Overview

The FA is seeking a Quality Assurance Lead who will lead and elevate quality assurance practices across delivery teams by driving strategic test planning, providing technical oversight, and fostering continuous improvement to ensure reliable, high-quality software that meets the needs of the FA''s users and stakeholders.Responsibilities

Lead the QA team in planning, prioritising, and executing comprehensive test strategies for web, mobile, and/or backend applications.Oversee and coordinate third-party testing efforts across multiple projects to ensure the delivery of high-quality, reliable products to FA customers.Provide strategic leadership in test design and execution, offering hands-on support in developing automated and manual test cases when required to drive alignment with quality standards and delivery goals.Champion and implement Shift Left testing by driving early involvement of QA in the software development lifecycle, including requirements gathering, design reviews, code reviews and architecture discussions.Define and oversee the execution of non-functional testing approaches—including performance, load, accessibility, and monitoring and alerting—driving development pods to embed these as core practices in their workflow.Act as a quality coach by educating and mentoring cross-functional teams on quality best practices, testability, and automation.Define, implement, and maintain scalable QA processes, standards, and best practices.Collaborate with product managers, developers, and stakeholders to translate requirements into test strategies and plans.Drive test planning, estimation, risk assessments, and monitor execution and defect metrics to ensure release quality.Proactively communicate quality status, risks, and process effectiveness to QA management and stakeholders.Own the efficient and effective testing of all changes throughout the release cycle.Facilitate cross-team communication to resolve quality issues, dependencies, and blockers early.Lead continuous improvement initiatives for QA processes, automation frameworks, and tooling.Ensure efficient use of test tools, CI/CD pipelines, and test environments.Establish QA metrics and dashboards to provide visibility into test coverage, defect trends, release readiness, and production quality.Execute additional tasks as required to meet the FA''s changing priorities.Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure that the highest standards of health, safety, and well-being can be maintained.As part of the FA''s commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.What are we looking for?

Essential for the role

Excellent communication and collaboration skills.Knowledge of Shift Left and DevOps quality practices.Experience in functional and non-functional testing of web based and mobile applications.Strong understanding of manual and automated testing principles.Experience with writing and running automated tests.Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to investigate complex issues, identify root causes, and drive effective, team-aligned solutions.Experience defining test strategies, plans, and risk-based testing approaches.Experience working in Agile/Scrum teams.Ability to influence and foster a quality culture across pods.Proficiency with tools such as Postman, Jira, or TestRail.Beneficial to have

Experience with automation tools Playwright (TypeScript/JavaScript) or Cypress.Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., Azure DevOps, AWS).Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and integrating tests into the build process.Experience with observability tools (e.g., Datadog, Grafana).Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git, GitHub).What’s in it for you?

We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles. We offer unique office spaces under the arch of the Wembley National Stadium and access to the Elite Performance Centre, St. George''s Park, in Staffordshire, to support development of high-performing England teams and leaders.We offer a competitive salary and a range of benefits, including:Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium and regular internal events to support wellbeing and engagement.Free nutritious meals at Wembley Stadium and St. George''s Park.Free private medical cover.Contributory pension scheme.Additional ''Thank You'' days, volunteering days, and 25 days annual leave (for full-time, permanent contracts).A hybrid working model offering greater flexibility.Location and working model

For more information on what it is like to work at The FA, please visit our FA Careers page: https://www.thefa.com/about-football-association/careersWe are currently operating a hybrid working model, with partial on-site presence at your contractual location and remote work as required by the team. The contractual location of this role can be found on the FA Careers page.Equality, diversity, and DBS

We are a diverse workplace and actively promote inclusion and diversity. We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. If you have any requirements regarding recruitment or the interview process, please mention them in your application.As part of the FA''s commitment to a safe environment, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check, the level of which depends on the role and is in line with legislation and government guidance.Seniority level

Mid-Senior levelEmployment type

ContractJob function

Quality Assurance

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