QA Lead | Atlanta

Photon$52K — $182K *
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10-15 years of experience in Quality Engineering, including 3+ years in a QA leadership role for enterprise platforms.
  • Experience testing microservices, REST APIs, and event-driven architectures.
  • Hands-on expertise with automation frameworks like Selenium, Playwright, and JMeter.
  • Proven experience in CI/CD testing models using tools such as Jenkins and GitHub Actions.
  • Strong analytical and communication skills with an emphasis on stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

  • Define and own the end-to-end QA strategy and execution model across all phases of the project.
  • Lead QA planning and execution focused on cloud-native microservices and third-party integrations.
  • Design and implement test strategies for event-driven systems and API gateways.
  • Drive automation-first quality practices through building scalable testing frameworks.
  • Establish continuous testing pipelines integrated with CI/CD workflows for validation of new features.
  • Own production readiness validation, including testing of caching and failover scenarios.
  • Mentor QA engineers and continuously improve testing effectiveness.

Benefits

  • Medical, vision, and dental benefits.
  • 401k retirement plan with variable pay/incentives.
  • Paid time off and paid holidays for full-time employees.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Job Summary:

We are seeking an experienced QA Lead to define, drive, and execute the quality assurance strategy for a large-scale digital platform modernization and integration orchestration program within the QSR and e-commerce ecosystem.

This role will lead end-to-end testing efforts across cloud-native microservices, API gateways, event-driven systems, loyalty platforms, identity services, and commerce integrations, ensuring production readiness, scalability, security, and resilience.

Strong experience in e-commerce, loyalty platforms (Paytronix preferred), API testing, event-driven systems, and cloud-native architectures is highly desirable. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in automation frameworks, API testing, AWS-native systems, CI/CD pipelines, observability-driven quality practices, and Agile delivery models, with strong exposure to e-commerce and loyalty-centric customer journeys. QSR and e-commerce ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities:
  • Define and own the end-to-end QA strategy, roadmap, and execution model across discovery, build, integration, and production rollout phases. (Paytronix preferred), API testing, event-driven systems, and cloud-native architectures is highly desirable. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in automation frameworks, API testing, AWS-native systems, CI/CD pipelines, observability-driven quality practices, and Agile delivery models, with strong exposure to e-commerce and loyalty-centric customer journeys.
  • Lead QA planning, estimation, and execution across cloud-native microservices, API layers, middleware orchestration services, identity and loyalty systems, and third-party integrations.
  • Design and implement test strategies for event-driven architectures, asynchronous systems, and API gateways, including functional, regression, performance, security, and resiliency testing.
  • Drive automation-first quality practices, building scalable frameworks for API automation, UI automation, integration testing, and contract testing.
  • Establish continuous testing pipelines integrated with CI/CD workflows, enabling feature flag validation, progressive release testing, and canary deployments.
  • Own production readiness validation, including traffic routing through proxy/shim layers, caching behavior validation, failover scenarios, and graceful degradation testing.
  • Lead performance, load, and stress testing to validate system scalability during peak transaction volumes and high concurrency scenarios.
  • Implement observability-driven QA practices, leveraging logs, metrics, and distributed tracing (OpenTelemetry) for proactive defect detection and root cause analysis.
  • Drive test environment management, including cloud-based test setups, test data strategies, and service virtualization for dependent systems.
  • Partner closely with architects, DevOps, product owners, and engineering teams to ensure quality gates, guardrails, and governance controls are embedded throughout the SDLC. (OpenTelemetry) for proactive defect detection and root cause analysis.
  • Mentor QA engineers drive best practices, establish test standards, and continuously improve testing effectiveness and efficiency.
  • Provide transparent reporting on quality metrics, risks, release readiness, and defect trends to stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:
  • 10-15 years of experience in Quality Engineering, with 3+ years in a QA leadership role for enterprise-scale platforms.
  • Strong experience testing microservices, REST APIs, API gateways, and event-driven architectures.
  • Hands-on expertise with automation frameworks such as Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, RestAssured, Postman/Newman, Karate, JMeter, or equivalent tools.
  • Experience in Quality Engineering, with 3+ years in a QA leadership role for enterprise-scale platforms.
  • Proven experience in CI/CD-based continuous testing models using Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, AWS DevOps, or similar.
  • Strong experience testing cloud-native platforms on AWS, including containerized and serverless workloads.
  • Experience validating loyalty platforms, identity systems, and digital commerce workflows.
  • Strong understanding of e-commerce funnels, payment workflows, checkout flows, customer engagement journeys, and loyalty lifecycle management.
  • Experience implementing performance testing, resiliency testing, chaos testing, and security testing strategies.loyalty platforms, identity systems, and digital commerce workflows.
  • Strong analytical, communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.e-commerce funnels, payment workflows, checkout flows, customer engagement journeys, and loyalty lifecycle management.
  • Experience working in Agile / Scrum / SAFe environments.

