Lead QA Engineer

QA Strategy & Capability

• Define and own the QA and test strategy for Ship Sure, evolving QA into an overall quality function.
• Build QA capability, skills and capacity across both automated and manual testing.
• Establish a UAT capability — including an offshore / India-based model where UK capacity does not currently exist.

• Embed quality throughout the AI-assisted SDLC, applying shift-left testing and test automation.
• Ensure acceptance criteria (Given / When / Then) translate directly into test cases, partnering with Product Owners.
• Define quality gates, coverage targets and release-readiness criteria.

• Lead, recruit, develop and mentor the QA team across internal and outsourced / offshore resources.
• Report on quality metrics, defect trends and release confidence.
• Partner with development partners and engineering leadership to uphold standards.

• Significant experience in QA / test leadership, ideally building or maturing a QA function from a low base.
• Strong experience across test automation and manual testing.
• Experience establishing UAT capability, including offshore / India-based teams.
• Strong understanding of agile delivery and embedding quality across the SDLC.
• Excellent stakeholder management and leadership skills.

• Experience in maritime, ERP, or multi-tenant SaaS environments.
• Experience with AI-assisted testing tools and workflows.
• Experience managing offshore teams, particularly in India.
• ISTQB or equivalent quality / testing certification.