Automation Architect

Role & responsibilities

• Own the overall test automation architecture, strategy, and technical roadmap across applications and products.
• Design and implement scalable, reusable, and maintainable automation frameworks for UI, API, mobile, integration, and end-to-end testing.
• Define automation standards, coding guidelines, design patterns, framework architecture, and engineering best practices.
• Evaluate and recommend automation tools, technologies, frameworks, and platforms based on business and technical requirements.
• Drive the integration of automated testing into CI/CD pipelines and establish quality gates for continuous testing.
• Develop solutions for parallel execution, cross-browser/device testing, distributed execution, and large-scale test automation.
• Collaborate with architects, developers, DevOps, product teams, and QA leadership to improve application testability and overall product quality.
• Review application architecture and identify opportunities for shift-left testing, service virtualization, contract testing, and automated quality validation.
• Establish standards for test data management, environment management, reporting, test observability, and flaky-test management.
• Troubleshoot complex automation, framework, infrastructure, and test execution issues.
• Conduct architecture and code reviews to ensure scalability, reliability, security, and maintainability.
• Define and monitor automation KPIs such as coverage, execution time, stability, defect detection, and automation ROI.
• Lead proof-of-concepts and adoption of emerging technologies such as AI-assisted testing and cloud-based test automation where appropriate.
• Mentor senior QA/SDET engineers and provide technical guidance across automation teams.
• Drive continuous improvement of automation architecture, processes, tools, and engineering practices.
• Provide technical leadership for automation initiatives across multiple projects and ensure alignment with organizational quality objectives.

Preferred candidate profile

• 5 to 10 years of experience in test automation, SDET, quality engineering, or software testing, with significant experience designing automation frameworks.
• Strong expertise in automation architecture, framework design, scalability, maintainability, and automation strategy.
• Advanced programming skills in Java, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, or C#.
• Extensive hands-on experience with Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, Appium, or equivalent automation technologies.
• Strong experience in API automation, REST APIs, Rest Assured, Postman, microservices testing, and database testing.
• Strong understanding of OOP, SOLID principles, design patterns, clean code, and software engineering practices.
• Proven experience integrating automation frameworks with CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab, or Azure DevOps.
• Good knowledge of Docker, Kubernetes, AWS/Azure/GCP, cloud-native testing, and distributed test execution.
• Experience with BDD, Cucumber, performance testing, contract testing, service virtualization, and cross-browser/device testing.
• Strong understanding of test pyramid, shift-left testing, continuous testing, quality gates, and DevOps practices.
• Experience addressing flaky tests, test reliability, execution optimization, test observability, and automation ROI.
• Ability to evaluate new technologies and make sound architecture and tooling decisions.
• Strong technical leadership, architecture-review, problem-solving, mentoring, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Experience working in Agile/Scrum and cross-functional engineering environments.
• B.E./B.Tech in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, ECE, or a related discipline; MCA/M.Tech or equivalent technical qualification is also acceptable.
• Relevant certifications in cloud, automation, software testing, or Agile methodologies are an added advantage.