Hastings Direct

Lead Quality Engineer – Automation, AI

Hastings Direct

full-time

Posted on:

Location Type: Hybrid

Location: London • United Kingdom

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Job Level

Senior

Tech Stack

AzureCypressPythonSeleniumSQL

About the role

  • Lead end-to-end QA strategy and execution across all underwriting lines of business, ensuring testing supports high-quality delivery at pace.
  • Design, implement, and continuously evolve the QA strategy covering pre-live testing, post-release monitoring, and live issue investigation, with a focus on improving quality, pace, and confidence of delivery.
  • Provide hands-on technical leadership in reviewing test strategies, automation design, and investigation of complex or high-impact defects, including interrogation of rating behaviour and data inputs.
  • Lead the strategic and practical use of test automation, ensuring automation is targeted, maintainable, and focused on the highest-risk areas.
  • Drive improvements in automation and tooling to reduce manual effort and strengthen preventative quality controls, applying AI-assisted techniques where they provide clear, measurable benefit.
  • Work closely with pricing engineers and ML teams to apply AI-assisted testing techniques where they add value, ensuring solutions are governed and suitable for a regulated environment.
  • Own post-release quality activities, including monitoring, alerting, and validation of controls, ensuring issues are detected early and feedback loops are effective.
  • Improve the efficiency, stability, and reliability of QA test environments to enable comprehensive data testing with minimal environment-related failures.
  • Support incident RCA activity by providing testing insight, evidence, and analysis, and ensure learnings are embedded into improved testing practices.
  • Line-manage QA Leads and the Automation Manager, providing clear direction, prioritisation, coaching, and performance support.
  • Ensure QA activities are focused on preventing customer harm and supporting compliance with regulatory and internal governance requirements.
  • Maintain strong communication and organisational discipline to manage multiple initiatives and report progress, risks, and outcomes clearly and consistently.
  • Develop and maintain QA documentation, standards, and artefacts to ensure testing practices are consistent, auditable, and aligned with internal and regulatory requirements.
  • Define and track quality metrics such as defect trends, test effectiveness, automation coverage, and release readiness to support data-driven decisions.
  • Support recruitment and development of QA talent through active hiring involvement, regular one-to-one engagement, mentoring, and creating an environment where team members can perform and grow.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
  • Strong experience leading QA or test engineering teams in complex, data-driven or regulated technology environments.
  • Hands-on technical capability, with the ability to write, read, and review code and actively contribute to test design and automation decisions.
  • Strong proficiency in Python, including writing and reviewing automated tests and debugging failures in complex rules-based or decisioning systems.
  • Proven experience designing and maintaining test automation, including API and integration testing using frameworks such as pytest, with working knowledge of UI tools such as Selenium, Playwright, or Cypress where appropriate.
  • Experience applying AI-assisted testing tools to improve coverage, efficiency, or defect detection, with clear understanding of governance and control requirements.
  • Practical experience working with Git/GitHub, CI/CD pipelines, and Azure-based engineering environments.
  • Strong understanding of modern testing practices, including risk-based testing, shift-left quality, and end-to-end assurance.
  • Experience working with test environments and test data, including validation of complex inputs and outputs using SQL and data comparison techniques.
  • Familiarity with test management and defect tracking tools such as Azure DevOps and producing clear, meaningful quality metrics.
  • Excellent leadership skills, with experience managing senior QA roles and automation specialists.
  • Strong stakeholder-management and influencing skills, with the ability to balance technical, commercial, and governance considerations.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to navigate complex pricing and engineering challenges and deliver robust solutions.
  • Strong communication skills, able to clearly explain technical quality risks and solutions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Experience working in Agile delivery environments and collaborating closely with engineering, data, and ML teams.
Benefits
  • Flexible working – we champion a flexible hybrid working approach – please speak to your recruiter to discuss in more detail
  • Competitive bonus scheme - all colleagues are eligible for our annual 4Cs performance bonus
  • Physical wellbeing – as a Band 4 colleague, Hastings pay for you to receive private medical Insurance (also known as PMI). This gives you flexibility and convenience to see a specialist or consultant and allows you to decide when and where you will be seen
  • Financial wellbeing – as well as providing you with 4x your salary with our life assurance cover, income protection at no extra cost, and matched pension contributions up to 10%, we are proud to provide you with an award-winning package which includes – discounts, cashback, free independent mortgage advice and free access to financial wellbeing support
  • Mental wellbeing programme – we have the thrive mental health app, our colleague assistance programme available 24/7, our own in-house mental health first aiders, support groups and a dedicated team to make sure we are covering your needs
  • 27 days annual leave + bank holidays, with the option to buy or sell one of your weeks, access to our health care cash back plans, dental plans, discounted health assessments, Cycle to work and tech schemes, discounted and free onsite facilities, social events throughout the year and much more …
Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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

Hard Skills & Tools
QA strategytest automationPythonAPI testingintegration testingpytestSeleniumPlaywrightCypressSQL
Soft Skills
leadershipstakeholder managementproblem-solvingcommunicationcoachingorganisational disciplinementoringprioritisationcollaborationperformance support