Lead Quality Engineer

Ryan Specialty•Chicago, IL

2d•$96,000 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Quality Engineer is responsible for providing technical leadership and oversight of quality assurance activities. This role ensures consistent application of QA standards, drives test automation strategy, and partners with cross-functional teams to deliver high‑quality software releases. What will your job entail? Responsibilities: Works with product owners to obtain and analyze development requirements and coordinate clear and transparent testing and quality strategy. Lead day‑to-day work and development of QA team members Develop and maintain test strategy, test plans, and quality benchmarks Oversee test case creation, execution, and reviews Lead defect management, root cause analysis, and quality risk reporting Drive automation initiatives across UI, API, and integration testing Integrate automated tests within CI/CD pipelines Deliver quality metrics, dashboards, and release readiness assessments Partner with Product, Development, and DevOps to support continuous improvement Ensure adherence to organizational standards, SDLC processes, and compliance requirements Work Experience/Education: 6+ years of professional experience in software quality assurance 2–3+ years of experience in a lead or senior QA role Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred; Software Engineering, Computer Science degree is preferred. Any other related discipline or commensurate work experience considered. Prior software quality assurance experience required Proven leadership through different quality assurance processes and testing phases including functional, system integration, regression, and exploratory testing API automation testing knowledge is desirable. Ability to set up test environments and data sets and leading others through similar exercises when needed Analyze user requirements (stories) and convert requirements to test approach and plans Experience with test automation frameworks such as Selenium or Playwright etc. Basic understanding of fundamentals of programming Able to work and lead with a quality focus in a dynamic, fast-moving company environment Ability to multi-task while consistently maintaining strong attention to detail Ability to meet designated deadlines with a strong sense of urgency Experience with Agile development techniques and supporting tools desirable Prior experience in the property and casualty insurance industry is desirable ON SITE IN CHICAGO OFFICE Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time Licenses & Certifications: Preferred: American Society For Quality (ASQ) Certified, Certified Information System Auditor (CISA), International Software Testing Qualification Board (ISTQB) Ryan Specialty is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building and sustaining a diverse workforce throughout the organization. Our vision is an inclusive and equitable workplace where all employees are valued for and evaluated on their performance and contributions. Differences in race, creed, color, religious beliefs, physical or mental capabilities, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and many other characteristics bring together varied perspectives and add value to the service we provide our clients, trading partners, and communities. This policy extends to all aspects of our employment practices, including but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, discipline, firing, promoting, transferring, compensation, benefits, training, leaves of absence, and other terms, conditions, and benefits of employment. How We Support Our Teammates Ryan Specialty seeks to offer our employees a comprehensive and best-in-class benefits package that helps them — and their family members — achieve their physical, financial, and emotional well-being goals. In addition to paid time off for company holidays, vacation, sick and personal days, Ryan offers paid parental leave, mental health services and more. The target salary range for this position is $96,000.00 - $120,000.00 annually. The wage range for this role considers many factors, such as training, transferable skills, work experience, licensure and certification, business needs, and market demands. The pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. Full-time roles are eligible for bonuses and benefits. For additional information on Ryan Specialty Total Rewards, visit our website https://benefits.ryansg.com/. We provide individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment in accordance with applicable law. Please contact us to request an accommodation at [email protected] The above is intended to describe this job's general requirements. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. A multi-time winner of Newsweek’s Most Loved Workplaces and Insurance Business’s Top Insurance Employers, Ryan Specialty is home to some of the brightest talent in the insurance industry. Join our team and help provide innovative solutions for insurance brokers, agents and carriers. Talent Network Not seeing the right job opening? To learn more about future opportunities Introduce yourself and join our talent network Benefits Curious about Ryan Specialty’s benefits? Explore our employee benefits here! Ryan Specialty, LLC and its affiliates (“Ryan Specialty”) do not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate profiles submitted by any staffing agencies, placement services or professional recruiters (“Agencies”), including any submissions made through our website or to email accounts of Ryan Specialty employees. Agencies must be registered in Ryan Specialty’s agency portal and have a fully executed contract for service between Ryan Specialty and the Agency. Agency fee agreements will only be valid if provided in such fully executed contract between Ryan Specialty and the Agency. Any unsolicited resume or candidate profile received from an Agency without prior approval from Ryan Specialty’s HR department and in compliance with Ryan Specialty’s candidate submission process shall be considered unsolicited, gratuitous and property of Ryan Specialty for recruiting purposes and, as such, is not subject to payment of any Agency fees.

Requirements

6+ years of professional experience in software quality assurance
2–3+ years of experience in a lead or senior QA role
Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred; Software Engineering, Computer Science degree is preferred. Any other related discipline or commensurate work experience considered.
Prior software quality assurance experience required
Proven leadership through different quality assurance processes and testing phases including functional, system integration, regression, and exploratory testing
Ability to set up test environments and data sets and leading others through similar exercises when needed
Analyze user requirements (stories) and convert requirements to test approach and plans
Experience with test automation frameworks such as Selenium or Playwright etc.
Basic understanding of fundamentals of programming
Able to work and lead with a quality focus in a dynamic, fast-moving company environment
Ability to multi-task while consistently maintaining strong attention to detail
Ability to meet designated deadlines with a strong sense of urgency
Experience with Agile development techniques and supporting tools desirable

Nice To Haves

API automation testing knowledge is desirable.
Prior experience in the property and casualty insurance industry is desirable
Preferred: American Society For Quality (ASQ) Certified, Certified Information System Auditor (CISA), International Software Testing Qualification Board (ISTQB)

Responsibilities

Works with product owners to obtain and analyze development requirements and coordinate clear and transparent testing and quality strategy.
Lead day‑to-day work and development of QA team members
Develop and maintain test strategy, test plans, and quality benchmarks
Oversee test case creation, execution, and reviews
Lead defect management, root cause analysis, and quality risk reporting
Drive automation initiatives across UI, API, and integration testing
Integrate automated tests within CI/CD pipelines
Deliver quality metrics, dashboards, and release readiness assessments
Partner with Product, Development, and DevOps to support continuous improvement
Ensure adherence to organizational standards, SDLC processes, and compliance requirements