Sr Lead, Software Quality Engineering (SQE/SQM)

Job Summary

The Senior Lead, Software Quality Engineering (SQE/SQM), leads end-to-end quality engineering for assigned applications, platforms, programs, or business domains. The role combines hands-on technical leadership with test strategy, delivery execution, automation, non-functional testing, environment and test-data readiness, defect management, and quality governance.

The Senior Lead partners with Application Development, Product and Business teams, Architecture, DevOps, Production Support, and other technology functions to embed quality throughout the software delivery lifecycle and provide objective evidence of production readiness.

Role Purpose

Own quality outcomes, identify risk early, engineer effective test solutions, and enable informed release decisions.

Responsibilities

Quality Engineering and Test Leadership

• Own the test strategy and execution approach for assigned applications, platforms, or programs.
• Lead functional, integration, regression, end-to-end, and release-validation activities.
• Establish risk-based coverage using architecture, business criticality, change impact, dependencies, and control requirements.
• Drive shift-left quality by ensuring appropriate developer-level testing is completed before formal QE execution.
• Provide clear quality input and supporting evidence for release-readiness and Go/No-Go decisions.

Automation and Engineering

• Drive maintainable automation across API, UI, integration, regression, and other appropriate testing layers.
• Integrate automated quality checks into CI/CD pipelines and improve the speed and reliability of feedback.
• Identify opportunities to use service virtualization, synthetic test data, engineering utilities, and AI-assisted testing.
• Focus automation on risk reduction and business-flow protection rather than coverage percentages alone.

Non-Functional Quality

• Plan and coordinate relevant performance, capacity, resiliency, recovery, failover, compatibility, and operational-readiness testing.
• Partner with Performance Engineering, SRE, Security, Infrastructure, Architecture, and Production Support specialists as required.
• Ensure non-functional risks, assumptions, and acceptance criteria are visible early in the delivery lifecycle.

Environment and Test-Data Readiness

• Confirm the availability and fitness of non-production environments, integrations, interfaces, and test data.
• Identify environment and data constraints early, establish mitigation plans, and track them through closure.
• Promote appropriate use of data masking, test-data management, data virtualization, and service virtualization.

Risk and Defect Management

• Lead defect triage and ensure consistent severity, priority, ownership, aging, and resolution decisions.
• Identify testing gaps, constraints, and residual risks before deployment.
• Escalate material quality risks early and communicate business and technology impact objectively.
• Maintain traceable evidence supporting quality status and release recommendations.

Delivery and Stakeholder Management

• Coordinate QE deliverables, dependencies, milestones, and readiness across multiple teams.
• Partner with Development leads to make quality a shared engineering responsibility.
• Communicate progress, blockers, defects, risks, and readiness clearly to program and technology leadership.
• Mentor engineers, provide technical direction, and promote consistent QE practices across the team.
• Support concurrent initiatives while maintaining governance, transparency, and delivery discipline.

Required Experience and Capabilities

• 13+ years experience in software quality engineering, testing, or software engineering within complex enterprise environments.
• Experience leading quality activities for integrated applications, platforms, or major programs.
• Strong understanding of SDLC/STLC, Agile delivery, CI/CD, DevOps, risk-based testing, and shift-left engineering.
• Hands-on knowledge of API, UI, integration, and test-automation approaches and frameworks.
• Working knowledge of performance testing and broader non-functional quality disciplines.
• Experience with test-data management and complex non-production environment dependencies.
• Ability to interpret application architecture, interfaces, data flows, and upstream/downstream impacts.
• Strong communication, facilitation, defect-management, risk-management, and release-readiness skills.

Reasonable Accommodation

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact our HR Service Center for assistance.

Disclaimer: This job posting has been aggregated from external source. Role details, content, and availability are subject to change. Applicants are advised to confirm the latest information directly on the company website before applying.