Software QA Lead

We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Software QA Lead with hands-on experience in both manual and automated testing of .NET applications. As a key member of our quality assurance team, you will be responsible for ensuring the reliability, functionality, and performance of our software products. You will work closely with developers, QA member, product managers, Vendors and other stakeholders to identify and resolve defects and contribute to the overall quality of the software development lifecycle. This role will cover a leave of absence lasting 12-18 months, and can work remotely out of Canada or the United States. Key Responsibilities • Lead, mentor, and manage a team of QA Analysts, providing guidance, coaching, and performance feedback to ensure high-quality delivery. • Oversee and coordinate vendor QA activities, ensuring alignment with internal QA processes, quality standards, and project timelines. • Define, enhance, and execute test strategies, plans, and test cases for new features, enhancements, and regression efforts. • Plan, prioritize, and schedule testing activities, ensuring optimal resource allocation across manual and automated testing efforts. • Perform both manual and automated testing for .NET applications— including web, APIs, and service-oriented platforms. • Develop, maintain, and execute automated test scripts using tools such as Postman (JavaScript-based automation) and automation frameworks such as Selenium and Playwright, leveraging JavaScript and C# where applicable. • Ensure comprehensive test coverage by collaborating closely with Product Owners, Business Analysts, and Developers to refine business requirements and acceptance criteria. • Monitor, track, and manage defects through the full lifecycle, and collaborate with development teams to triage, resolve, and verify fixes. • Provide clear, concise, and regular QA status reports to project stakeholders, highlighting risks, timelines, and quality metrics. • Drive continuous improvement initiatives across QA processes, tools, automation frameworks, and team practices. • Champion quality standards and best practices, ensuring adherence to testing methodologies and promoting a quality-first mindset across the team. • Support release planning and production validation, ensuring smooth deployment cycles and high reliability of deliverables. Requirements • Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent work experience). • 10+ years of proven experience in manual and automated testing of .NET applications, including web and service-oriented architectures. • 7+ years of experience in web application testing, with strong hands-on automation experience using tools like Playwright or Selenium. • 3+ years of experience with REST API testing and automation, including building automated test workflows in Postman (JavaScript), Swagger, or SOAP UI. • Proficiency in C# and JavaScript for writing, debugging, and maintaining automated test scripts and utilities. • Experience leading or managing QA team members, providing mentorship, direction, and performance guidance. • Proven experience managing vendor or offshore QA teams, ensuring quality, alignment, and delivery against expectations. • Strong understanding of QA methodologies, software development lifecycles, testing best practices, and end-to-end quality processes. • Solid understanding of web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and experience testing complex web applications. • Hands-on experience with cloud platforms such as Azure or AWS, including testing applications or services deployed in cloud environments. • Experience with database testing, including writing SQL queries for validation of backend processes. • Experience in performance testing using tools such as JMeter. • Familiarity with Git, including branching strategies, pull requests, and reviewing changes. • Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to quickly isolate and identify issues. • Exceptional attention to detail and a strong focus on quality and accuracy. • Strong communication skills, capable of working effectively across technical and non-technical teams. • Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and execute in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. • Demonstrated ownership mindset with a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. Nice to Have • Familiarity with test management in Azure DevOps. • Knowledge of Agile/Scrum methodologies. • Experience with continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines. • Experience working with Enterprise Content Management (ECM) environments such as SharePoint, Documentum, Cara, Livelink, FileNet, Interwoven etc. • Experience working with PDF specification and related technologies.