QA lead job description.

What does a QA lead do?

 

A QA lead manages the day-to-day activities of the quality assurance function. They plan and assign tests, review reports, monitor progress, and ensure that product releases meet required standards for functionality, reliability, and usability.

 

Their responsibilities include defining test strategies, managing timelines, liaising with product and development teams, and mentoring junior testers. They may also contribute to the implementation of automation tools or test management platforms.

 

In smaller teams, they often lead testing directly while overseeing QA processes. In larger teams, they coordinate QA across multiple releases and manage team performance and delivery metrics.

 

Key responsibilities of a QA lead.

 

QA leads guide quality assurance processes and coordinate test efforts across teams. Their responsibilities include:

• Leading QA strategy and overseeing test planning for product releases

• Managing a team of QA analysts or engineers

• Reviewing and approving test cases, scripts, and automation standards

• Coordinating regression, UAT, and performance testing

• Working closely with product and dev teams to align on release cycles

• Defining metrics to track test coverage, defects, and release quality

• Managing test environments and tooling for manual and automated testing

• Mentoring QA staff and supporting career development

• Acting as an escalation point for bugs or environment issues

• Ensuring consistent documentation and QA process governance

This role blends technical QA expertise with team and process leadership.

 

Skills and requirements for a QA lead.

 

QA leads manage test strategy, delivery standards, and quality processes. Employers typically look for:

• 4–7 years of experience in QA or test engineering

• Proven experience leading testing teams or QA processes

• Strong understanding of test automation frameworks and tooling

• Ability to define and manage regression, smoke, and UAT plans

• Experience collaborating with developers, product managers, and stakeholders

• Skilled in prioritising test efforts based on business risk

• Familiarity with agile ceremonies and sprint planning

• Comfortable with performance and API testing as needed

• Confident managing reporting, documentation, and QA standards

Most QA leads help define testing culture, balancing speed, coverage, and quality.

 

Average salary for a QA lead.

 

In the UK, the average salary for a QA lead typically ranges from £45,000 to £65,000, based on team size, automation strategy, and platform complexity.

• Mid-level QA leads earn between £45,000 and £55,000

• Senior leads managing test engineers and release processes can earn between £56,000 and £65,000

• Companies often offer bonuses tied to platform stability or incident reduction

Strong salaries are found in digital transformation projects, especially in London and the South East.

 

Career progression for a QA lead.

 

A QA lead manages the testing lifecycle across projects, ensuring timely and thorough quality assurance. This leadership role often advances into management and strategy. A typical career journey includes:

 

QA analyst

 

Executes test cases, reports bugs, and supports basic QA workflows.

 

QA engineer

 

Implements automation, continuous testing, and documentation.

 

QA lead

 

Manages testing teams, sets processes, and ensures coverage across SDLC stages.

 

QA manager

 

Leads multiple projects, sets team KPIs, and ensures compliance and efficiency.

 

Director of QA

 

Owns QA function across departments, overseeing tooling, governance, and product quality strategy