Lead Software Development Engineer in Test

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Lead Software Development Engineer in Test based in India.

This role provides end-to-end technical governance across frontend, middleware, and backend QA for a complex, multi-layered onboarding platform.
You will define and enforce testing standards, quality gates, evidence requirements, and technical review processes across multiple workstreams.
The position owns the architecture of API contract testing and supports structured modeling of complex entity relationships for test and data traceability.
You will ensure that quality is independently validated at each system layer rather than relying on assumptions or validations performed upstream.
The role combines deep QA expertise with technical leadership, delivery governance, evidence analysis, and cross-functional coordination.
You will work closely with SDETs, QA analysts, and test operations teams to resolve dependencies and maintain delivery quality.
This is a remote contract opportunity with potential for a full-time extension depending on project needs and performance.

• Provide technical governance across frontend, middleware, and backend testing layers.

• Establish and enforce QA delivery standards, evidence requirements, review processes, and quality gates.

• Own and guide the architecture and governance of API contract testing.

• Review frontend constraint dictionaries and FSM/state-model outputs for completeness, consistency, and technical quality.

• Review API schema reconstructions, network evidence, and tracer replay outputs for accuracy, quality, and traceability.

• Review test architecture decisions, validation approaches, and coverage strategies across workstreams.

• Coordinate QA Analysts, SDETs, and Test Operations Associates to align technical execution with project timelines.

• Manage dependency resolution, evidence rework, and cross-layer reconciliation throughout the engagement.

• Serve as the escalation point for cross-layer technical discrepancies and evidence-quality issues.

• Compile and quality-check raw technical evidence dossiers produced by individual workstreams.

• Identify evidence gaps, inconsistencies, and areas requiring rework before stakeholder handoff.

• Monitor delivery health, technical risks, evidence quality, dependencies, and unresolved gaps.

• Prepare comprehensive technical evidence packages for the client team responsible for final modeling and logic-gap assessment.

• Support technical readouts by ensuring findings are clearly documented and traceable to empirical evidence.

• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to SDETs and QA Analysts as required.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in QA leadership roles spanning frontend, middleware, and backend testing.

• Demonstrated expertise in API contract testing architecture, governance, and validation.

• Practical experience with knowledge graphs, entity-relationship data modeling, or structured approaches to technical dependency and test/data traceability.

• Strong understanding of layered system architectures and the importance of independently validating quality at each layer.

• Proven experience establishing technical delivery governance, standards, quality gates, review processes, and evidence requirements.

• Deep technical grounding across manual testing, automation, API testing, and systems-level QA.

• Experience mentoring or managing SDETs and QA Analysts.

• Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder communication capabilities.

• Experience leading complex, multi-week technical QA, API validation, or security assessment engagements is strongly preferred.

• Experience establishing evidence and traceability models across complex technical workflows is preferred.

• Familiarity with knowledge graphs, entity-relationship models, or structured technical dependency and evidence modeling is advantageous; deep knowledge-graph engineering expertise is not required.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify inconsistencies and drive resolution.

• Ability to synthesize complex technical evidence into concise, stakeholder-ready findings and handoff materials.

• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple workstreams, dependencies, and delivery priorities.

• Ability to work independently while providing clear technical direction and governance across cross-functional teams.

Benefits

• Fully remote working opportunity from India.

• Contract position for an initial 4-month engagement.

• 22 hours per week commitment.

• Compensation of $17 per hour.

• Planned project start date of October 19.

• Opportunity for a full-time employment extension based on performance and project requirements.

• Opportunity to lead QA governance across a complex, multi-layered technical platform.

• Exposure to API contract testing, technical evidence modeling, cross-layer validation, and advanced QA practices.

• Collaboration with SDETs, QA Analysts, Test Operations Associates, and client-facing technical stakeholders.

• Opportunity to influence testing standards, quality governance, and technical delivery processes.

We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team.

We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!

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