Job Description
Basic Function
The Lead Product Software Engineer functions as a technical leader, playing a central role in defining and establishing technical and strategic direction for the */dxg Engineering organization. Be a change leader, working with agile teams to plan, design, and implement effective test practices, and test automation as well as how and what to test. Be a part of improving quality and reducing release timelines of our products. Emphasis on next generation autonomous testing solutions, partnering with commercial vendors.
Essential Duties and responsibilities
Leadership
- Provide comprehensive guidelines and practical examples for project plans, quality metrics, quality plans, and process improvement.
- Offer invaluable advice and serve as a reliable sounding board for */dxg leadership, focusing on QE innovation, guidance, and training.
- Lead QE teams when necessary, inspiring team members to elevate their performance and become leading professionals in their field.
- Cultivate a solid, resilient, and high-value QE Team for the organization, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous learning.
- Provide technical leadership and guidance to QE teams, helping them solve complex technical challenges, adopt new technologies, and improve testing efficiency and effectiveness.
Quality Engineering Standards
- Establish and enforce quality engineering policies processes, standards, and procedures to ensure consistency and compliance across the organization.
- Conduct test automation code reviews, quality gates, and inspections to ensure compliance with quality standards and best practices.
- Implement metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to measure and monitor the effectiveness of quality engineering processes.
Innovation
- Provide insights into developing technologies and determine their implementation within the dxg QE environment.
- Continuously seek opportunities for process improvement and innovation, positioning */dxg at the forefront of cutting-edge quality practices.
- Consult on complex testing strategies for products, defining and redefining QE work procedures, guidelines, and designs for holistic testing processes.
- Advise on the strategic direction of Quality Engineering within */dxg, promoting awareness of the importance of quality engineering and driving initiatives to improve a quality culture, processes, and outcomes.
- Extensive knowledge of Java, J2ee, AWS cloud and other related technologies
- Responsible for design, code, configuration, QA, and implementation of high-quality software solutions that are delivered on time and within budget.
- Maintains the best practices needed to ensure on time, quality software solution deliverables.
- Work with a distributed engineering team to foster a smooth development process among onsite and offshore team members.
- Develop and review project estimates and assumptions during planning and at key project milestones. Validate the development approach and assumptions that underlie the project plans and work plans.
- Participate in design, code, and QA walkthroughs and reviews
- Stay abreast of the ever-changing technology industry to make sure solutions developed are following “best practices” and will meet the needs of the business going forward. Research and evaluate emerging technology solutions.
- Communicate at the appropriate level within and outside of IT the technical direction and proposed solutions for various projects and initiatives
Test Strategy Development
- Collaborate with stakeholders to define test objectives, scope, and requirements for software projects.
- Develop comprehensive test strategies and plans aligned with project goals, timelines, quality goals, and quality standards.
- Identify testing methodologies, and techniques best suited for each project's unique requirements.
- Identify opportunities to leverage automation for maximizing test coverage and minimizing manual effort.
Test Architecture Design
- Design and implement robust test architectures and frameworks to support automated testing, performance testing, and continuous integration.
- Define standards and best practices for test case design, test data management, and test environment configuration.
- Ensure scalability, maintainability, and reusability of test assets across multiple projects.
- Design comprehensive QE solutions that align with the organization's business objectives, development methodologies, and technology stack.
Tools Framework
- Design and implement robust test architectures and frameworks to support automated testing, performance testing, and continuous integration.
- Define standards and best practices for test case design, test data management, and test environment configuration.
- Ensure scalability, maintainability, and reusability of test assets across multiple projects.
- Design comprehensive QE solutions that align with the organization's business objectives, development methodologies, and technology stack..
Automation
- Create automated test scripts for functional, regression, performance, and security testing.
- Integrate automated tests into continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines for seamless execution.
- Ensure test scripts are efficient and reliable, and provide comprehensive coverage of application functionality.
Performance Testing
- Design and develop performance testing strategies to assess system scalability, reliability, and responsiveness.
- Identify performance bottlenecks, analyze test results, and provide recommendations for optimization.
- Collaborate with development teams to implement performance improvements and ensure scalability.
- Implement techniques such as parallel testing and distributed execution to accelerate testing cycles.
- Monitor test execution results and identify opportunities for performance improvements..
Collaboration
- Collaborate with development, product management, and operations teams to ensure alignment on quality objectives and priorities.
- Provide technical guidance and support to QA engineers, developers, and other stakeholders.
- Facilitate knowledge sharing and best practice dissemination across teams to promote a culture of quality and continuous improvement.
Guidance and Training
- Develop and maintain updated training materials based on the Center of Excellence's (CoE) Methods of Work.
- Oversee the management, review, and dissemination of the Method of Work library to ensure accessibility and relevance.
- Offer mentorship and training sessions to Quality Architects and Quality Engineers, focusing on tools, techniques, and best practices.
- Cultivate a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the QA team, encouraging active participation and knowledge sharing.
- Share expertise and insights with cross-functional teams to foster collaboration and alignment on quality assurance initiatives.
- Equip individuals and teams with the knowledge and expertise required to excel in Quality Engineering through comprehensive training and mentorship.
- Enable Methods of Work (MoWs) writing and maintenance, fostering growth and proficiency in Quality Engineering among WK Groups/Divisions.
- Provide guidance in adopting Agile Scrum and SAFe ceremonies, ensuring project teams fully grasp the significance and implementation of Agile/Scrum methodologies.
- Conduct dxg Methods of Work (MoW) training tailored for various stakeholders, from project owners to development and quality assurance teams.
Reporting
- Provide regular progress updates and detailed reports to both peers and management regarding automation progress, test results, and key performance metrics.
- Effectively communicate with cross-functional teams to raise awareness of critical issues, risks, and recommendations for improvement.
- Prepare executive summaries and presentations that effectively convey the impact of automation initiatives on project outcomes and align with business objectives.
- Establish and co-lead the Quality governance process to identify, assess, and mitigate risks that could impact the quality of software products.
- Develop risk management strategies and implement controls to minimize the likelihood and impact of quality-related risks.
Job Qualifications
Qualifications.
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
- Experience with continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines and tools.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with a strong attention to detail.
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate across teams and influence stakeholders.
- In-depth knowledge of software quality assurance principles, methodologies, and best practices.
- Strong understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC) methodologies, including Agile, Scrum, and DevOps.
- Knowledge of Test Automation scripts and programming languages.
Or equivalent experience or training
Experience:
- Proven experience (5 - 10 years) in quality assurance and software testing, with a focus on test architecture and strategy.
- Experience designing and implementing comprehensive QE strategies, tools, frameworks, and solutions across complex software projects or organizations.
- Demonstrated track record of successfully leading QE initiatives, improving testing processes, and driving quality improvements.
- Able to Train, Coach, and mentor scrum cadence.
Or equivalent experience or training
Other Knowledge, Skills, Abilities or Certifications:
- Certification in quality engineering or related fields is a plus.
- Scrum experience or certifications
- Tricentis Tosca, and qTest
- Atlassian products as in Confluence, Jira, and BitBucket
