QA Automation Lead

Vacasa

5h • $105,000 - $110,000 • Remote

About The Position

The QA Automation Lead is responsible for defining and driving the automation strategy that ensures the quality, stability, and reliability of our software products. In this role, you will design scalable automated testing frameworks, oversee end-to-end automation efforts, and ensure test suites are tightly integrated into the CI/CD pipeline. You will collaborate closely with engineering, product, and DevOps teams to identify quality risks early, improve test coverage, and enable rapid, high-confidence releases. As a technical leader, you will mentor QA engineers, champion best practices, and continuously evolve our automation capabilities to support a fast-moving development environment.

Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience.
• Adept at facilitating technical discussions that lead to informed decisions
• Proficient at one or more programming languages
• Experience automating test suites and training cross-functional teams on quality assurance best practices
• Experience or enthusiasm to mentor QA engineers/analysts
• Experience testing web-based applications and APIs
• Experience writing automated tests (automated API testing preferred)
• Strong debugging / troubleshooting skills
• Solid understanding of Git or another version control system
• Experience working with databases and writing SQL queries (MySQL and PostgreSQL preferred)
• Communicates clearly and confidently—whether it's over email, on a video call, or in person—and can build strong connections with both team members and clients.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in hotel, hospitality, vacation or similar industry is highly preferred.
• College education is strongly preferred, though we recognize that great talent comes from many different paths.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and maintenance of automated test frameworks for UI, API, integration, regression, and performance testing.
• Define and execute the automation strategy, standards, and best practices across the engineering organization.
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and DevOps to ensure automated tests are integrated into CI/CD pipelines for fast and reliable deployments.
• Oversee the creation of comprehensive test plans and automated test suites to validate functionality, performance, and reliability.
• Mentor and guide QA engineers on automation tools, coding practices, and quality processes.
• Review automation code for quality, scalability, and maintainability.
• Analyze test results, identify root causes, and drive continuous improvements in testing efficiency and effectiveness.
• Ensure test data setup, environment readiness, and automation infrastructure are maintained and reliable.
• Establish clear metrics, dashboards, and reporting to communicate quality status and automation progress.
• Champion a culture of quality by advocating for early testing, shift-left practices, and strong engineering discipline.
• Lead and develop a team of employees through effective coaching, mentoring, and performance management. Conduct regular one-on-one meetings and annual evaluations to support professional growth and ensure alignment with company goals.
• Foster a collaborative work environment that promotes open communication, innovation, and employee engagement. Address team conflicts constructively and in a timely manner as they arise.
• Assist the recruiting process with interviewing, selection and onboarding new team members while ensuring compliance with company policies and employment regulations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to align departmental goals with broader organizational strategy. Represent the team in leadership meetings and communicate strategic decisions effectively to direct reports.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives by analyzing program performance, identifying bottlenecks, and implementing process optimizations. Stay current with industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies relevant to the function.
• Other duties as assigned because every day is different in hospitality!

Benefits

• Health/dental/vision insurance based on hours worked
• Employer Sponsored & Voluntary Supplemental Benefits based on hours worked
• 401K retirement savings plan with immediate 100% company match on the first 4% you contribute
• Health & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts based on hours worked
• Paid Flex Time Off / Vacation & Sick Time
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Employee Discounts

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees