Principal QA Engineer

The opportunity:

• We're looking for a Principal QA Automation Engineer to be the most senior technical authority for test automation across our engineering teams. This is a role for someone who lives and breathes automation—you've architected frameworks from scratch, solved problems at scale, and shaped how entire teams approach automated testing. 

  You're deeply proficient in Playwright and TypeScript, but your knowledge goes well beyond a single framework. You understand the full engineering ecosystem—front-end, back-end, infrastructure, CI/CD—and you use that breadth to design automation solutions that genuinely fit the architecture they're testing. You think about maintainability, reliability, and developer experience as much as test coverage. 

  You're also shaping how we use AI in automation. Not just using copilots and code assistants—but defining how AI fits into our automation strategy, evaluating emerging tools, and setting the standard for how the wider team adopts them. 

  You lead through expertise and influence. You mentor leads and senior engineers, define company-wide automation standards, and bring a consultative mindset to complex engagements. You're comfortable representing automation at the highest level—whether that's advising a client on strategy or steering technical direction across multiple accounts. 

What you’ll be doing:

• Set the technical direction for test automation across multiple accounts and teams 

• Define and evolve company-wide automation standards, frameworks, and best practices 

• Architect automation solutions for complex, large-scale engagements—designing for scalability, maintainability, and performance 

• Drive the automation strategy across web, API, and mobile testing 

• Ensure automation is deeply integrated into CI/CD pipelines and fits naturally into the delivery workflow 

• Drive innovation in how we use AI across automation—defining standards, evaluating tools, and embedding AI into our engineering practices 

• Provide consultative guidance on automation approach for complex engagements, helping teams and clients make informed technical decisions 

• Mentor and develop lead and senior QA engineers, raising automation capability across the business 

• Contribute to the QA community—sharing knowledge, running sessions, and shaping how we grow the automation discipline 

• Represent automation in senior client conversations and strategic technical discussions 

• Support business development with technical input on scoping, estimation, and capability positioning 

 

What we want from you:

• Extensive experience in test automation with a clear track record of operating at a senior technical level across complex programmes 

• Expert-level proficiency in Playwright and TypeScript 

• Broad technical understanding beyond automation—you're comfortable across architecture, CI/CD, DevOps, and front-end/back-end technologies 

• Experience designing and evolving automation frameworks at scale—not just for one team, but across multiple accounts and codebases 

• Strong experience with AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf) and a vision for how AI transforms automation practices 

• Experience defining automation standards and best practices that work across teams 

• A consultative mindset—able to advise on approach, trade-offs, and automation strategy at an engagement level 

• Proven ability to mentor and develop senior engineers and leads 
• Confident engaging with senior client stakeholders and representing automation at a strategic level 
• A genuine continuous learner who stays ahead of the automation landscape and brings new thinking back to the business 
• Pragmatic, opinionated where it matters, and motivated by raising the bar for everyone around you

What we can offer you:

Alongside the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands around the world, we’ll also prioritise your career development and help you grow your skills. We’ll empower you to make a difference, allow you to be yourself, and respect who you are.

Our culture thrives on our core values, designed for impact-driven individuals: Heart, Brains and Courage.

We lead with Heart, fostering empathy and trust where genuine connections and human-centric work flourish.
We empower your Brains for innovation, valuing relentless curiosity and collaborative intelligence to solve complex challenges.
And we champion Courage, inspiring you to speak up, embrace experimentation, and advocate for bold solutions that push our thinking to be better than yesterday.

 

AT VML MAP:

A leader in personalized customer experiences:

VML MAP is a world-leading Centre of Excellence that helps businesses humanize the relationship between the brand and the customer through hyper personalization at scale, marketing automation and CRM. With the brain of a consultancy, the heart of an agency and the power of technology and data, we work with some of the world's most admired brands to help them on their transformation journey to becoming truly customer-centric. Together, we are 1000 + technology specialists, data scientists, strategic thinkers, consultants, operations experts, and creative minds from 55+ nationalities.

A global network:

We are part of the global VML network that encompasses more than 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 60+ markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences.