Lead QA Automation Engineer

Gainbridge is seeking a Lead QA Automation Engineer to own the automation strategy across a multi-surface product portfolio. The role involves making architectural decisions, setting quality standards, and working collaboratively with engineering and product teams while having a potential path to leadership in the future.

Responsibilities:

• Own the automation framework across the portfolio: structure, conventions, CI integration, scalability
• Make tooling and architectural decisions — you set the direction, you're accountable for outcomes
• Build new automation foundations on greenfield surfaces; raise the bar on existing ones
• Conduct code reviews that set the standard, not just check the box
• Define what gets tested, to what depth, and with what trade-offs — across multiple product surfaces simultaneously
• Write test plans, edge case coverage, and automation strategy per scope
• When release readiness isn't there, you say so — clearly, with data, to whoever needs to hear it
• Close requirement gaps before development begins
• Represent QA in sprint planning, architecture reviews, and cross-team syncs
• Negotiate scope and timelines with product and engineering when quality risk isn't accounted for
• Raise the craft of the QA engineers around you through structured code reviews and direct feedback
• Evaluate and improve QA and SDLC processes — if something is slow or unclear, fix it
• Participate in hiring as the team grows — screening candidates, conducting technical interviews, helping shape the bar

Requirements:

• Solid hands-on experience with Playwright and TypeScript
• You've built automation infrastructure from scratch and improved inherited systems — you're comfortable with both
• You've made architectural decisions and owned the consequences
• You've pushed back on a release when quality wasn't there — you know what it costs and you've done it anyway
• You communicate quality risk directly, without softening it for the room
• Your estimates are accurate; when they're not, you say so early and adjust
• You've raised the quality of the engineers around you — through reviews, feedback, or direct mentorship