Lead qa automation

About Norstella
At Norstella, our mission is simple: to help our clients bring life-saving therapies to market quicker—and help patients in need.
Founded in 2022, but with history going back to 1939, Norstella unites best-in-class brands to help clients navigate the complexities at each step of the drug development life cycle —and get the right treatments to the right patients at the right time.
Each organization (Citeline, Evaluate, MMIT, Panalgo, The Dedham Group) delivers must-have answers for critical strategic and commercial decision-making. Together, via our market-leading brands, we help our clients:
- Citeline – accelerate the drug development cycle
- Evaluate – bring the right drugs to market
- MMIT – identify barrier to patient access
- Panalgo – turn data into insight faster
- The Dedham Group – think strategically for specialty therapeutics
By combining the efforts of each organization under Norstella, we can offer an even wider breadth of expertise, cutting-edge data solutions and expert advisory services alongside advanced technologies such as real-world data, machine learning and predictive analytics. As one of the largest global pharma intelligence solution providers, Norstella has a footprint across the globe with teams of experts delivering world class solutions in the USA, UK, The Netherlands, Japan, China and India.
Role
As a Tech Lead - QA Automation Engineer, you will play a critical role in defining, leading, and driving the automation strategy across our products. You will be responsible for designing and implementing automated test frameworks, ensuring the seamless integration of automation within CI/CD pipelines, and working with cross-functional teams to deliver reliable, high-quality software solutions. Your expertise in automation and your ability to mentor and guide junior team members will be essential in fostering a culture of continuous improvement in quality and efficiency.
Responsibilities
- Lead Automation Strategy: Develop and continuously improve robust automation frameworks for functional, regression, smoke, and performance testing, using tools like Playwright, Selenium, and others as suited to the projects. Ensure automation testing is integrated within CI/CD pipelines for continuous feedback.
- Manual Testing Support: Execute manual test cases where automation is not feasible or as product requirements evolve. Ensure that all testing, both manual and automated, aligns with product goals, prioritizing thoroughness and attention to detail.
- Code Quality and Analysis: Implement and oversee static and dynamic code analysis (e.g., Sonar Qube, Stack Hawk) to proactively address vulnerabilities and code quality issues. Collaborate with Dev Ops to standardize these quality checks within the CI/CD pipeline.
- Increase Automation Coverage: Drive initiatives to maximize automation coverage, reducing reliance on manual testing. Target at least 80% automation coverage for critical test cases while ensuring the flexibility to address product-specific manual testing needs.
- Mentor and Guide Team Members: Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior QA engineers, sharing best practices in automation, manual testing, test case design, and troubleshooting. Foster a collaborative, learning-oriented team culture.
- Performance and Reporting: Oversee performance testing (e.g., JMeter, Postman) and reporting, tracking metrics like test execution speed, coverage, and defect detection rates. Generate comprehensive reports to keep stakeholders informed and support data-driven decisions.
- Optimize Test Execution Processes: Improve automated and manual test execution efficiency, ensuring quick turnaround times with minimal manual intervention. Implement self-monitoring pipelines and address potential testing bottlenecks. Champion a “shift-left” approach in testing, focusing on early detection and resolution of issues to ensure continuous quality.
Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
- 7+ years of experience in quality assurance, with strong skills in both automation and manual testing as per product requirements.
- Expertise with automation tools like Playwright, Selenium, Sonar Qube, and Stack Hawk; experience with CI/CD tools like Azure Dev Ops or Jenkins.
- Proven ability to balance automation with manual testing based on product needs, maintaining high standards for test coverage and quality.
- Strong leadership, communication, and mentorship abilities, with experience guiding junior team members.
- Detail-oriented, analytical mindset with a proactive approach to continuous improvement.
Competencies
- Proficient in automation tools (Playwright, Selenium) and languages (Java Script, Python, or similar).
- Strong understanding of CI/CD processes, with hands-on experience in tools like Azure Dev Ops or Jenkins.
- Familiarity with static and dynamic code analysis tools (Sonar Qube, Stack Hawk) for enhancing code quality and security.
Our guiding principles for success at Norstella
01: Bold, Passionate, Mission-First
We have a lofty mission to Smooth Access to Life Saving Therapies and we will get there by being bold and passionate about the mission and our clients. Our clients and the mission in what we are trying to accomplish must be in the forefront of our minds in everything we do.
02: Integrity, Truth, Reality
We make promises that we can keep, and goals that push us to new heights. Our integrity offers us the opportunity to learn and improve by being honest about what works and what doesn’t. By being true to the data and producing realistic metrics, we are able to create plans and resources to achieve our goals.
03: Kindness, Empathy, Grace
We will empathize with everyone's situation, provide positive and constructive feedback with kindness, and accept opportunities for improvement with grace and gratitude. We use this principle across the organization to collaborate and build lines of open communication.
04: Resilience, Mettle, Perseverance
We will persevere – even in difficult and challenging situations. Our ability to recover from missteps and failures in a positive way will help us to be successful in our mission.
05: Humility, Gratitude, Learning
We will be true learners by showing humility and gratitude in our work. We recognize that the smartest person in the room is the one who is always listening, learning, and willing to shift their thinking.
Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Provident Fund
- Life Insurance
- Reimbursement of Certification Expenses
- Gratuity
- 24x7 Health Desk
Norstella is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, race, color, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age. Our ethos is to respect and value people’s differences, to help everyone achieve more at work as well as in their personal lives so that they feel proud of the part they play in our success. We believe that all decisions about people at work should be based on the individual’s abilities, skills, performance and behavior and our business requirements. Norstella operates a zero tolerance policy to any form of discrimination, abuse or harassment.
Sometimes the best opportunities are hidden by self-doubt. We disqualify ourselves before we have the opportunity to be considered. Regardless of where you came from, how you identify, or the path that led you here- you are welcome. If you read this job description and feel passion and excitement, we’re just as excited about you.

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