Nice to Have:
  • Direct experience testing loyalty platforms such as Paytronix or equivalent systems.
  • Experience in QSR, retail, hospitality, or high-scale consumer digital ecosystems.
  • Hands-on experience with feature flags, progressive rollouts, canary releases, and A/B testing validation. loyalty platforms such as Paytronix or equivalent systems.
  • Exposure to OpenTelemetry, distributed tracing platforms, and observability tooling.
  • Experience testing high-volume transaction systems with strict latency SLAs.
  • Certifications in ISTQB, Agile Testing, Cloud, or DevOps practices, distributed tracing platforms, and observability tooling.

Compensation, Benefits and Duration

Minimum Compensation: USD 52,000
Maximum Compensation: USD 182,000
Compensation is based on actual experience and qualifications of the candidate. The above is a reasonable and a good faith estimate for the role.
Medical, vision, and dental benefits, 401k retirement plan, variable pay/incentives, paid time off, and paid holidays are available for full time employees.
This position is available for independent contractors
No applications will be considered if received more than 120 days after the date of this post

About Photon

Photon Careers

Joining Photon presents an unparalleled opportunity to advance one's career with a leader in digital innovation. Photon is actively seeking talented individuals to join its diverse team of professionals, dedicated to reshaping industries through technology and creativity.

Explore Job Opportunities

Photon offers a variety of job opportunities that cater to a range of skills and interests. Each position at Photon is designed to challenge team members while providing meaningful pathways for professional and personal growth.

Experience the Culture and Benefits

Photon is committed to fostering a workplace culture that promotes diversity and inclusion. The company provides comprehensive benefits designed to support the health, well-being, and financial security of each team member. At Photon, every professional enjoys access to career development programs and diversity training, ensuring they are equipped for leadership roles in an evolving marketplace.

Engage in Professional Growth

Photon believes in the power of innovation and leadership to drive success. The company supports its team members with resources for continuous learning and growth, including advanced training sessions and leadership workshops. Networking within Photon’s industry-leading community allows for unparalleled career advancement and skill enhancement.

Internship Programs

For those beginning their professional journey, Photon offers internship programs that provide a robust foundation in digital solutions. Internships at Photon are characterized by immersive projects and hands-on learning, guided by experts in various fields. These programs are a gateway to full-time employment and a promising career path.

Join the Team

Photon is hiring! Explore open positions that match your skills and interests. Photon looks for passionate, curious, creative, and solution-driven team players. Whether you are starting your career or looking to make a significant impact in your professional journey, Photon has a place for you.

Prepare for Your Interview

Photon values a thorough selection process. Prospective team members are encouraged to prepare by understanding the company’s mission and values. Tailoring your resume to highlight relevant experience and skills will make a significant difference. Engage actively during your interview, demonstrating your knowledge and enthusiasm for the role you are applying for.

Stay Connected

Keep up to date with the latest from Photon by following the company’s career blog. Gain insights from insiders, learn about new job openings, and get tips on preparing your resume and acing your interview.

Career Development at Photon

Photon is dedicated to the professional development of its team members. The company offers various tools and resources, including career coaching and performance feedback, to help individuals reach their full potential. With Photon, career aspirations are nurtured, encouraging every team member to excel and innovate in their respective roles.

Networking and Career Opportunities

Photon encourages its team members to engage in networking within the company and the broader industry. These connections can lead to myriad opportunities, from collaborative projects to mentorship. Networking at Photon is not just about building professional relationships; it's about fostering a community of innovation and mutual growth.

Conclusion

Photon is not just a company; it is a community of driven professionals committed to making a difference. With a focus on innovation, leadership, and diversity, Photon offers a dynamic environment where ambitious individuals can thrive. Explore the possibilities and join Photon’s team of leaders, innovators, and visionaries.
Learn more about Photon

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