Automation Test lead

Working with the QA TCOE Manager, delivery teams, vendors, and IT GRC, this role reduces manual testing dependency, improves release confidence, and embeds automation earlier in the SDLC. It also addresses current QA TCOE gaps in measurable automation reporting, story-to-test traceability, and RCA completion as enterprise quality KPIs.

A leading Automotive Finance company, located in Irvine, CA, is seeking a QA COE Automation Lead for a 6+ month contract role. Position Description Supports the development and scaling of enterprise QA automation capabilities within the Testing Center of Excellence by establishing standards, increasing repeatable automation, improving regression efficiency, and enabling consistent measurement of automation coverage across product and project teams. Working with the QA TCOE Manager, delivery teams, vendors, and IT GRC, this role reduces manual testing dependency, improves release confidence, and embeds automation earlier in the SDLC. It also addresses current QA TCOE gaps in measurable automation reporting, story-to-test traceability, and RCA completion as enterprise quality KPIs. Responsibilities Automation Strategy & Standards (30%) * Define and maintain enterprise QA automation standards, templates, reusable frameworks, and playbooks * Establish automation coverage expectations by application criticality, release type, and risk profile * Align automation practices across product teams, project teams, and vendor resources * Promote automation-first and shift-left testing practices to reduce late-cycle defects Test Automation Delivery Enablement (25%) * Identify automation candidates across regression, functional, API, integration, end-to-end, and critical business flows * Develop or guide reusable scripts, frameworks, accelerators, and automation assets for team adoption * Support CI/CD integration of automated testing where feasible * Coach QA leads, vendors, and delivery teams on automation design, maintainability, and reuse Metrics, Reporting & Coverage Analysis (20%) * Define and track automation KPIs, including coverage, execution stability, regression effectiveness, defect leakage, and maintenance effort * Develop dashboards and reporting to support QA COE oversight and leadership visibility * Analyze automation gaps and recommend priorities based on risk, criticality, defect trends, and release frequency * Support standardized reporting for story-to-test traceability, automation utilization, and defect prevention outcomes Tooling, Framework Governance & Optimization (15%) * Support evaluation, rationalization, and governance of QA automation tools to reduce fragmentation and improve reuse * Ensure tools align with enterprise architecture, security, compliance, and operating standards * Maintain automation playbooks, coding standards, user guides, and onboarding materials * Identify opportunities to improve productivity through AI, reusable components, and test data strategies Cross-Functional Collaboration (10%) * Partner with QA COE leadership, product teams, delivery leads, vendors, architecture, DevOps, and IT GRC * Align vendors to approved automation frameworks, metrics, and delivery expectations * Provide automation evidence, regression results, and quality insights for release readiness reviews JOB REQUIREMENTS Work Experience * 7-10+ years of experience in quality engineering, test automation, software testing, DevOps, or related technology roles * Hands-on experience building or leading automation frameworks for enterprise applications * Experience with functional, regression, API, integration, end-to-end, and CI/CD-enabled automated testing * Experience working with Agile teams, product teams, vendors, and cross-functional IT stakeholders Education, Certification, Training * Bachelor"s degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, or related field preferred * Automation, Agile, DevOps, software testing, or quality engineering certification preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities * Strong knowledge of automation frameworks, scripting practices, CI/CD pipelines, and QA tooling * Ability to translate enterprise quality goals into practical automation standards and reusable assets * Strong analytical skills across defect, test coverage, traceability, and automation metrics * Ability to coach teams and vendors on automation adoption and maintenance * Strong documentation, communication, and stakeholder management skills * Ability to balance hands-on technical delivery with governance, enablement, and standardization