Senior QA Automation Engineer - Watu

Job Description- Senior QA Automation Engineer

Reports to-Head of System Quality Assurance

Level - Senior

Department- IT Development

Location- Nairobi

Job Summary

The Senior QA Automation Engineer will be responsible for ensuring the quality and reliability of the organization's information systems through automated testing processes. The role involves designing and implementing robust automated test frameworks, conducting comprehensive functional and regression testing, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance system performance and usability. This position focuses on maintaining high standards of software quality, optimizing testing workflows, and proactively identifying potential issues to minimize risk.

Key Responsibilities:

• Designing, developing, and maintaining scalable automated test frameworks using Playwright and related tools.
• Leading test automation strategy and ensuring alignment with overall QA and development goals.
• Conducting comprehensive functional, regression, and integration testing across application modules.
• Ensuring UI consistency and usability by validating visual design, accessibility, and user experience standards.
• Analyzing backend processes, validating SQL data integrity, and troubleshooting data-related issues.
• Managing and optimizing testing environments using Docker Compose and CI/CD pipelines.
• Reviewing code and test implementations to ensure best practices and maintainability.
• Testing REST and GraphQL APIs for performance, reliability, and compliance with specifications.
• Documenting and maintaining detailed test plans, test cases, and reports on test results and coverage.
• Mentoring junior QA engineers, providing guidance in test automation, analysis, and debugging.
• Identifying process improvements, proposing test strategy enhancements, and driving automation efficiency.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure timely delivery of high-quality software.

What we are looking for:

Base requirements:

• 5+ years of experience in automated testing with TypeScript/JavaScript.
• Expert-level proficiency in SQL, ability to design and optimize complex queries and data validation scripts.
• Extensive experience with Playwright, including building scalable and maintainable test frameworks from scratch.
• Strong understanding and application of OOP principles in test automation architecture.
• Proficient with Git and branching strategies for collaborative test development.
• English - upper-intermediate or higher (ability to participate in technical discussions and documentation).

Technology stack and tooling:

• Deep familiarity with Docker Compose, including the ability to design, configure, and troubleshoot multi-service testing environments.
• Good understanding of CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI) - capable of integrating automated tests into deployment pipelines.
• Advanced API testing (REST/GraphQL) - designing API tests, validating authentication flows, and building reusable API test utilities.
• Strong experience with SQL and ORM tools (e.g., Prisma) - validating data integrity across multiple services and environments.

Optional but highly valued expertise:

• UI/UX evaluation skills - ability to identify usability, accessibility, and design inconsistencies.
• Confident reading and understanding of frontend TypeScript code, with the ability to identify potential weak points for automation.
• Working knowledge of Java - enough to analyze backend logic, logs, and integration points.
• Experience with Selenium or similar tools, understanding different automation strategies and frameworks.
• Advanced log analysis and debugging - capability to isolate and diagnose complex issues in distributed systems.
• Understanding of security aspects (token validation, authentication flows, access control).
• Experience testing financial or high-risk transactional applications.

Other skills:

• Proactive in identifying coverage gaps, suggesting improvements to automation scope and process.
• Strong communication skills, capable of mentoring junior QA engineers and collaborating effectively with developers and product owners.
• Ability to design and enforce QA best practices - code reviews, standards, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Eagerness to learn new tools, frameworks, and testing paradigms - staying ahead of modern QA trends.
• Experience conducting root cause analysis and contributing to postmortem reviews.
• Leadership mindset - capable of owning the entire testing process from strategy to execution and reporting.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our workplace.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for this position without regard to age, gender, disability, religion, or any other status protected under the Employment Act (Kenya).

All personal information provided will be handled in accordance with the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019 and used solely for recruitment purposes.