QA Lead – AI-Driven Platform Transformation
London | Hybrid Working
Up to £500 per Day | Inside IR35
6–12 Month Contract | Long-Term Programme
We are seeking an experienced QA Lead to join a major AI-enabled platform transformation programme for a leading insurance organisation.
This is an exciting opportunity for a hands-on technical QA leader to define, lead, and evolve Quality Engineering practices across a complex enterprise transformation. You will play a critical role in establishing modern automation-first testing approaches, embedding quality governance, and driving the adoption of AI-powered testing capabilities across the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC).
Working closely with Engineering, Architecture, Product, Delivery, and DevOps teams, you will ensure quality remains at the forefront of a rapidly evolving technology landscape.
Candidates must have proven experience delivering AI-driven testing initiatives and have worked on multiple AI-enabled projects.
The Role
As QA Lead, you will be responsible for defining and executing the overall test strategy across a large-scale transformation programme. You will lead the adoption of modern Quality Engineering practices, drive automation maturity, and support continuous delivery through robust testing frameworks, governance, and AI-driven quality assurance.
This role requires a blend of strategic leadership and hands-on technical expertise, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and embed quality across multiple delivery teams.
Key Responsibilities
Test Strategy & Technical Leadership
- Define and implement a modern, automation-first Quality Engineering strategy.
- Align quality practices with an AI-enabled Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC).
- Act as the technical authority for QA, testing standards, and best practices.
- Promote a quality-first culture across Agile delivery teams.
- Provide leadership, guidance, and mentoring to QA and Test Engineering teams.
Automation & AI-Driven Testing
- Lead the adoption and expansion of automated testing across the programme.
- Drive the development and optimisation of automation frameworks.
- Implement AI-driven testing approaches including:
- Automated test generation
- Regression optimisation
- Defect prediction and analysis
- Self-healing automation
- Intelligent test maintenance
- Evaluate and implement AI-powered tools to improve testing efficiency and coverage.
- Champion the use of Microsoft Copilot and emerging AI technologies within Quality Engineering.
SDLC, Governance & Quality Assurance
- Establish robust quality governance, standards, and controls.
- Ensure traceability across requirements, testing, and delivery.
- Develop quality metrics, reporting, and release readiness measures.
- Support auditability and compliance requirements within a regulated environment.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives across testing practices.
Platform & Integration Testing
- Own testing strategy across key business capabilities including:
- Workflow Management
- Underwriting
- Pricing
- Policy Lifecycle Management
- Ensure comprehensive end-to-end testing coverage across integrated platforms and services.
- Support API, microservices, integration, functional, and regression testing activities.
CI/CD & Continuous Testing
- Optimise testing within CI/CD pipelines.
- Support multiple releases through an automation-first approach.
- Collaborate with DevOps teams to improve delivery quality and pipeline reliability.
- Embed continuous testing and quality gates throughout the development lifecycle.
Essential Skills & Experience
Quality Engineering & Automation
- Proven experience as a QA Lead, Test Lead, or Quality Engineering Lead.
- Strong background in enterprise-scale Quality Engineering and testing strategy.
- Extensive experience implementing automation-first testing approaches.
- Strong understanding of test architecture and automation best practices.
Automation Technologies
Hands-on experience with:
- Selenium
- Playwright
- Cypress
API & Integration Testing
- Strong experience testing APIs, integrations, and microservices-based architectures.
- Experience designing end-to-end quality strategies for complex distributed systems.
DevOps & CI/CD
- Experience working within DevOps environments.
- Strong knowledge of:
- Azure DevOps
- GitHub Actions
- CI/CD Pipelines
- Continuous Testing practices
AI Experience (Mandatory)
- Proven experience delivering AI-driven testing solutions within enterprise environments.
- Demonstrable experience working on multiple AI-enabled transformation or product delivery programmes.
- Experience using AI tools for test generation, optimisation, defect analysis, automation enhancement, or intelligent quality engineering.
- Experience with Microsoft Copilot, GitHub Copilot, or other AI-powered QA solutions.
- Proven track record of driving AI adoption and delivering measurable outcomes through AI-enabled testing.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will possess:
- 10+ years' experience in QA, Testing, or Quality Engineering.
- Proven experience leading QA teams within complex transformation programmes.
- Strong automation and DevOps background.
- Demonstrable experience across several AI-driven projects and initiatives.
- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
- Hands-on technical leadership capability.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, evolving delivery environments.
What's on Offer?
- Up to £500 per day
- Inside IR35
- Hybrid London working
- High-profile AI-enabled transformation programme
- Opportunity to shape Quality Engineering strategy and standards
- Exposure to cutting-edge AI, automation, and cloud technologies
- Long-term contract with strong extension potential
Please note: Candidates must be able to demonstrate proven AI project experience, including delivery of AI-enabled testing or quality engineering initiatives across multiple programmes.
