QA Lead

QA Lead (IBM Watson/Conversational AI)Hartford, CT 2 OPENINGSCVSLocation: Hartford, CT Local Candidates Only - Onsite from day 1Rate: $65-67/hr. on C2CUSC, GC or GC EAD ONLYIf you share resumes, PLEASE make sure candidates are listing how many people they led in the resume. I am often getting resumes where people put the job title as LEAD but there is NOTHING about Lead duties, number of members led, etcTHIS IS A HEAVY AI ROLE - THIS TEAM WORKS ON AI TOOLS EXCLUSIVELYPosition SummaryI am looking for a senior experienced QA tech lead who can lead the other YAVA QA teams and potentially evolve into leading the broader YAVA QA practice. Familiarity with AI-assisted testing tools (e.g., Testim, mabl, Copilot for test generation) is required.Key ResponsibilitiesDesign, develop, and execute test plans and test cases based on product requirements and user stories.Perform functional, regression, integration, and end-to-end testing across web and API layers.Develop and maintain automated test scripts using tools such as Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright.Collaborate with developers and product teams to identify, log, and track defects through resolution.Participate in Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives.Use AI-powered tools to accelerate test case generation, defect prediction, and test maintenance.Contribute to continuous improvement of QA processes, tools, and best practices.Ensure traceability of test cases to business and technical requirements.Provide clear and concise test documentation and reports.Required Skills & QualificationsMUST HAVE Conversational AI experience in real time experience in projectsMUST HAVE IBM Watson Experience5-8 years of experience in software testing, including both manual and automated testing.Proficiency in test automation frameworks (e.g., Selenium, TestNG, JUnit, Cypress).Experience testing RESTful APIs using tools like Postman or REST Assured.Familiarity with AI-assisted testing tools or AI coding assistants (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Testim, mabl).Strong understanding of SDLC, STLC, and Agile/Scrum methodologies.Experience with defect tracking tools such as JIRA or Azure DevOps.Solid knowledge of QA methodologies, tools, and processes.Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.Preferred QualificationsExperience with performance testing tools (e.g., JMeter, LoadRunner).Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.Knowledge of cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure) and containerized environments (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).ISTQB or equivalent QA certification.Experience working in regulated industries (e.g., healthcare, finance).EducationBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field preferred