QA Lead

Job Description:

We welcome remote candidates based in the continental United States

Merkle is a leading data-driven, technology-enabled, global performance marketing agency that specializes in the delivery of unique, personalized customer experiences across platforms and devices. For more than 30 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. The agency's heritage in data, technology, and analytics forms the foundation for its unmatched skills in understanding consumer insights that drive people-based marketing strategies.

Merkle isseeking a QA Lead to own quality assurance strategy, execution, and oversight for a major digital platform modernization engagement. You' will lead a client QA team of four, establishtesting infrastructure (Chromatic, Storybook), and drive quality across component-level, functional, accessibility, and integration testing.

This is a strategic + hands-on hybrid role: youwill be leading the QA strategyand alsotroubleshoot failing integration tests on any given day.

Key Responsibilities:

QA Strategy & Planning

• Develop and own the QA strategy and comprehensive test plan across all Merkle workstreamsas deemedappropriate fothe client project

• Define testing approach for componentisolation (Storybook), visual regression (Chromatic), functional coverage, cross-browser testing, accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.2 AA), and integration testing

• Establish test environment requirements and coordinate with client engineering for setup and maintenance

• Document acceptance criteria for what passes/fails at each test level

Toolkit Setup & Configuration

• Configure and own Chromatic (visual regression) and Storybook (componenttesting) integration

• Set up CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or equivalent) to automate visual regression and componenttesting

• Troubleshoot configuration issues (design tokens, viewport sizing, addon conflicts, etc.)

• Establish baseline snapshots and review workflows for visual changes

• Maintain and iterate on tooling as the codebase evolves

Testing Oversight & Execution

• Oversee component-level testing: design system components tested in isolation before page integration

• Oversee functional and regression testing across all page types and device classes (desktop, mobile, tablet)

• Oversee cross-browser compatibility testing against an agreed matrix (to be confirmed during kickoff)

• Oversee accessibility testing: WCAG 2.2 AA compliance validation across all delivered components and pages

• Oversee integration testing: front-end to SCAPI, front-end to AEM, and design token propagation

• Define test scope and prioritize coverage based on risk and business impact

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead and mentor the client's four QA resources; direct testing activities and ensure quality standards are met

• Partner with dev team on test data preparation and environment readiness

• Communicate quality metrics, defect trends, and blockers to Merkle and client stakeholders

• Manage scope creep; push back on out-of-scope requests with clear rationale

Defect Management

• Establish defect logging, triage, and tracking process

• Triage and prioritize bugs based on severity and business impact

• Track resolution and retesting to closure

• Provide clear bug summaries (reproducible steps, root cause analysis where possible)

Initial Launch Scope

• Focus for initialdeployment: home page, header, footer, navigation, plus one additionalpage (PDP/PLP)

• Plan for phased expansion post-launch

You Have:

• 7+ years of QA / Quality Assurance Engineering experience

• 2+ years in test automation or automation engineering

• Hands-on experience with visual regression testing tools (Chromatic, Percy, or similar)

• Hands-on experience setting up, configuring, or maintaining Storybook in a production environment

• Accessibility testing: experience testing to WCAG 2.2 or 2.1 AA standards; familiarity with axe-core, Lighthouse, or manual audit techniques

• CI/CD troubleshooting: comfortable reading/debugging GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or equivalent pipeline configurations

• Strong communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to tailor messages for both technical and non-technical audiences

• Experience mentoring or managing 5-10 team members, or demonstrated readiness to lead

• Component-level testing: experience testing design systems, componentlibraries, or isolated UI elements

• Integration testing: understanding of front-end-backend contracts, API testing, and debugging integration failures

Nice-to-Have Skills:

• Agency or client services background

• Experience with SCAPI or Salesforce Commerce Cloud integrations

• Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) testing or integration experience

• Accessibility audit experience beyond automated tools

• Performance testing or monitoring experience

• Experience mentoring QA teams across time zones or distributed teams

What Success Looks Like (First 90 Days)

• QA strategy and test plan documented and approved by stakeholders

• Storybook and Chromatic configured, integrated into CI/CD, and team trained on workflows

• Test environment setup plan confirmed with client engineering

• Browser support matrix locked down

• Client's four QA resources onboarded and ramped on testing approach

• Initial componentand page-level test coverage in place for first features

• Accessibility baseline establishedand WCAG 2.2 AA compliance approach defined

• Weekly quality metrics and defect reporting cadence established

The annual salary range for this position is $78,000-$110,000. Placement within the salary range is based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and other factors permitted by law.

Benefits available with this position include:

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance,
• Life insurance,
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance,
• 401k,
• Flexible paid time off,
• At least 15 paid holidays per year,
• Paid sick and safe leave, and
• Paid parental leave.

Dentsu also complies with applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, in accordance with its plans and policies. For further details regarding Dentsu benefits, please visit www.dentsubenefitsplus.com.

To begin the application process, please click on the “Apply” button at the top of this job posting. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and qualified candidates will be contacted for next steps.

At dentsu, we believe great work happens when we’re connected. Our way of working combines flexibility with in-person collaboration to spark ideas and strengthen our teams. Employees who live within a commutable distance of one of our hub offices, currently located in Chicago, metro Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York City, are required and expected to work from the office three days per week (two days per week for employees based in Los Angeles). Dentsu may designate other Hub offices at any time. Those who live outside a commutable range may be designated as remote, depending on the role and business needs. Regardless of your work location, we expect our employees to be flexible to meet the needs of our Company and clients, which may include attendance in an office

#LI-LE1 #LI-MERKLE #LI-REMOTE

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