Senior QA Lead

Senior QA Lead
Hybrid – Attached to our Solihull, London or Hook office 
Full Time, Permanent   
Band 3 / £60,000 - £75,000 (dependent on experience)

Here at Serco, we’re looking for a Senior QA Lead to join our Quality Engineering Practice and help shape how we build, test and deliver high-quality digital products and services.

This is a senior technical role combining hands-on Quality Engineering and test automation with technical leadership, coaching and people management. You’ll act as the quality champion across one or more portfolios, products or strategic contracts, working closely with Product Managers, Architects, Engineering Leads and Delivery Managers to make quality an integral part of the delivery lifecycle.

You’ll have the opportunity to design and build automation solutions yourself, while also setting engineering standards, introducing modern quality practices and developing the capability of other QA professionals.

As part of this you’ll:

• Lead Quality Engineering across assigned products, portfolios or strategic contracts, defining quality strategies, standards, quality gates and risk-based testing approaches.
• Act as the quality champion within multidisciplinary Agile and DevOps teams, embedding shift-left and continuous testing throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Design, develop and maintain test automation frameworks and automated test suites, remaining hands-on with technologies such as Playwright, WebdriverIO, TypeScript/JavaScript, API and integration testing.
• Embed automated quality checks into CI/CD pipelines and support performance, non-functional and test data management approaches using appropriate tools and technologies.
• Partner with customers, Product, Engineering, Architecture and Delivery teams to manage testing requirements, quality risks, metrics and continuous improvement.
• Lead and develop QA/QE professionals through line management, coaching and technical mentoring, while supporting strategic bids and customer engagements where required.

What you’ll need to do the role:

• Significant experience in Quality Engineering, QA or Software Testing, operating at a senior or lead level within complex technology environments.
• Strong hands-on experience in test automation development, including modern frameworks such as Playwright and/or WebdriverIO, with TypeScript, JavaScript or equivalent.
• Experience across API, integration, regression, performance and non-functional testing, with a strong understanding of CI/CD and DevOps practices.
• Good knowledge of cloud technologies such as Azure and/or AWS, alongside an understanding of automated testing within cloud environments.
• Strong understanding of Agile delivery, risk-based testing and the software development lifecycle, with the ability to establish effective quality strategies and standards.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and leadership skills, with experience coaching, mentoring and line managing QA/QE professionals.
• UK SC clearance or willingness to obtain clearance may be required for this role.

Why Serco:

You’ll be joining a growing Quality Engineering Practice where you can make a real impact on how technology is delivered across Serco. This is an opportunity to combine your technical expertise with leadership, helping to shape engineering standards, develop people and embed a modern approach to quality across complex products and services. You’ll work alongside talented technology and delivery professionals, having the opportunity to contribute to strategically important programmes and customer engagements across Serco.

What we offer:

• Company car
• Private healthcare
• Bonus scheme of 5% on target
• Flexible working considered
• Pension – 6%
• Chance to contribute to innovation in the public services
• A company passionate about diversity and inclusion
• Serco discounts which include cinema, merlin entertainment and online shopping discounts, and discounts on mobile phone plans and leisure centre memberships.
• A range of benefits to support the health and wellbeing of you and your family such as Employee Assistance Programme, Simply Health Cash Plans, and more.
• A wealth of career development training to suit your future aspirations. These range from role specific training, leadership coaching, formal study and much more to support you to build your career with Serco.
• A safe and supportive culture.

A little bit about us:
At Serco, everyone plays a vital part in delivering essential public services that make a real difference. As a global team of 50,000 people across Defence, Transport, Justice, Immigration, Healthcare, Leisure and Citizen Services, we’re united by a shared purpose: to improve the services that communities rely on. Guided by our values of Trust, Care, Innovation and Pride, our people make meaningful impact, every single day.

Our inclusive recruitment commitment:
We prioritise your skills and potential. As a Disability Confident Leader, the Top Great British Employer of Veterans 2026, and a Gold Inclusive Employer Standard holder, we champion equal opportunities for all. We offer flexible and hybrid working where possible and make reasonable adjustments throughout recruitment and employment.

• Guaranteed Interview Scheme: Applicants with disabilities, veterans and people with convictions, who meet the minimum job criteria, are guaranteed an interview. Simply opt into the relevant scheme on the application form.
• Ban The Box: We also support fair access for those with unspent criminal convictions through our ‘Ban the Box’ pledge (some roles may have security exemptions).

For support with your application, please contact recruitmentuk@serco.com.

Let’s impact a better future, together. Apply today.

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