Quality Assurance Architect

Position Overview

At PNC, our people are our greatest differentiator and competitive advantage in the markets we serve. We are all united in delivering the best experience for our customers. We work together each day to foster an inclusive workplace culture where all of our employees feel respected, valued and have an opportunity to contribute to the company's success. As a Quality Assurance Architect within PNC's C&IB organization, you will be based in Dallas, TX or Pittsburgh, PA.

Role Summary

The Lead Quality Engineer is a senior SDET-focused individual contributor responsible for driving scalable, automation-first validation strategies across teams, systems, and complex integrations. This role operates at both hands-on and strategic levels, influencing engineering practices, improving testability, and establishing reusable quality patterns that enable faster delivery with stronger reliability.

Key Responsibilities

* Define and drive test strategy across complex systems, services, and integrations.

* Lead automation design, framework improvement, and reusable pattern creation.

* Align validation to architecture, dependencies, change impact, and risk.

* Drive CI/CD-aligned quality practices and pipeline-level validation.

* Partner with engineers to improve testability, observability, and design quality.

* Mentor junior engineers and guide teams on scalable testing practices.

* Analyze defect and execution trends to drive systemic improvement.

Reporting Line & Scope

This role typically reports to a QE Manager, Senior Manager, or domain engineering leader and operates across teams, systems, and major change initiatives. The scope includes strategy, automation architecture, integration validation, and quality pattern adoption across delivery teams.

Success Measures

* Improved release predictability and reduced defect leakage across supported areas.

* Increased reuse of automation frameworks, patterns, and validation assets.

* Reduced execution bottlenecks caused by test design, environment, or automation limitations.

* Measurable improvement in engineering quality outcomes and delivery confidence.

Qualifications

* Typically, 8-12 years of experience in Quality Engineering, SDET, or Software Engineering.

* Strong experience designing automation frameworks and scalable validation strategies.

* Deep understanding of CI/CD, distributed systems, service integration, and non-functional quality considerations.

* Proven ability to influence technical direction and improve engineering practices.

* Strong collaboration, mentoring, and cross-team leadership capability.

PNC is an in-office company that fosters a supportive culture where employees can thrive and achieve balance. We encourage candidates to connect with their recruiter and hiring manager to understand workplace expectations and ensure the role aligns with their goals.

PNC will not provide sponsorship for employment visas or participate in STEM OPT for this position.

Job Description

* Responsible for development and support of processes, practices and tools necessary to produce quality products/services and to manage risk.

* Researches and recommends hardware and software purchases for software quality assurance program. Selects and implements formal QA methodologies.

* Architects and implements agile testing practices and tools. Evaluates, recommends and implements enterprise-wide defect-tracking software.

* Assists in planning and estimation of Quality Assurance support for new programs and projects. Conducts audits and reviews.

* Supports Quality Assurance specialists on programs or projects. Conducts program reviews and complex process audits.

PNC Employees take pride in our reputation and to continue building upon that we expect our employees to be:

* Customer Focused - Knowledgeable of the values and practices that align customer needs and satisfaction as primary considerations in all business decisions and able to leverage that information in creating customized customer solutions.

* Managing Risk - Assessing and effectively managing all of the risks associated with their business objectives and activities to ensure they adhere to and support PNC's Enterprise Risk Management Framework.

Qualifications

Successful candidates must demonstrate appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities for a role. Listed below are skills, competencies, work experience, education, and required certifications/licensures needed to be successful in this position.

Preferred Skills

Automation, Competitive Advantages, Customer Solutions, Design, Enterprise Architecture Framework, Machine Learning (ML), Risk Assessments, Selenium, Technical Knowledge

Competencies

Accuracy and Attention to Detail, Analytical Thinking, Emerging Technologies, Influencing, IT Architecture, Process Management, Software Development Life Cycle, Software Product Design/Architecture, Software Quality Assurance And Testing

Work Experience

Roles at this level typically require a university / college degree, with 5+ years of industry-relevant…