Senior QA Engineer (Manual / Automation)

Mission of the Role

This role exists because the consultancy has no dedicated QA function yet. Its first job is to make a specific, high-stakes rebuild safe: a VC-backed, pre-launch HR/benefits SaaS product is going from prototype to commercial launch in about six months, and every change to the business logic the client trusts needs evidence that nothing broke. The QA Engineer is responsible for building confidence in every release through effective testing, automation, and a growing regression strategy. This role offers the opportunity to gradually take ownership of QA processes and help shape the department's QA practice over time.

Key Outcomes (3–12 Months)

Regression strategy established and continuously improved — a defined, evidence-based regression approach is running for the first project, covering the trusted business logic being restructured

Automation integrated into CI — Playwright + TypeScript test automation is built and running as part of the CI pipeline

Payment surface covered — API and webhook testing covers Stripe ACH and credit-card flows — payment states, failures, and reconciliation

Release readiness trusted — the team and client rely on this person's quality gates and reporting to know when something is ready to ship

QA practice extended — groundwork is laid to bring QA practice to other projects across the department's portfolio, beyond the first assignment

Primary Responsibilities

Regression & Test Strategy

• Help define and continuously improve the regression strategy.

• Test planning from business requirements, not just tickets

• Flag untestable requirements to the PM and Tech Lead before they become untestable code

Automation & API Testing

• Build test automation in Playwright + TypeScript, integrated into CI

• Drive API and webhook testing on the highest-risk surface: payment integrations

Manual & Exploratory Testing

• Run persona-based manual and exploratory testing across three user portals

• Cover payment flows and edge cases automation won't catch

• Support client UAT sessions directly

Quality Ownership & Practice-Building

• Help establish quality gates and provide clear release readiness reporting

• Use AI throughout testing work, and help decide which AI QA tooling the department adopts

• Contribute to growing QA practices across the department as new projects are onboarded

Competencies

• Balanced QA mindset — confident in both manual and automation testing, with automation viewed as a natural extension of strong testing fundamentals

• Comfortable working independently and taking increasing ownership of quality

• Business-value focused — tests against user value and real requirements, not just acceptance criteria as written

• Self-managed under uneven load — handles a fractional, back-loaded schedule without needing constant oversight

Experience & Requirements

Must-Have

• Strong manual and exploratory testing skills, complemented by hands-on automation experience

• Playwright + TypeScript, or a modern equivalent with willingness to standardize on Playwright

• API testing experience (REST, webhooks)

• Uses AI tools as part of daily QA work and is interested in adopting new approaches

• Understands business requirements and tests for user value, not just acceptance criteria

• Experience working both independently and as part of an established QA team, with an understanding of what good QA processes look like

• English B2 or higher — client-facing UAT, written bug reports and documentation

Nice-to-Have

• C# test code experience (the first project is .NET)

• CI/CD test integration (GitHub Actions / Azure DevOps)

• Payment or fintech domain testing experience

• Performance or accessibility testing

• Interest in helping establish QA practices and standards

Why This Role Is Worth Your Time

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys taking ownership and wants to grow beyond hands-on testing. You'll have the opportunity to shape QA practices, gradually expand your responsibilities, and grow together with the department as more projects come under QA.

You'll join as the first QA on a funded product preparing for commercial launch, where you'll help establish automation, improve the regression strategy, and build confidence in every release. As the department grows, you'll have the opportunity to broaden your impact across multiple projects and play an active role in shaping how QA is done within the consultancy.

The workload is intentionally flexible, making this role a good fit for someone balancing other engagements or looking for a gradual path toward a larger role. We're also upfront that there is no existing test suite or documentation to rely on — if building structure from an imperfect starting point sounds motivating rather than intimidating, you'll likely enjoy the challenge.

Interview Process

• Recruiter interview

• Technical interview

• Final interview with the Delivery Manager and Head of Department