What Will You Do? 

• Define and establish QA standards, processes, and best practices for the team/org — build the practice, not just staff it.
• Design and own the overall test strategy for backend applications, integration points, and file-based data exchanges, including functional, regression, and integration testing.
• Validate backend data processing, file-based workflows, and inter-system integrations.
• Lead API testing and validation efforts (Postman and beyond), with exposure to performance testing.
• Apply and champion Deterministic Simulation Testing (DST) approaches where applicable, bringing forward-looking, AI-aware testing methodology into the practice.
• Lead or mentor other QA engineers, including as the sole/first QA hire building out the function.
• Drive test planning, test case design, execution, and defect triage at a program level.
• Partner with developers and analysts to resolve defects, clarify requirements, and influence upstream quality decisions.
• Track and report on quality metrics and practice maturity to leadership, not just individual defect status. 

What Do You Need to Succeed? 

Must Haves 

• 3–4 years of software testing experience operating at a senior/lead level (owning strategy, not just executing test cases).
• 2+ years of experience explicitly defining QA standards, processes, or best practices for a team or organization — not just following an existing playbook.
• 2+ years leading or mentoring other QA engineers (formally or informally), including experience managing or coaching a team of 2+ QA engineers.
• At least 1–2 years of hands-on experience with Deterministic Simulation Testing (DST), or demonstrable equivalent experience with simulation-based/deterministic testing approaches in complex distributed systems.
• 3+ years of hands-on API testing and validation experience (Postman or equivalent).
• Experience standing up a QA function in at least one greenfield or early-stage environment (ideally as the first or sole QA hire on a team/product).
• Demonstrated forward-looking perspective on AI in testing — ideally 1+ years of direct experience incorporating AI-assisted or AI-native testing tooling into a QA practice.
• Working familiarity with Agile/Scrum, with 3+ years operating in sprint-based delivery models.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience — flexible given the seniority bar above). 
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