Senior Test Automation Lead

Description

About Gapstars

About Gapstars
At Gapstars, we partner with some of Europe's most ambitious companies, from disruptive tech startups to established Benelux accounting firms, helping them build high-performing teams in engineering and finance.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, with talent hubs in Sri Lanka and Portugal, we are home to 300+ professionals who thrive on solving real-world challenges with modern solutions. Our teams work across domains, from networking, marketplaces, SaaS, and AI to embedded finance and accounting, delivering scalable solutions that drive meaningful outcomes.

The Role

The Client is a product-led technology company transforming how the automotive repair industry connects and operates.
The company is building the next generation of its platform, with a focus on creating a scalable and reliable system supporting users across Europe and beyond.

We are looking for a Senior Test Automation Lead to take ownership of the automated QA practice from end to end.
Client is moving from a more manual testing approach toward a modern, automation-led quality engineering model. The current automation suite is based on Playwright, but there is significant freedom to improve, redesign, or replace the existing setup.This role goes beyond maintaining test scripts. You will own the QA architecture, automation strategy, CI/CD integration, regression approach, production quality monitoring, and release readiness.
AI will also play an important role. The expectation is to use AI agents as part of the testing and engineering workflow, including supporting the creation and maintenance of automated tests.

What You'll Do

Own Clients's automated QA practice end to end.
Review and improve the existing Playwright automation suite.
Decide whether to improve the current framework, rebuild it, or introduce another modern solution.
Design scalable test automation architecture using JavaScript / TypeScript.
Build and maintain automated regression coverage.
Own API and integration testing.
Establish performance and load testing practices.
Build and maintain QA pipelines through GitHub Actions / CI/CD.
Improve automation stability, execution speed, and feedback cycles.
Introduce measurable quality and production-performance metrics.
Track escaped defects and ensure production issues receive permanent regression coverage.
Shift quality earlier into product design and development.
Extend QA into production monitoring and issue management.
Use AI agents to support the creation and maintenance of automated tests.
Work closely with engineers and Product Managers on testability and release risks.
Guide other engineers and QA professionals on automation and AI-native testing practices.
Act as the quality gate for releases where significant risk exists.

The role is expected to own quality throughout the SDLC rather than treating QA as a final handover stage.

The Role

Senior Test Automation Lead

Requirements

What You'll Bring (Requirements)

Around 8+ years of experience in QA, Quality Engineering, or Test Automation.
Experience owning an automation suite or QA automation practice end to end.
Strong JavaScript / TypeScript testing experience.
Strong experience with modern automation frameworks such as:

- Playwright
- Cypress
- Similar modern JavaScript-based frameworks

Strong API and integration testing experience.
Experience with performance and load testing.
Experience building automated testing into CI/CD pipelines.
GitHub Actions experience is preferred.
Strong understanding of test architecture and regression strategy.
Comfortable working with AI coding agents and AI-assisted engineering workflows.
Able to understand application architecture and identify testability risks.
Strong English communication skills.
Comfortable working directly with engineers, Product Managers, and stakeholders in the Netherlands.
Able to take ownership and challenge release decisions where quality risk is high.

The existing specification emphasizes automation ownership, modern frameworks, API/contract testing, scalable pipelines, architecture awareness, and the ability to communicate quality risks to both technical and product stakeholders.

Nice to Have

Security testing experience.
Experience modernizing an unstable or legacy automation suite.
Experience implementing production quality metrics.
Experience testing feature flags and rollback mechanisms.
Experience introducing AI-native QA practices into an engineering organization.

What Success Looks Like
Within the role, the objective is to establish:

Reliable coverage of critical user journeys.
Fast and stable automated test pipelines.
Clear quality metrics throughout development and production.
Strong API and integration regression coverage.
A process where production defects result in permanent automated regression tests.
Tested and trusted rollback and feature-flag processes.
Reduced manual and repetitive QA work.
Evidence-based release decisions rather than relying only on judgement.

Perks & Benefits
We believe taking care of our people is non-negotiable. Here's what being a Star means:

Wellbeing first: Comprehensive health cover, surgical & hospitalization benefits, and access to therapy & counseling services
Work-life essentials: 24h continuous internet and power facility, shuttle service, and a gym membership to keep you moving
Everyday comforts: Unlimited tea & coffee facilities along with snacks & drinks.
Growth, always: Personal Development Plans through Gapstars Academy, cross-functional learning via GapTalks, and opportunities for overseas travel and training
Life's milestones, celebrated: Birthday vouchers, wedding and childbirth gifts, anniversary treats, and more, because we celebrate our Stars at every stage
Community & culture: Sports clubs, company events, tournaments, and parties that make Gapstars feel like home

"Gapstars is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, national origin, gender, disability, or age. Your personal information collected during the application process is handled following our privacy policy and used exclusively for recruitment and hiring purposes only"