Lead Software Development Engineer in Test

This role provides end-to-end technical governance across frontend, middleware, and backend QA for a complex, multi-layered onboarding platform.
You will define and enforce testing standards, quality gates, evidence requirements, and technical review processes across multiple workstreams.
The position owns the architecture of API contract testing and supports structured modeling of complex entity relationships for test and data traceability.
You will ensure that quality is independently validated at each system layer rather than relying on assumptions or validations performed upstream.
The role combines deep QA expertise with technical leadership, delivery governance, evidence analysis, and cross-functional coordination.
You will work closely with SDETs, QA analysts, and test operations teams to resolve dependencies and maintain delivery quality.
This is a remote contract opportunity with potential for a full-time extension depending on project needs and performance.

• 8+ years of experience in QA leadership roles spanning frontend, middleware, and backend testing.

• Demonstrated expertise in API contract testing architecture, governance, and validation.

• Practical experience with knowledge graphs, entity-relationship data modeling, or structured approaches to technical dependency and test/data traceability.

• Strong understanding of layered system architectures and the importance of independently validating quality at each layer.

• Proven experience establishing technical delivery governance, standards, quality gates, review processes, and evidence requirements.

• Deep technical grounding across manual testing, automation, API testing, and systems-level QA.

• Experience mentoring or managing SDETs and QA Analysts.

• Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder communication capabilities.

• Experience leading complex, multi-week technical QA, API validation, or security assessment engagements is strongly preferred.

• Experience establishing evidence and traceability models across complex technical workflows is preferred.

• Familiarity with knowledge graphs, entity-relationship models, or structured technical dependency and evidence modeling is advantageous; deep knowledge-graph engineering expertise is not required.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify inconsistencies and drive resolution.

• Ability to synthesize complex technical evidence into concise, stakeholder-ready findings and handoff materials.

• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple workstreams, dependencies, and delivery priorities.

• Ability to work independently while providing clear technical direction and governance across cross-functional teams.