Staff QA Automation (Lead role)

WHAT WE DO Founded in 2007, Growth Acceleration Partners (GAP) is a consulting and technology services company. We consult, design, build and modernize revenue-generating software and data engineering solutions for clients. With modernization services and AI tools, we help businesses achieve a competitive advantage through technology. GAP’s remote, integrated engineering teams use end-to-end solutions to innovate and align with your business goals. We have 600+ English-speaking engineers based in Latin America and approximately 20 U.S.-based engineers. With some of the highest customer satisfaction scores in the industry, GAP’s focus is customer and employee success. GAP is a woman-owned company headquartered in Austin Texas. We are a values-based company focused on growing our people by investing in education, onsite English classes and training in the latest technologies, including AI, data analytics and machine learning. Our goal is to provide solutions for our customers that help them achieve critical business outcomes, while enabling our GAPSters and our communities to attain long-term success. Summary We are looking for a Staff Lead, QA Automation, to take ownership of the quality function and drive its evolution across the organization. This is a high-priority, strategic role focused on people leadership, alignment, and vision, rather than deep hands-on execution. In this position, you will be responsible for unifying a fragmented QA team, establishing a clear QA vision and roadmap, and defining how quality should evolve beyond isolated testing efforts. You will work closely with engineering, data, and product leadership to ensure QA becomes a cohesive, trusted, and value-driven function. This role is ideal for a strong people manager with solid QA knowledge who can build trust, break silos, and lead change—even if they are not a deeply hands-on technical QA expert. Education • Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or equivalent professional experience. Professional Experience • 8+ years of experience in Quality Assurance, Quality Engineering, or related roles. • 3+ years of experience in people management or QA leadership, leading teams or practices. • Proven experience managing distributed or cross-functional QA teams. • Background in either manual QA, automation QA, or data QA (depth in one area is sufficient). Leadership & Management Focus • Strong people management skills, including coaching, feedback, performance support, and career development. • Proven ability to unify teams working in silos and foster collaboration across individuals and disciplines. • Experience building trust and accountability among team members who previously worked independently. • Ability to define a clear QA vision, roadmap, and operating model. • Comfortable leading without relying on deep hands-on technical execution. • Capable of influencing stakeholders and guiding QA maturity at an organizational level. Core Responsibilities • Consolidate and align QA team members across functional, web, and data QA areas. • Establish and communicate a clear QA vision, roadmap, and priorities. • Identify gaps in current QA practices (e.g., exploratory testing, performance testing, automation coverage). • Define what QA should evolve into beyond test case execution. • Set standards, processes, and best practices to improve consistency and quality outcomes. • Promote cross-training and shared ownership across QA disciplines. • Serve as the primary point of accountability for QA status, risks, and progress. • Partner with engineering, data, and product leaders to embed quality throughout delivery. • Reduce reliance on isolated individuals by improving knowledge sharing and team resilience. Required Skills • Strong understanding of QA fundamentals, including manual testing, automation concepts, and test lifecycle management. • Ability to assess QA maturity and recommend improvements across people, process, and tools. • Experience working within Agile environments (Scrum, Kanban). • Strong communication skills, both written and verbal. • Ability to balance priorities, manage ambiguity, and lead through change. • Experience reporting QA status, risks, and improvement plans to leadership. Nice to Have • Exposure to automation frameworks, performance testing, or data QA (hands-on expertise not required). • Experience defining QA metrics, KPIs, or dashboards. • Background working with contractors and internal teams. • Experience leading QA transformations or practice-building initiatives. • Familiarity with cloud-based applications or regulated environments. At Growth Acceleration Partners, we're an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We value everyone's unique background, and we provide equal opportunities regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status or any other personal right protected by law. We foster a culture of belonging and strive to provide a welcoming environment where everyone feels safe to contribute and grow.