Lead Quality Assurance Engineer

Publicis Groupe•Chicago, IL

About The Position

Digitas is the Networked Experience Agency, built on the vision that we create magnetic experiences that earn the right for brands to exist in human networks. Today, and tomorrow. We deliver Networked Experiences by leveraging comprehensive data, technology, creative, media and strategy capabilities. Digitas delivers ambitious outcomes via unique solutions that include Creative Experiences, Integrated Media, Addressable Relationships, Social Marketing and Total Commerce. Celebrated by AdAge as Data and Insights Agency of the Year, U.S Campaign's Brand Experience Agency of the Year, Media Network of the Year and celebrated by Forrester and Gartner, Digitas serves the world's leading brands through a global network comprised of more than 5,500 employees across over 65 offices in 43 countries. The Digitas culture is made up of fearless, inventive and generous Unicorns of all kinds. Overview Lead Quality Assurance Engineer Our advanced Technology capability delivers cutting-edge, high-impact digital products and campaigns. We bring strategic partnerships with the world's leading marketing and technology vendors that allow us to represent the top platforms and tools for our clients. Through collaboration with Strategy, Experience Design, Data Science, Project Management, and Account teams, our technologists are helping the world's leading brands transform the marketing landscape. Our Quality Assurance (QA) team keeps us technologically forward and on point. To help with this, we are looking for a Lead QA Engineer, Technology—someone who can lead our QA automation team forward, establishing structure and best-in-class growth. This role spans the full QA lifecycle and works closely with cross-functional teams to modernize efficiencies, implement best-in-class QA automation methodologies and tools, and drive quality at scale across complex digital ecosystems. The successful candidate is a hands-on QA leader with deep experience in automation development, strong programming skills, and a forward-looking mindset that includes AI-assisted testing, intelligent automation, and modern test orchestration frameworks. Overview: From test planning and execution to technical risk management and process improvement, the Lead QA Engineer supports complex digital projects that are defined, designed, and developed by Digitas and other Publicis agencies. As a Lead QA Engineer, Technology, you will: Lead QA automation activities across a range of digital initiatives Define and evolve QA strategy, frameworks, and tooling Oversee testing of web applications, APIs, and integrated platforms Incorporate AI-driven testing approaches to improve coverage, speed, and defect detection Build and grow automation capability while mentoring engineers across geographically distributed QA teams

Requirements

Strong hands-on experience with Python-based automation frameworks
Experience with Microsoft Playwright for: Cross-browser UI automation, End-to-end workflow validation, API and backend service testing, Parallel execution and CI/CD integration
Experience with Selenium WebDriver, Cypress, or similar tools as part of broader automation ecosystems
API testing using tools/frameworks such API Postman, REST clients, or custom Python scripts
Experience integrating automation into CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Jenkins, etc.)
Experience applying AI-assisted testing techniques , such as: Test case generation or optimization using LLMs, Intelligent test selection and maintenance, Log analysis and defect pattern detection
Familiarity with validating AI-powered systems , including: Model outputs and prompt-driven workflows, Deterministic vs. probabilistic behavior, Bias, hallucination, and regression testing
Understanding of responsible AI principles , governance, and risk management in QA contexts
Expertise in test strategy for complex, integrated digital platforms
Strong understanding of functional, regression, performance, accessibility, and security testing
Experience leading QA for large-scale web applications and enterprise platforms
Proven ability to translate business requirements into scalable QA solutions
Strong communication skills for collaborating with developers, product owners, and stakeholders

Nice To Haves

Accessibility testing (WCAG / Section 508)
Performance testing tools (JMeter, k6, Gatling)
Cloud-based test execution and environment orchestration
Experience testing AI-driven or data-heavy platforms

Responsibilities

Regularly interface with senior leadership and represent automation goals within the context of broader organizational objectives
Provide guidance to automation team members on adopting new tools, improving reliability, and scaling automation coverage
Lead the definition, execution, and maintenance of standardized automation QA processes, methodologies, and reporting
Design and implement robust automation frameworks using modern tools and best practices
Drive QA process improvements using industry best practices and emerging technologies
Stay current on digital technologies, testing trends, and AI-assisted QA techniques to support innovation and client demands
Represent the QA capability in cross-organizational meetings and client-facing discussions
Hire, train, and mentor QA engineers and automation resources
Lead and facilitate automation development across geographically distributed QA teams in fast-paced, agile environments