Lead Quality Engineer - Automation & AI

Job Title: Lead Quality Engineer - Automation & AI

Location: Bexhill/Leicester/London – Hybrid

We are seeking a senior, hands‑on QA leader to drive the technological transformation of testing across our pricing platforms. The role is responsible for improving quality, pace, and confidence of delivery through modern testing techniques, automation, and AI‑enabled approaches, while leading and developing a high‑performing QA function. You will work across our in‑house rating engine and Azure/Git Hub‑based engineering landscape, collaborating closely with pricing engineers, ML engineers, and underwriting teams to modernise testing design, execution, and governance, reducing duplication of effort and materially lowering post‑live issues.

• Lead end‑to‑end QA strategy and execution across all underwriting lines of business, ensuring testing supports high‑quality delivery at pace.
• Design, implement, and continuously evolve the QA strategy covering pre‑live testing, post‑release monitoring, and live issue investigation, with a focus on improving quality, pace, and confidence of delivery.
• Provide hands‑on technical leadership in reviewing test strategies, automation design, and investigation of complex or high‑impact defects, including interrogation of rating behaviour and data inputs.
• Lead the strategic and practical use of test automation, ensuring automation is targeted, maintainable, and focused on the highest‑risk areas.
• Drive improvements in automation and tooling to reduce manual effort and strengthen preventative quality controls, applying AI‑assisted techniques where they provide clear, measurable benefit.
• Work closely with pricing engineers and ML teams to apply AI‑assisted testing techniques where they add value, ensuring solutions are governed and suitable for a regulated environment.
• Own post‑release quality activities, including monitoring, alerting, and validation of controls, ensuring issues are detected early and feedback loops are effective.
• Improve the efficiency, stability, and reliability of QA test environments to enable comprehensive data testing with minimal environment‑related failures.
• Support incident RCA activity by providing testing insight, evidence, and analysis, and ensure learnings are embedded into improved testing practices.
• Line‑manage QA Leads and the Automation Manager, providing clear direction, prioritisation, coaching, and performance support.
• Ensure QA activities are focused on preventing customer harm and supporting compliance with regulatory and internal governance requirements.
• Maintain strong communication and organisational discipline to manage multiple initiatives and report progress, risks, and outcomes clearly and consistently.
• Develop and maintain QA documentation, standards, and artefacts to ensure testing practices are consistent, auditable, and aligned with internal and regulatory requirements.
• Define and track quality metrics such as defect trends, test effectiveness, automation coverage, and release readiness to support data‑driven decisions.
• Support recruitment and development of QA talent through active hiring involvement, regular one‑to‑one engagement, mentoring, and creating an environment where team members can perform and grow.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Strong experience leading QA or test engineering teams in complex, data‑driven or regulated technology environments.
• Hands‑on technical capability, with the ability to write, read, and review code and actively contribute to test design and automation decisions.
• Strong proficiency in Python, including writing and reviewing automated tests and debugging failures in complex rules‑based or decisioning systems.
• Proven experience designing and maintaining test automation, including API and integration testing using frameworks such as pytest, with working knowledge of UI tools such as Selenium, Playwright, or Cypress where appropriate.
• Experience applying AI‑assisted testing tools to improve coverage, efficiency, or defect detection, with clear understanding of…