Automation Test Lead – Python

Overview

As QA Engineering Manager at FTSE Russell, you will shape the quality strategy for data-centric applications with complex dependencies. You lead automation and regression testing efforts across UI, API, and data platforms, driving a quality-first culture. You’ll mentor teams, implement AI-assisted quality practices, and ensure robust testing within cloud-native, AWS-based environments. This role offers impact on market data quality and scalable quality controls in a global, innovative setting.

Pay / Benefits

• healthcare
• retirement planning
• paid volunteering days
• wellbeing initiatives

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the Quality Engineering vision, roadmap, and operating model across product streams
• Champion a quality-first culture across engineering teams
• Establish standards for automation, release readiness, and quality metrics
• Drive adoption of AI-assisted quality engineering practices and intelligent automation
• Provide technical leadership, coaching and mentorship across Quality Engineering teams
• Develop enterprise-scale automation strategies covering UI, API, database, integration and E2E testing
• Build automation frameworks using Playwright, PyTest and BDD approaches
• Drive automation KPIs and continuous improvement
• Integrate testing into CI/CD pipelines and quality gates
• Define testing strategies for data-intensive platforms and financial datasets
• Ensure integrity and accuracy of market and index data
• Implement automated database validation and reconciliation testing
• Partner with data engineering teams on scalable quality controls
• Define the technical direction for automation frameworks, testing infrastructure, and quality engineering tooling
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve system quality through test coverage
• Drive cloud-native testing strategies across AWS-based platforms and distributed architectures
• Establish standards for API, contract, integration, and service virtualization testing
• Continuously evaluate and enhance QA processes to improve efficiency and reduce cycle times
• Establish dashboards and KPIs covering automation, defect leakage, production incidents, release confidence, and test effectiveness
• Analyse production quality trends and drive data-driven improvement initiatives
• Work closely with product managers, developers, and stakeholders to align on quality objectives and deliverables
• Communicate strategies, plans, progress, and risks to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Coordinate with project managers to ensure timely delivery of testing milestones

Key requirements

• 12+ years in Quality Engineering, Testing, or Test Automation with leadership experience
• Experience delivering enterprise-scale automation strategies
• Strong hands-on knowledge of Pytest, Pytest-BDD, Playwright, Cucumber, Junit or TestNG
• Proficiency in Python and working knowledge of JavaScript/TypeScript
• Experience with database testing (Postgres, SQL Server, Athena Iceberg)
• Strong understanding of API, UI, integration and end-to-end testing
• Experience with GitLab CI/CD and integrating automated tests within them
• Strong experience with cloud technologies, especially AWS
• Knowledge of AI/ML applications for automation is advantageous
• Familiarity with performance testing, security testing, and non-functional testing (JMeter, Apache Benchmark)
• Certification in QA or Test Automation (e.g., ISTQB)
• Excellent problem-solving abilities and attention to detail
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capabilities

• leadership
• cross-functional collaboration
• communication
• Playwright
• PyTest
• Pytest-BDD

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