Lead SDET-UI

We are seeking a hands-on, collaborative Lead SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test) to drive the UI automation strategy, framework architecture, and continuous improvement of our frontend quality practices. As Lead UI SDET, you will provide technical leadership and guidance to the UI test automation team, ensuring robust, maintainable, and effective Playwright-based test suites for our modern web applications. This is a cross-functional leadership role focused on UI quality, maintainability, and efficiency. TypeScript (primary language for test development) • Jest (for unit testing and test utilities) • Docker and Kubernetes (for containerized test environments) • Karate (for E2E API Testing) Key Responsibilities • Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to the UI SDET/QA engineering team • Lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of Playwright-based UI automation frameworks • Architect and enforce the use of the Page Object Model (POM) and data-driven testing paradigms for UI automation • Design and own comprehensive test plans in partnership with Product Owners to align testing strategies and automation scripts with BDD delivery practices • Establish and maintain robust regression testing processes to ensure ongoing UI quality • Drive the evolution and refactoring of UI test suites to adapt to product changes, reduce technical debt, and maximize long-term value • Champion a culture of quality, rapid feedback, and continuous improvement throughout the SDLC • Drive a TDD (Test-Driven Development) culture across the UI engineering team, including promoting learning and adoption of test automation by all engineers • Collaborate closely with product, development, UX, and DevOps teams to deliver integrated, high-quality solutions • Lead the adoption of modern UI testing tools, frameworks, and best practices • Drive root cause analysis and continuous improvement for UI defects and quality issues • Ensure engineering rigor, code quality, and effective documentation in all UI test assets • Core Qualities & Skills • Proven experience leading UI SDET or QA engineering teams and delivering complex UI automation projects • Experience with data-driven testing approaches for UI, including test data creation and test data management, with knowledge of BDD frameworks and practices • Experience with test reporting and analytics for UI automation • Experience with risk-based testing and exploratory testing for UI • Strong programming and scripting skills in TypeScript • Experience with CI/CD pipelines and integrating UI automated tests into the SDLC • Excellent communication, documentation, and stakeholder management abilities • 5+ years of hands-on UI SDET, QA, or software engineering experience, with 2+ years in a technical leadership role • Experience with modern development and testing practices (CI/CD, automated testing, code reviews) • Experience working in cross-functional, agile teams • Experience testing non-deterministic systems, AI/ML outputs, or GenAI-powered UI features • Experience using AI to accelerate the SDLC, UI test automation, and quality analysis • Experience with test strategies for non-deterministic, probabilistic, or data-driven UI systems • Experience with containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) for UI test environments • Familiarity with the Test Pyramid and balancing UI, integration, and unit tests • Experience thriving in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and balancing rapid delivery with technical excellence • Experience leading or working with distributed, multidisciplinary teams