across engineering, product, and operations teams - Partner with Product, Engineering, Security, and Operations leadership to embed quality throughout the product lifecycle - Develop and manage the QA roadmap aligned with product strategy and SaaS transformation timeline - Establish quality metrics and KPIs that provide actionable insights into product health and release readinessBAU Track - Quality Excellence for Production Platform - Ensure continuous quality assurance for the existing REL-ID platform serving production customers - Optimize testing processes to maintain release velocity while increasing quality confidence - Implement risk-based testing approaches that prioritize security-critical functionality - Establish regression testing frameworks that scale with product complexity - Develop quality monitoring and incident analysis processes to drive continuous improvement - Collaborate with Customer Success and Support to incorporate field insights into quality practices - Manage quality for multiple mobile SDK platforms (iOS, Android, React Native, Cordova, Flutter) - Ensure comprehensive testing of authentication workflows, MTD capabilities, and identity verification featuresSaaS Transformation Track - Building Quality for Cloud-Native Architecture - Design quality frameworks specifically for multi-tenant, multi-cloud SaaS architecture - stablish testing strategies for tenant isolation, data privacy, and multi-tenancy scenarios - Implement cloud-native testing approaches including infrastructure testing and cloud service validation - Develop scalability and elasticity testing frameworks for SaaS performance characteristics - Create tenant-specific test data management strategies ensuring data isolation and security - Build quality practices for continuous deployment in cloud environments - Establish monitoring and observability testing to validate SaaS operational excellenceTest Automation & Technical Leadership - Architect and implement enterprise-grade test automation frameworks for web, mobile, and API testing - Design specialized automation for authentication flows, security mechanisms, and encryption validation - Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines for continuous quality feedback - Implement comprehensive API and service-level testing for backend Java/C++ services - Develop mobile automation strategies for platform-specific and cross-platform testing - Create performance, load, and scalability testing frameworks for both traditional and SaaS architectures - Build security testing automation including OWASP compliance, vulnerability detection, and penetration testing integration - Establish test environment management using infrastructure-as-code and containerization - Implement advanced test data management for security-sensitive scenarios - Create comprehensive quality dashboards providing real-time visibility into test coverage and quality metricsTeam Development & Organizational Growth : - Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing quality engineering team - Develop team capabilities in modern testing practices, automation, and security testing - Foster a culture of quality ownership across engineering teams - Establish career development frameworks for quality engineering roles - Lead hiring initiatives to build team capabilities aligned with strategic needs - Promote knowledge sharing through training, documentation, and community of practiceCurrent State & Transformation Challenges : You'll be addressing significant quality engineering opportunities as you establish world-class QA practices : Existing Platform Challenges : - Limited automated test coverage across functional, security, and performance domains - Manual testing processes creating release bottlenecks and inconsistent quality outcomes - Specialized authentication and security testing requiring enhanced approaches - API and service-level testing needing comprehensive coverage expansion - Mobile application testing requiring platform-specific automation frameworks - Performance and load testing requiring structured, repeatable methodologies - Security testing integration needed throughout the continuous testing pipeline - Test data management requiring sophisticated approaches for security-sensitive scenarios - Test environment orchestration and configuration management optimization - Quality visibility and metrics requiring enhanced reporting and analyticsSaaS Transformation Challenges : - Establishing quality frameworks for multi-tenant architecture patterns - Designing testing approaches for tenant isolation and data privacy - Building scalability testing for elastic cloud infrastructure - Creating deployment testing for multi-cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP) - Implementing continuous testing for rapid SaaS release cycles - Developing monitoring and observability validation approachesThe Technical Transformation You'll Lead : - Automation Framework Evolution- Continuous Testing Integration- Security Testing Excellence- Performance & Scalability- Test Environment & Data