QA Unit Head JOB

Job Title: QA Unit Head

Role Purpose:

Lead the Quality Assurance team in developing and implementing testing strategies, overseeing test automation frameworks, and driving continuous improvement in software quality. Ensure that all technology solutions meet performance, security, and compliance standards while aligning with business objectives and technology strategies.

Key Responsibilities:

Quality Assurance Leadership & Strategy:

• Define and execute the QA strategy, aligning it with the DCT technology roadmap and agile development methodologies.
• Develop and enforce standardized QA policies, procedures, and frameworks to improve software quality and efficiency.
• Drive the adoption of test automation, continuous integration (CI), and continuous deployment (CD) to enhance testing effectiveness.
• Define key QA metrics (KPIs) to measure software quality and team effectiveness.
• Ensure compliance with industry best practices, regulatory requirements, and organizational standards.

Test Planning & Execution:

• Oversee the design, development, and execution of test plans, test cases, and test scripts for functional, performance, security, and regression testing.
• Drive the implementation of automated testing tools and frameworks to optimize testing efficiency and coverage.
• Collaborate with development teams to integrate QA best practices in DevOps pipelines.
• Identify, document, and track defects while ensuring their timely resolution.
• Oversee the maintenance of test environments and data management strategies.

Process Improvement & Innovation:

• Conduct periodic QA audits to assess process effectiveness and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identify bottlenecks in software delivery and recommend improvements in testing methodologies.
• Stay updated with emerging QA trends, technologies, and methodologies, implementing relevant improvements.

Stakeholder Management & Communication:

• Ensure alignment on software quality expectations with product owners, business analysts, and development teams.
• Present regular reports on QA performance, defect trends, and process improvements to senior management.
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors and external testing partners as required.

Shared Activity

Strategic Contribution  

• Contribute to the development of the overall technology strategy by integrating QA best practices into software delivery models.  

People Management  

• Lead and mentor a team of QA engineers, ensuring skills development and career growth.
• Set objectives, manage performance, and foster a culture of quality excellence.

Budgeting and Financial Planning  

• Plan and manage the QA budget, ensuring cost-effective resource allocation.
• Optimize the use of testing tools and infrastructure.

Policies, Systems, Processes & Procedures  

• Manage and ensure effective implementation of functional policies, procedures and controls covering all areas of assigned unit activity so that all relevant procedural/legislative/health and safety/environmental requirements are fulfilled while delivering a quality, cost-effective service. 

Continuous Improvement 

• Lead the identification of opportunities for continuous improvement and sustainability of systems, processes and practices considering global standards, productivity improvement and cost reduction.  

Reporting  

• Ensure that all unit reports are prepared timely and accurately and meet DCT requirements, policies and quality standards. 

Communication and Business Relationships:

Internal

• Product Owners, Developers, Business Analysts, Project Managers, IT Operations, Security Teams.

External

• Third-party vendors, technology partners, and external auditors.

Qualifications :

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or a related field (Master’s preferred)
• Certifications in ISTQB (Foundation or Advanced Level), Agile Testing, or Test Automation are preferred

Experience:

• At least 5 to 7 years of experience in Quality Assurance, Software Testing or equivalent with At least 3 years in a leadership role, managing QA teams and strategies.
• Proven experience in test automation, performance testing, and security testing.
• Strong background in Agile, Scrum, and DevOps methodologies.

Skills:

• Language:  Full professional English proficiency both in speaking and writing  & Arabic bilingual desirable but not mandatory 
• Skilled in MS Office (PowerPoint, Word and Excel)
• Proven experience with test automation tools frameworks, and methodologies: Selenium, Appium, Cypress, JMeter, Postman, or equivalent.
• CI/CD & DevOps: Jenkins, Git, Azure DevOps, or similar.
• Test Management Tools: Jira, TestRail, Zephyr.
• Extensive knowledge in programming Languages: Python, Java, JavaScript (for automation frameworks).
• Strong background in performance testing, security testing, and test data management
• Self-motivated with a proven ability to complete work in a timely manner
• Ability to quickly integrate with existing business software tools and knowledge of other relevant industry software
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - including appropriate stakeholder alignment
• Ability to multi-task and to prioritize work effectively
• Ability to work under own direction and high degree of initiative