Senior Quality Assurance Engineer

Experience: 5+ YearsLocation: Pune (hybrid)Employment Type: Full-TimeJob Summary:We are looking for an experienced QA Lead / Senior QA Engineer with 5+ years of experience in Manual and Automation Testing. The ideal candidate will lead QA initiatives, design robust automation frameworks, drive quality processes, and leverage AI-powered testing techniques to ensure high-quality product delivery.Key Responsibilities:Leadership & Team Management:- Lead and mentor QA team members by providing technical guidance and best practices.- Define, implement, and continuously improve QA processes, workflows, and testing strategies.- Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to ensure timely and quality project delivery.- Drive quality culture across the organization.Test Strategy & Planning:- Create and execute comprehensive test plans, test strategies, and test cases.- Define and manage test data requirements.- Estimate testing efforts and ensure adequate test coverage.Automation Testing:- Design, develop, and maintain scalable automation frameworks.- Work with tools such as Cypress, Selenium, Playwright, and Page Object Model (POM).- Develop and maintain automated test scripts for web applications and APIs.- Integrate automation suites into CI/CD pipelines.- Improve test coverage and reduce manual testing efforts through automation.Manual Testing:- Perform exploratory, usability, cross-browser, and responsive UI testing.- Execute regression, sanity, and functional testing.- Validate application behavior against business requirements.AI Enablement Skills:- AI-Assisted Test Design- AI-Assisted Automation Development- Prompt Engineering for QA- AI for Defect Analysis- AI-Driven Exploratory TestingDefect Management:- Identify, log, track, and verify defects using tools such as JIRA and TestRail.- Perform root cause analysis and recommend preventive measures.- Ensure timely defect resolution through collaboration with development teams.Documentation & Reporting:- Create and maintain test plans, test cases, bug reports, and release documentation.- Track and report quality metrics, testing progress, risks, and mitigation plans.Stakeholder Communication:- Conduct application demonstrations for stakeholders.- Communicate testing status, risks, blockers, and recommendations effectively.Required Skills:- 5+ years of experience in Software QA and Testing.- Strong experience in Manual Testing and Test Automation.- Hands-on experience with Cypress, Selenium, and Playwright.- Strong understanding of Page Object Model (POM).- Experience in API Testing and Automation.- Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and test integration.- Experience with JIRA and TestRail.- Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.- Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.Preferred Skills:- Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments.- Exposure to AI-driven testing tools and methodologies.- Experience leading or mentoring QA teams. (ref:hirist.tech)