Management- Quality IntelligenceRequired Qualifications : & Background : - 15+ years of software testing and quality assurance experience - 5+ years in QA leadership roles at Director level or equivalent - Proven track record leading quality for security-critical or authentication systems - Hands-on experience designing and implementing test automation frameworks from scratch - Strong background in testing web applications, APIs, and mobile platforms - Demonstrated success integrating automated testing into CI/CD pipelines - Experience leading quality initiatives through significant product transformations - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred)Technical Expertise : - Deep expertise in test automation frameworks, design patterns, and best practices - Strong programming skills in Java, Python, JavaScript, or similar languages - Extensive experience with automation tools (Selenium, Appium, RestAssured, Postman, JMeter) - Solid understanding of testing methodologies including BDD, TDD, and exploratory testing - Hands-on experience with CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, CircleCI) - Knowledge of database testing approaches and SQL/NoSQL technologies - Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) - Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and cloud-native testingSecurity & Compliance Testing : - Proven experience testing authentication workflows and security mechanisms - Strong knowledge of OWASP testing methodologies and security vulnerabilities - Understanding of encryption, PKI, certificates, and cryptographic protocol testing - Experience with security testing tools and vulnerability scanners - Background in testing compliance requirements (PCI-DSS, SOC 2, GDPR, etc.) - Familiarity with mobile security testing and threat detection validationMobile & Platform Expertise : - Experience testing native iOS and Android applications - Knowledge of cross-platform frameworks (React Native, Cordova, Flutter) - Understanding of mobile-specific testing challenges (device fragmentation, OS versions, biometrics) - Experience with mobile automation frameworks and device farms - Familiarity with mobile app distribution and testing (TestFlight, Firebase App Distribution)Leadership & Communication : - Exceptional leadership skills with ability to influence without authority - Strong executive communication abilities to present to C-level stakeholders - Proven ability to build and mentor high-performing teams - Collaborative approach to working with Product, Engineering, and Security teams - Strategic thinking balanced with tactical execution capabilities - Change management experience leading organizational transformationsPreferred Qualifications : - Experience testing OAuth 2.0, OIDC, FIDO2, or WebAuthn implementations - Background in financial services, healthcare, or highly regulated industries - Experience with SaaS or multi-tenant architecture quality assurance - Knowledge of chaos engineering and resilience testing practices - Experience implementing shift-left testing and quality engineering practices - Background with AI/ML-based testing approaches and tools - Familiarity with identity verification and KYC testing - Experience with biometric authentication testing (fingerprint, Face ID, etc.) - Knowledge of mobile threat detection and device risk assessment - Certifications such as ISTQB Advanced/Expert, CSSLP, or security testing certifications - Master's degree or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related fieldPersonal Attributes & Cultural FitWe're looking for a leader who embodies : - Technical depth with strategic vision - Can dive deep into automation architecture while maintaining big-picture quality strategy - Hands-on leadership style - Leads by example, rolling up sleeves when needed while empowering the team - Quality advocacy - Passionate about building quality into products, not just testing quality in - Security mindset - Understands the critical nature of security testing and authentication validation - Collaborative influence - Builds strong partnerships across Product, Engineering, and Operations - Adaptability and resilience - Thrives in dynamic environments balancing BAU operations with transformation initiatives - Continuous learning - Stays current with testing technologies, methodologies, and industry best practices - Results orientation - Focuses on measurable quality improvements and business outcomes - Communication excellence - Articulates complex quality concepts to technical and non-technical audiences - Mentorship commitment - Dedicated to developing team members and building organizational capabilityAbout Our Technology & What You'll Work With : - Mobile SDKs : Native iOS (Swift/Objective-C), Native Android (Kotlin/Java), React Native, Cordova, Flutter - Backend : Java, C++, MongoDB - Security : RMAK (proprietary), OAuth 2.0, OIDC, PKI, encryption protocols - Cloud : Multi-cloud architecture (AWS, Azure, GCP) - in development - DevOps : Modern CI/CD pipelines, containerization, infrastructure-as-code (ref:hirist.tech)