What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Software Quality Assurance Engineer position at Photon?
Quality Engineering (QE) Lead — DSP Platform Channel Testing
Location: Tempe, AZ (Onsite)
Role Summary
The QE Lead will own and drive end-to-end quality engineering for regression testing across customer-facing channels including Mobile, Web, and POS as part of the new DSP platform integration initiative. This role extends beyond existing API/headless testing into full-channel validation using modern automation frameworks and cloud-based device/browser platforms.
The ideal candidate will lead automation strategy, integrate and extend existing Mobile/Web test suites, and establish scalable regression pipelines that ensure high-quality releases across all DSP-integrated channels.
Key Responsibilities
QE Strategy & Leadership
- Define and drive the QE strategy for DSP-integrated channel testing across:
- Mobile applications
- Web applications
- POS systems
- Lead the transition from API/headless-only testing into full-stack channel validation.
- Establish scalable regression testing practices aligned with CI/CD pipelines.
- Own release quality gates and regression sign-off processes.
- Mentor and guide QE engineers on automation best practices and framework design.
- Collaborate with Engineering, Product, DevOps, and Platform teams to align testing with release timelines and business priorities.
Test Automation Ownership
- Design and maintain automation frameworks using:
- Playwright
- BrowserStack
- JMeter
- API automation tools/frameworks
- Integrate channel automation suites with existing DSP platform workflows.
- Extend and enhance existing Mobile/Web automation suites to support DSP use cases.
- Ensure cross-browser, cross-device, and POS compatibility coverage.
- Build reusable automation components and scalable test architecture.
Regression & Integration Testing
- Own regression testing strategy for all customer channels.
- Validate end-to-end integrations between DSP services and client channels.
- Develop risk-based regression suites for frequent deployments.
- Ensure stable automated regression execution in CI/CD environments.
- Monitor test execution trends, flaky tests, and quality metrics.
Quality Governance & Reporting
- Define QE KPIs and reporting dashboards.
- Provide release readiness assessments and defect trend analysis.
- Drive root-cause analysis for production defects and test failures.
- Advocate shift-left quality practices across teams.
Required Skills & Experience
Technical Skills
- Strong expertise in:
- Playwright or similar UI automation frameworks
- BrowserStack or cloud device/browser testing platforms
- API automation testing
- JMeter/performance and headless testing
- Experience testing:
- Mobile applications
- Web applications
- POS systems or transaction-based systems
- Strong understanding of:
- CI/CD pipelines
- Test orchestration
- Regression strategy
- Automation framework architecture
- Experience with:
- JavaScript/TypeScript and/or Java
- REST APIs
- Git-based workflows
- Test reporting tools
Leadership Experience
- 8–10 years in QA/QE with at least 2–3 years in a lead role.
- Experience managing or mentoring QE engineers.
- Ability to coordinate testing across multiple teams and platforms.
- Strong stakeholder communication and delivery ownership.
Nice to Have
- Experience with retail, payments, or POS ecosystems.
- Exposure to mobile automation frameworks:
- Appium
- Detox
- Espresso/XCUITest
- Experience with observability and quality analytics tools.
- Knowledge of performance and reliability engineering practices.