QA Lead /Manager with Telecom exp Required // Basking Ridge, NJ // 12 months contract

[Harry Wilson]

Position: QA Lead /Manager with Telecom exp Required

Location: Basking Ridge, NJ (Onsite Role) Need Locals Or Nearby

Job Type: 12 months contract

Ex- Verizon experience is Must!!!

Quality Engineering with 12+ years of Experience (OSS/BSS)

About the Role

We are seeking a highly experienced and strategic Lead Engineer – Quality Engineering to drive end-to-end quality initiatives across complex, enterprise-scale systems. This role goes beyond hands-on testing—it requires strong technical leadership, mentoring capabilities, and ownership of quality transformation across teams.

As a Lead Engineer, you will define and enforce quality standards, guide teams in adopting modern automation frameworks and AI-driven testing practices, and work closely with leadership to ensure delivery of robust, scalable, and defect-free applications.

You will also act as a key decision-maker in test strategy, architecture, and release governance, ensuring alignment with Agile Release Trains and organizational goals.

Key Responsibilities

1. Quality Strategy & Leadership

• Define and implement enterprise-level Quality Engineering strategy across multiple applications or programs

• Establish best practices for test automation, CI/CD integration, and shift-left quality engineering

• Drive adoption of AI-augmented testing (Gemini, GitHub Copilot, Agentic Testing) across teams

• Act as a quality gatekeeper, ensuring zero-defect leakage into production

2. Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Design and oversee scalable, reusable automation frameworks (UI, API, E2E)

• Lead the transition from legacy test frameworks to next-gen architectures (Playwright, Serenity BDD, MCP-based systems)

• Define test architecture standards, coding practices, and framework governance

• Ensure robust test data strategies, including adoption of synthetic and AI-generated datasets

3. Agile Delivery & Program Ownership

• Own QA delivery across multiple Agile teams or release trains (ARTs)

• Ensure timely completion of test cycles, including functional, regression, and integration testing

• Proactively identify and manage risks, dependencies, and delivery bottlenecks

• Provide clear, data-driven updates to leadership on quality metrics and release readiness

4. Team Mentorship & Collaboration

• Mentor and guide QA engineers (SSEs, Engineers) in manual, automation, and AI-driven testing practices

• Conduct code reviews, test design reviews, and enforce engineering excellence

• Collaborate with developers, product owners, architects, and business stakeholders for early quality engagement

• Foster a strong quality culture within the team

5. Advanced Testing & Defect Management

• Oversee execution of end-to-end (E2E), API, system integration, and regression testing strategies

• Lead Sev-1/Sev-2 incident management, root cause analysis, and preventive quality measures

• Drive continuous improvement through defect trend analysis and test coverage optimization

6. AI-Augmented Engineering

• Lead adoption of AI-powered test generation and optimization

• Implement self-healing automation frameworks and intelligent test maintenance

• Establish processes for leveraging AI in test case design, debugging, and productivity enhancement

Required Expertise & Qualifications

(Core Competencies)

Test Strategy & Leadership

• Proven experience leading QA efforts across large-scale or multi-team programs

Automation Expertise

• Deep expertise in Selenium with Java and modern tools like Playwright

Framework Design

• Strong experience designing and maintaining enterprise automation frameworks

E2E & API Testing

• Expertise in end-to-end, integration, and API testing (e.g., REST Assured)

CI/CD Integration

• Extensive experience with Jenkins, GitLab, or similar pipelines for release gating

Test Data Management

• Advanced knowledge of TDM, including synthetic data strategies

AI Proficiency

• Hands-on experience using AI tools (Gemini, Copilot) in engineering workflows

Metrics & Reporting

• Ability to define and track KPIs like defect density, leakage, test coverage, and execution health

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills

• Proven ability to mentor, coach, and upskill teams

• Exceptional problem-solving and decision-making capabilities

• High ownership mindset with a focus on quality, delivery, and continuous improvement

Secondary Skills (Domain & Supporting Tech)

Agile & SAFe

• Deep understanding of Agile frameworks, Agile Release Trains (ART), and DevOps practices

Telecom Domain (Preferred)

• OSS/BSS systems, revenue workflow validation

Service Assurance & Monitoring

• Knowledge of incident management and service workflows

Network Inventory Systems

• LFIM, CND (preferred)

Field Service Management

• Familiarity with tools like Optix Dispatch, VzOT, Tech360

Test Frameworks

• TestNG, Cucumber, Serenity BDD

What We’re Looking For

• A quality leader who can drive transformation across teams

• A hands-on architect who balances strategy with execution

• A proactive communicator capable of influencing leadership decisions

• A champion of AI-first Quality Engineering practices

Very Truly,
Harry Wilson
Sr Recruiting Manager
Direct / Text : 732-576-3828
harry....@catsoftwareservices.com
Cat Software Services Inc
www.catsoftwareservices.com
5 Independence Way Suite 300, Princeton, NJ