QA Lead / Software Tester / QA / Quality Assurance / Testing / Deployment / Architecture / Test EngineerQA Lead (Software Tester) with 5 + years' software quality and test engineering experience is needed for our client, an ambitious and rapidly growing global software business based in Twickenham, South West London. They are looking for an experience testing and deployment guru to join a talented engineering team building a world-class big data-science driven SEO and Content Marketing platform that helps companies of all sizes get the best return from their websites. They are constantly evolving the platform using an Agile development process, as such test and deployment automation is a fundamental part of maintaining the pace of development without compromising the quality of the system.The Role:They are looking for a talented and experienced engineer who can create an architecture for driving the automated testing of new products and supporting software and services. You will need to architect and code solutions that the team can use for years to come and tests that are robust enough to be flexible across future releases.You should have an in-depth knowledge of Quality Assurance, solid understanding of computer science principles, as well as knowledge of how to architect software for maximum longevity. The test software you will build should expose defects in production level code as well as defects at the component, API and feature integration level. You will also be working with the development and production teams on early detection and monitoring solutions.You will play a key leadership role in an integrated dev/ops team, which means you will be able to define the future test and deployment architecture, help to develop the overall software engineering processes, and input into the technical direction of the business. As a key leader in the team, you will coordinate and project manage the whole deployment process, from agreeing what items are specified well enough to be included in sprints to signing off on deployments. Minimum Qualifications and Requirements: * A bachelor's degree or equivalent industry experience * 5 + years software quality and test engineering experience * Extensive automated testing experience in the creation, maintenance and execution of automated tests / frameworks across a variety of IT technology platforms * experience in API testing, databases and web applications * experience in setting up testing frameworks from the ground up * Strong knowledge of Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) and structured testing methodologies * Strong technical testing background in areas of unit testing, system integration, UAT, non-functional and end-to-end testing * Ability to develop complex test plans, acceptance criteria and test conditions from user stories, technical designs and specifications * History of shipping high-quality, well-designed software products Technical Skills: * 3 + years' experience developing automated testing solutions (experience with Selenium Web Driver, Java, Python, PHPUnit, Robot framework, and Jenkins would be ideal) * Automated testing experience with Selenium Web Driver is essential * experience with Jenkins CI is essential * Extensive experience in the design and implementation of automated functional tests using Java * Experienced with using version / configuration control tools such as Subversion and GIT. * Converting manual test cases into automated Scripts (Geb, Groovy, Intellij IDEA, Ecllipse) in existing projects * Conduct test case, documentation and code peer-reviews (Jira) * Document software defects in a clear and concise way (Jira) * Maintain existing software defect tickets adding all pertinent details (Jira) * Develop test cases that provide test coverage for existing and new features (Test Rail) * Design test plans for regression testing (Test Rail) * Provide and maintain process documentation (Confluence) * Determine production readiness of application * Performance testing experience with any tools, e.g. J-Meter, Load Xen * experience working with complex systems in the 'Big Data' arena Personal Skills: * Strong analysis, problem solving and troubleshooting skills * Strong verbal and written communication skills * Self-motivated and capable of working independently as well as part of fast-paced team * Organised and capable of working on multiple tasks efficiently * Eager to implement your own processes and procedures * Interested in the future of testing and deployment * Be keen to develop your career and eventually lead a bigger QA function or move into project management or other areas of the business Salary: Highly competitive, negotiable Benefits: * EMI approved share option scheme * Career progression * Encouragement to attend conferences and training days * Freedom to explore new technologies * Opportunities for international travel * Relaxed office environment - with a WIFI enabled garden (and team BBQs in the summer and snow ball fights in the winter!) * You'll be joining a growing company, with a unique global proposition, at an early enough stage to make a big contribution to our success and to accelerate your career They are doubling the team in 2022/18 and this is a superb opportunity to be a part of a growing business (and even own a part of the business through their generous share option scheme).Please forward your CV for immediate consideration.