QA Team Lead

Position Overview

We are in an exciting and consequential phase of growth. We are expanding our geospatial and engineering product portfolio and quality is not an afterthought here. It is a competitive advantage.

We are seeking to hire a QA Team Lead who is equal parts technical expert and team multiplier. This is a player-coach role. You will spend the majority of your time building automation, executing tests, and setting technical standards hands-on. You will also provide day-to-day direction and mentorship to a current team of two US-remote QA Specialists. Formal performance management, compensation decisions, and headcount budgeting sit with the SVP of Product and Human Resources.

The most immediate priority is building automated test coverage for key upcoming product releases. Delivering on that is the foundation for everything else this role will grow into. If you are someone who wants to establish quality practices that scale, work at the intersection of legacy product maintenance and next-generation platform development, and help shape how a growing company thinks about quality, this is the role.

We operate AI-first across the business. That means using tools like Claude and Copilot as a core part of how work gets done, including test case generation, defect analysis, and documentation.

What You Will Do

Hands-On Testing & Quality Assurance (30%)

Personally execute test plans and conduct testing for high-complexity or high-risk features. Perform exploratory testing to uncover issues automated tests miss. Validate critical customer-facing releases before production deployment. Test new product capabilities including geospatial data processing, 3D visualization, and AI-powered features. Validate engineering calculation outputs against known reference results and prior versions, maintaining a documented audit trail across releases. Think like the end user and understand how outputs translate to real-world infrastructure decisions.

Test Process & Automation (25%)

Design and implement scalable test processes that support Agile development and continuous delivery. Build and own the automated test suite for key product initiatives through general availability release this calendar year. Establish automated testing for regression, integration, and end-to-end workflows. Develop performance and load testing capabilities for cloud-native applications. Create efficient test data management practices. Evaluate and implement testing tools and frameworks. Use AI-powered tools including Claude and Copilot to accelerate test creation, documentation, and defect pattern analysis.

Quality Strategy & Standards (20%)

Define and maintain quality standards for software, data, and AI/ML products. Establish testing strategies appropriate for different product types and development stages. Define data quality standards for multi-source data acquisition including drone imagery, vehicle-based capture, mobile, airborne, and satellite. Establish AI/ML quality criteria including model accuracy, bias detection, and explainability. Define engineering calculation quality standards with a documented audit trail of version-to-version variance. Partner with Product Management to define acceptance criteria and definition of done.

Cross-Functional Collaboration (15%)

Partner with Product Managers and Engineers to advocate for testability, quality, and customer experience. Frame defect priority in terms of customer impact and business risk, not just technical severity. Coordinate with User Support to analyze customer-reported issues and identify systemic improvements. Engage with US and New Zealand-based engineering teams. Communicate quality status, risks, and improvements clearly to leadership and stakeholders. Participate in sprint planning, retrospectives, and product planning.

QA Practice Leadership & Mentorship (10%)

Serve as the senior quality voice for a current team of two US-remote QA Specialists. Set the standard through your own work and help the team grow through example, feedback, and collaboration. Establish consistent quality standards and testing methodologies across the QA function. Foster a culture of quality, continuous improvement, and customer advocacy. Support onboarding of new QA team members and build team capability in emerging practices including AI/ML testing and data quality validation.

What We Are Looking For

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of quality assurance experience in software product companies
• 3+ years in a senior, lead, or team lead QA role
• Deep knowledge of QA methodologies including functional, integration, regression, and acceptance testing
• Hands-on experience building and maintaining automated test frameworks
• Proficiency with test automation tools such as Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, SmartBear, or similar
• Strong understanding of Agile/Scrum development processes and CI/CD integration
• Experience with AI-powered test and productivity tools including LLMs and AI code assistants
• Experience with bug tracking and test management tools such as Jira, TestRail, or similar
• Ability to validate engineering calculation outputs for accuracy; experience with utility engineering calculations such as structural analysis, load analysis, or secondary voltage is preferred
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate technical quality issues for diverse audiences
• Proven ability to work effectively across time zones with distributed teams

Preferred

• Familiarity with electric utility operations and field workflows
• Experience with geospatial data, GIS systems, engineering software, or mapping applications
• Knowledge of utility, telecommunications, or infrastructure industries
• Experience with data quality testing for imagery, LiDAR, or sensor data
• Knowledge of AI/ML testing including model validation and bias detection
• Experience with computer vision or image analysis quality assurance
• Background in both legacy system maintenance and new product development
• Experience in high-growth or transformation environments

You Will Thrive Here If You Are

• A continuous and curious learner who stays current with QA tools and practices
• A passionate advocate for quality and customer experience
• Equally comfortable writing test automation and mentoring a junior team member
• Detail-oriented with a systematic approach to problem-solving
• Adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity in a fast-moving environment
• A clear communicator who can make technical quality issues understandable to any audience
• Results-oriented with focus on measurable quality improvements

Work Requirements

• Work Authorization: This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored work authorization. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future employer-sponsored work authorization.
• Work Location (Hybrid): We value in-person collaboration. This hybrid role is based in Broomfield, Colorado, with Wednesday onsite required. Additional onsite days may be required as business needs evolve.
• Travel: Travel is estimated at 5–10% for company meetings, conferences, and team collaboration.
• Working Hours: Collaboration with our New Zealand-based engineering teams may require flexibility to accommodate meetings outside standard business hours.

Compensation & Benefits

Base salary range: $95,000 – $115,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications. Final compensation is determined based on a variety of factors including skills, experience, and market data.

ikeGPS offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) retirement plan with company match; paid time off; paid holidays; an employee assistance program. Benefits are subject to change; details will be provided during the offer process.

Application Deadline: This position will remain open until filled.

Equal Opportunity Employer: ikeGPS is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.