QA Lead
Job title: QA Lead Type: Full-time, Permanent or Contract Location: UK or Romania | Flexible remote, hybrid, or office working Location requirement: Must live within 30 miles of one of our offices or hub locations Offices: Newcastle, Leeds, Bucharest Hubs: Edinburgh, Manchester, London The role We’re looking for a Senior QA / Quality Engineering Lead to help shape how quality engineering operates inside a senior, AI-assisted engineering environment. You’ll work alongside a small, highly technical engineering team where AI-assisted development and agentic workflows are already deeply embedded into product development. This is not a traditional QA role focused purely on scripted testing or ticket execution. You’ll help: Strengthen automation strategy and release confidence Embed quality earlier across product and engineering Review and evolve existing QA practices and processes Validate AI-generated code and tests Improve how requirements and acceptance criteria are defined Influence how reliable software gets delivered in a modern AI-assisted environment. You’ll be working in an environment where engineers increasingly guide and review AI-generated output rather than writing every line of code manually. The role needs someone comfortable shaping how quality engineering operates within AI-assisted development. What you’ll get This is an opportunity to shape quality engineering inside a modern AI-assisted engineering environment where quality is treated as an engineering and product challenge rather than a final testing phase. You’ll have direct influence over: Testing strategy and automation direction Release confidence and quality standards How QA integrates into product and engineering processes How quality evolves alongside AI-assisted development. You’ll work closely with highly technical engineers solving complex product and engineering challenges in a fast-moving environment already embracing AI-assisted workflows in production. The role is best suited to someone who enjoys challenging constructively, improving engineering quality pragmatically, and influencing how modern software development evolves. What you’ll bring Strong senior QA, SDET, or Quality Engineering experience within modern product engineering teams. Experience improving QA strategy, automation coverage, and release confidence. Strong understanding of automated testing, CI/CD, E2E frameworks, and modern software development. Experience with Playwright, Cypress, or similar automation tooling. Strong technical judgement around delivery risk, testing strategy, and where automation adds real value. Experience embedding QA earlier in the product and development lifecycle. Confidence working with highly technical, senior engineering teams. Strong communication skills with the ability to influence and challenge constructively Experience working with AI-assisted software delivery, agentic engineering workflows, or AI-generated code. A balance of technical credibility, strategic thinking, and hands-on execution. A pragmatic mindset focused on improving quality without introducing unnecessary process. About hedgehog lab We’re a digital product consultancy with 20 years of experience, helping organisations solve complex problems through technology, design, and delivery. UK Benefits 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays. Flexible and hybrid working. Annual wellbeing budget. Free counselling. 3rd Party Health Insurance. L&D budget. 5 impact days per year. Ready to apply? Submit your application below. Please note: we're unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Apply To This Job