QA Department Lead (Pune)

Role summary A QA leader who owns test strategy and the automation roadmap, drives the move from manual testing to dependable automation, and mentors a distributed team into new practices inside an AI-augmented (AI-PDLC) delivery model. Key responsibilities Own QA strategy and the automation roadmap: shared frameworks, standards, and quality gates across teams. Lead the manual-to-automated transformation toward a explicit critical-path coverage target. Grow the team: mentoring, a structured upskilling curriculum, pairing, and a career ladder that moves each tester into new practices. Set AI-testing governance: standards for testing AI-backed features and for governing tests that AI helps generate. Tie quality gates to delivery outcomes (such as change-failure rate), embedded in the squads rather than bolted on at the end. Required skills and experience 8+ years in software QA, including 3+ years leading a QA team or practice (setting strategy and standards across more than one team). A demonstrated track record driving a manual-to-automated transformation to a measurable coverage target. Hands-on automation depth (for example Playwright and CI/CD) sufficient to set direction credibly and coach on it. Proven mentoring and upskilling of testers building capability through curriculum, pairing, and structured career progression. Fluency in AI-augmented testing and in governing AI-generated tests and AI-backed features (evaluation, oracles, non-determinism). The ability to tie quality gates to delivery outcomes (DORA change-failure rate) and to operate an embedded, shift-left model. Change-leadership: moving a team into new tools and practices while keeping delivery steady. Preferred qualifications (nice to have) ISTQB Foundation (CTFL) or AI Testing (CT-AI) certification. Experience standing up a Testing Center of Excellence. Healthcare or other regulated-domain quality experience, and test-data governance. Leading a distributed or multi-site team. What a strong Role summary A QA leader who owns test strategy and the automation roadmap, drives the move from manual testing to dependable automation, and mentors a distributed team into new practices inside an AI-augmented (AI-PDLC) delivery model. Key responsibilities Own QA strategy and the automation roadmap: shared frameworks, standards, and quality gates across teams. Lead the manual-to-automated transformation toward a explicit critical-path coverage target. Grow the team: mentoring, a structured upskilling curriculum, pairing, and a career ladder that moves each tester into new practices. Set AI-testing governance: standards for testing AI-backed features and for governing tests that AI helps generate. Tie quality gates to delivery outcomes (such as change-failure rate), embedded in the squads rather than bolted on at the end. Required skills and experience 8+ years in software QA, including 3+ years leading a QA team or practice (setting strategy and standards across more than one team). A demonstrated track record driving a manual-to-automated transformation to a measurable coverage target. Hands-on automation depth (for example Playwright and CI/CD) sufficient to set direction credibly and coach on it. Proven mentoring and upskilling of testers building capability through curriculum, pairing, and structured career progression. Fluency in AI-augmented testing and in governing AI-generated tests and AI-backed features (evaluation, oracles, non-determinism). The ability to tie quality gates to delivery outcomes (DORA change-failure rate) and to operate an embedded, shift-left model. Change-leadership: moving a team into new tools and practices while keeping delivery steady. Preferred qualifications (nice to have) ISTQB Foundation (CTFL) or AI Testing (CT-AI) certification. Experience standing up a Testing Center of Excellence. Healthcare or other regulated-domain quality experience, and test-data governance. Leading a distributed or multi-site team. What a strong