Cisco

IT Quality Assurance Lead

Cisco

full-time

Posted on:

Location Type: Hybrid

Location: Cincinnati • Ohio • United States

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Job Level

Senior

Tech Stack

SDLC

About the role

  • Own end‑to‑end quality strategy, execution, and outcomes for assigned products or programs, from intake through production release.
  • Define, maintain, and execute integrated test strategies and plans spanning multiple teams, systems, and vendors.
  • Embed quality early by partnering with Product, Delivery, and Architecture to shape scope, acceptance criteria, testability, and risk mitigation.
  • Ensure testing requirements, dependencies, and environments are identified early and aligned with delivery milestones.
  • Provide go/no‑go quality input for UAT and Production readiness decisions in partnership with Release Management.
  • Provide day‑to‑day leadership, coaching, and accountability for assigned QA resources, including both employees and contractors.
  • Set clear expectations for QA roles, responsibilities, deliverables, and quality standards across the SDLC.
  • Support resource planning, onboarding, allocation, and performance feedback, ensuring capacity aligns with delivery priorities.
  • Mentor QA team members to strengthen domain knowledge, technical depth, and quality leadership capabilities.
  • Foster a culture of ownership, transparency, and continuous improvement within the QA function.
  • Provide oversight and direction for vendor‑based and offshore QA resources, ensuring alignment to internal QA standards, tooling, and delivery expectations.
  • Review and validate vendor test artifacts, metrics, and reporting; address quality gaps and performance issues proactively.
  • Partner with vendor leads to drive predictable execution, continuous improvement, and cost‑effective quality outcomes.
  • Escalate and resolve vendor‑related quality risks or delivery concerns in a timely, data‑driven manner.
  • Oversee defect triage, prioritization, root cause analysis, and resolution across impacted teams.
  • Analyze quality trends, defect leakage, and production incidents to identify systemic issues and improvement actions.
  • Identify, track, and escalate quality risks; proactively remove barriers to delivery.
  • Drive continuous improvement in QA processes, standards, and tooling based on data and outcomes.
  • Drive adoption of AI‑enabled quality practices, such as test optimization, intelligent test data management, defect pattern analysis, and automated insights.
  • Partner with automation and performance teams to ensure appropriate test coverage, efficiency, and CI/CD alignment.
  • Leverage quality metrics and analytics to provide clear, actionable insights tailored to technical and executive audiences.
  • Provide accurate, timely, and transparent test status, quality metrics, and risk reporting.
  • Adapt communication style and depth based on audience (team, program, leadership).
  • Act as the trusted quality advisor to Product and Delivery leadership.

Requirements

  • 10+ years of experience in IT or Quality Assurance, with progressive responsibility
  • 5+ years leading QA for complex products, programs, or value streams, including cross‑team delivery
  • Demonstrated experience managing or leading QA resources, including contractors or vendor teams
  • Strong knowledge of modern QA practices, SDLC methodologies, and Agile delivery models
  • Experience leveraging AI‑enabled or intelligent automation tools to improve testing, reporting, or quality insights
  • Proven ability to drive end‑to‑end quality ownership, risk management, and continuous improvement
  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience
  • Strong leadership, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Commercial insurance or regulated‑industry experience is a plus.
Benefits
  • medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • wellness plans
  • parental leave
  • adoption assistance
  • tuition reimbursement
  • Paid Time Off
  • paid holidays
  • 401(k) plan with company match
  • employee stock purchase plan
  • commuter benefits
Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools
quality strategytest strategiesrisk managementdefect triageroot cause analysisAI-enabled quality practicesautomated insightsAgile delivery modelsSDLC methodologiescontinuous improvement
Soft Skills
leadershipcoachingaccountabilitycollaborationstakeholder managementcommunicationmentoringtransparencyownershipadaptability