Head of QA

JOB OVERVIEW

Plan A Technologies is looking for a Head of QA to transform our QA function from a group of individual contributors into a structured, high-performing department. You will not be walking into a "maintenance mode" role. We need you to build the "QA Playbook"—defining how we test, the tools we use, and the standards we uphold to ensure our projects are delivered with high quality.

Your main goal is to build a centralized QA ecosystem that guarantees consistent delivery quality. You will define standards, mentor the team, and directly impact client satisfaction by reducing production issues.

Please note: you must have at least 10+ years of experience in Quality Assurance, with at least 5+ years in a leadership role (Lead QA, QA Manager, or Head of QA) managing teams of 10+ people  to be considered for this role.

JOB RESPONSIBILITY

1. Process & Framework Construction (The "Playbook")

• Audit the current state of QA across all projects.

• Design and implement a unified QA Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). This includes standardizing test plans, bug report formats, testing environments, and release criteria.

• Create a "QA Knowledge Base" and onboarding roadmap so that any new QA engineer knows exactly how to work from Day 1.

2. Quality Improvement & Client Satisfaction

• Take ownership of the overall quality metric. Reduce the "Defect Leakage Rate" to clients.

• Investigate recent client complaints regarding quality; perform Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and implement systemic fixes to prevent recurrence.

• Establish "Quality Gates" in the SDLC—ensuring no product is released to a client without meeting your defined criteria.

3. People Management & Leadership

• Manage, mentor, and motivate a distributed team of 20+ QA Engineers (Manual and Automation).

• Conduct performance reviews, define career paths, and identify skill gaps.

• Handle resource allocation: assess incoming projects and assign the right QA talent based on technical skills and domain knowledge.

4. Strategy & Technology

• Define the roadmap to transition from purely manual testing to a healthy mix of manual and automated testing.

• Select and standardize the tool stack (Jira workflows, TestRail, Automation frameworks, CI/CD integration).

• Act as the final escalation point for all quality-related issues.

EXPERIENCE

• BS in Computer Science, Software Engineering or equivalent practical experience

• 10+ years of experience in Quality Assurance, with at least 5+ years in a leadership role (Lead QA, QA Manager, or Head of QA) managing teams of 10+ people.

• Outsourcing/Agency background: You understand the dynamics of working with multiple clients, changing deadlines, and different time zones.

• Process Architect: Proven experience building QA processes from scratch. You can show us examples of workflows or standards you have implemented.

• English Proficiency (C1/Advanced): Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to international clients and write clear, professional documentation.

• Technical Grip: Solid understanding of SDLC, CI/CD pipelines, and API testing. You don't need to code daily, but you must be able to challenge and guide Automation Engineers.

• Data-Driven Mindset (KPIs & Metrics): Experience defining and tracking QA metrics (e.g., Defect Leakage Rate, Defect Removal Efficiency, Test Coverage). You must be able to use data to prove to the business that quality is improving.

• Presales & Estimation Expertise: Experience working with Sales/Account Managers to estimate QA hours for Statements of Work (SOW). You know how to price testing efforts correctly so the company remains profitable.

• Structured Root Cause Analysis (RCA): A proven track record of handling "Post-Mortems." When a client complains, you have a method to investigate the failure and implement a systemic fix.

• Automation Strategy & ROI: You understand that automation is an investment. You have experience determining when to automate to get the best Return on Investment (ROI) for the client, rather than just automating for the sake of it.

• Crisis Management & Escalation Handling: Experience acting as the "Firefighter." You are comfortable jumping on calls with unhappy clients to explain what went wrong technically and providing a reassuring plan to fix it.

• Artificial Intelligence: Knowledge of the impact of AI in testing. You understand how AI can be used to create test plans and test cases and improve overall quality.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.

• Excellent organizational, problem solving and analytical abilities.

• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.

• Initiative and drive to do great things.

Nice-to-Haves:

• ISTQB Certification (Manager level).

• Experience setting up Automation frameworks (Selenium, Cypress, Playwright) from the ground up.

• Experience auditing projects to save "at-risk" client relationships.

• Performance & Security Testing Knowledge: Familiarity with tools like JMeter, LoadRunner, or OWASP ZAP. You can guide the team to expand our service offering beyond just functional testing.

ABOUT THE COMPANY/BENEFITS

Plan A Technologies is an American software development and technology advisory firm that brings top-tier engineering talent to clients around the world. Our software engineers tackle custom product development projects, staff augmentation, major integrations and upgrades, and much more. The team is far more hands-on than the giant outsourcing shops, but still big enough to handle major enterprise clients.

Read more about us here:  .

Location: Work From Home 100% of the time, or come in to one of our global offices. Up to you.

Great colleagues and an upbeat work environment: You'll join an excellent team of supportive engineers and project managers who work hard but don't ever compete with each other.

Benefits: Vacation, Brand New Laptop, and More: You'll get a generous vacation schedule, and other goodies.

If this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you