Manager, Software Engineering QA

Cricut•South Jordan, UT

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Cricut is seeking a Manager, Software Engineering QA to lead end-to-end quality strategy across Desktop Applications, Mobile (iOS/Android), APIs, and Hardware-connected software. This role involves owning release readiness, quality risk assessment, and go/no-go decisions. The manager will define clear expectations for feature, API, and system qualification standards, and remain hands-on when needed by reviewing test strategies, test plans, automation results, and complex defect investigations. A key aspect of this role is leveraging AI tools in day-to-day QA activities to improve efficiency and coverage, including change log and release notes validation, fix analysis, identifying impacted areas, test case generation and optimization, risk analysis and test prioritization, and log analysis and defect investigation. The manager will guide teams on the effective use of AI while maintaining strong engineering and testing judgment, and help adopt AI-assisted practices to improve QA quality, consistency, and team maturity. Additionally, the role involves managing and mentoring QA engineers and QA leads, providing technical guidance, performance feedback, and career growth support. The manager will coach engineers on test strategy, risk-based testing, automation thinking, and quality ownership, balancing delivery execution with long-term team development and scalability. They will build strong team capability through coaching, standards, and best practices, and help scale QA by improving execution consistency, predictability, and maturity. The role requires partnering closely with Product Management and Engineering to ensure requirements are testable, measurable, and aligned to customer impact, and representing QA in cross-functional forums, release discussions, and leadership reviews. Communication of quality status, risks, dependencies, and trade-offs clearly to stakeholders and executive leadership, and presenting data-driven quality metrics and insights to support decision-making are also key responsibilities. The manager will continuously improve QA processes, workflows, and best practices across teams, contribute to defining and evolving quality metrics, dashboards, and operational reporting, and drive improvements in test efficiency, automation effectiveness, reliability, and release predictability.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in Software QA / Quality Engineering.
Proven experience as a technical QA lead and people manager.
Strong experience testing Web, Mobile, and API‑based applications.
Hands‑on expertise in test planning, regression testing, and release qualification.
Experience executing and analyzing automation frameworks.
Working knowledge of AI‑assisted QA tools and practices.
Deep understanding of QA methodologies and the SDLC.
Strong communication skills, including presenting to senior and executive stakeholders.
Ability to balance technical leadership with people leadership.
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or equivalent practical experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience testing software that interacts with hardware.
Experience qualifying consumer electronics products.
Experience leading QA across multiple teams or product areas.
Experience defining quality metrics, dashboards, or large‑scale reporting.

Responsibilities

Lead end‑to‑end quality strategy across Desktop Applications, Mobile (iOS/Android), APIs, and Hardware‑connected software.
Own release readiness, quality risk assessment, and go/no‑go decisions.
Define clear expectations for feature, API, and system qualification standards.
Remain hands‑on when needed by reviewing test strategies, test plans, automation results, and complex defect investigations.
Execute and analyze automation test suites.
Debug and triage complex issues across frontend, backend, APIs, and system integrations.
Use AI tools in day‑to‑day QA activities to improve efficiency and coverage.
Guide teams on effective use of AI while maintaining strong engineering and testing judgment.
Help adopt AI‑assisted practices to improve QA quality, consistency, and team maturity.
Manage and mentor QA engineers and QA leads, providing technical guidance, performance feedback, and career growth support.
Coach engineers on test strategy, risk‑based testing, automation thinking, and quality ownership.
Balance delivery execution with long‑term team development and scalability.
Build strong team capability through coaching, standards, and best practices.
Help scale QA by improving execution consistency, predictability, and maturity.
Partner closely with Product Management and Engineering to ensure requirements are testable, measurable, and aligned to customer impact.
Represent QA in cross‑functional forums, release discussions, and leadership reviews.
Communicate quality status, risks, dependencies, and trade‑offs clearly to stakeholders and executive leadership.
Present data‑driven quality metrics and insights to support decision‑making.
Continuously improve QA processes, workflows, and best practices across teams.
Contribute to defining and evolving quality metrics, dashboards, and operational reporting.
Drive improvements in test efficiency, automation effectiveness, reliability, and release predictability.