QA Test Manager / Senior QA Engineer 100%

About the Role

Swiss Himmel GmbH is searching for a highly skilled professional with considerable expertise in the Banking and Financial Services sector, based in Basel, Switzerland. This position focuses on developing and implementing a robust quality assurance strategy, leading dedicated QA teams, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality results across complex, critical business applications.

The ideal candidate will possess a blend of leadership capabilities and practical experience, with extensive knowledge in various types of testing including functional, integration, automation, mainframe, and regulatory testing. This position is vital in maintaining system stability, compliance, and effective risk management in heavily regulated financial landscapes.

Key Responsibilities

• QA Strategy & Test Governance
  • Define, implement, and enhance the QA strategy, test approaches, and quality objectives in alignment with business and regulatory standards.
  • Prepare and maintain comprehensive test plans, schedules, estimations, and release readiness criteria.
  • Ensure compliance with quality standards, best practices, and audit requirements through all testing phases.
• Test Management & Leadership
  • Mentor and coordinate both onshore and offshore QA teams, providing essential technical guidance.
  • Allocate testing responsibilities, monitor progress, and guarantee timely completion of testing objectives.
  • Serve as the primary QA liaison for business stakeholders, development teams, and release management.
• Test Execution & Delivery
  • Conduct requirement analysis to ensure thorough end-to-end traceability from requirements to test cases and defects.
  • Oversee and carry out various testing types including Functional, Integration, Regression, End-to-End (E2E), and mainframe testing as necessary.
  • Support testing initiatives requiring regulatory, compliance, and audit focus to ensure precision and thoroughness.
• Automation & CI/CD Integration
  • Lead efforts in test automation utilizing Selenium, Java, TestNG, and Maven.
  • Perform API and Web Services testing using SOAPUI.
  • Integrate automated test execution within CI/CD environments using tools like Jenkins.
  • Continuously enhance automation reliability, coverage, and execution performance.
• Defect & Quality Management
  • Manage defects effectively, including triage, root cause analysis, prioritization, and resolution.
  • Monitor and report quality metrics, test coverage, defect trends, and indicators of release quality.
  • Identify risks and quality deficiencies proactively, recommending corrective and preventive measures.
• Agile & Cloud Testing
  • Participate actively in Agile/Scrum events such as sprint planning, stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives.
  • Apply BDD practices to enhance collaboration and clarity in testing.
  • Utilize Azure Fundamentals knowledge to aid testing in both cloud-based and hybrid environments.

Required Skills & Experience

• Professional Experience
  • Over 10 years of experience in Quality Assurance, ideally in Banking or Financial Services.
  • Demonstrated expertise in QA Test Management, balancing leadership with hands-on involvement.
  • Extensive experience working with complex, enterprise-scale applications.
• Testing & Technical Skills
  • In-depth knowledge of functional, integration, regression, and end-to-end testing methodologies.
  • Practical experience with various test automation frameworks such as Selenium, TestNG, and Maven.
  • Familiarity with API/Web Services testing using SOAPUI.
  • Experience with CI/CD tools like Jenkins and exposure to mainframe testing environments (TSO / ISPF).
  • Understanding of cloud-based testing practices, particularly within Azure contexts.
• Methodologies & Tools
  • Solid grasp of Agile/Scrum and Waterfall methodologies.
  • Experience with frequent releases in Agile delivery models.
  • Understanding of QA processes within regulated and compliance-intensive settings.
• Soft Skills & Personal Attributes
  • Strong leadership qualities with the capability to balance personnel management with a hands-on approach.
  • A strong sense of ownership and accountability regarding product and release quality.
  • Proactive attitude toward risk identification, defect prevention, and ongoing improvement.
  • Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.
  • Reliable, adaptable, and capable of maintaining composure under pressure in demanding situations.