Lead QA Automation Engineer (Fintech)

TL;DR

Lead QA Automation Engineer (Fintech): Designing and building end-to-end quality strategies for a low-latency Event-Driven Architecture platform with an accent on Solace messaging, Azure (AKS), and regulated market compliance. Focus on architecting reusable automation frameworks, implementing complex data reconciliation, and establishing CI/CD quality gates for high-load trading systems.

Location: Must be based in Abu Dhabi (UAE) or remote within 3 hours of the Abu Dhabi time zone (UTC+4).

Company

A globally diversified investment organization focused on long-term, value-driven investment strategies.

What you will do

• Define and implement a shift-left test strategy covering unit, integration, contract, E2E, performance, and security testing.
• Architect a reusable automation framework for API, Solace messaging, and database testing.
• Validate event-driven architecture semantics including ordering, idempotency, and back-pressure handling.
• Automate data quality checks and reconciliation across OMS/EMS and settlement systems.
• Embed automated test suites into Azure DevOps pipelines with mandatory quality and compliance gates.
• Lead QA initiatives, mentor developers on testability, and contribute to incident response and reliability playbooks.

Requirements

• 8+ years in QA/engineering with 5+ years in financial or trading systems.
• Proven experience delivering pipeline-integrated .NET automation frameworks for regulated markets.
• Deep expertise in EDA testing (contracts, schema evolution, DLQs) and data reconciliation.
• Hands-on experience with Azure, AKS, Azure DevOps, and performance/security automation.
• Strong English proficiency required.
• Must be authorized to work in the country of residence without employer sponsorship.

Nice to have

• ISTQB Advanced or CSTE certification.
• Azure Fundamentals or Azure DevOps Engineer certification.
• Finance certifications such as CFA or FRM.
• Experience with FIX conformance simulators.

Culture & Benefits

• Contract role with a 6-12 month initial duration and long-term potential.
• Opportunity to work on high-load, regulated financial systems.
• Collaborative environment with a focus on engineering excellence and quality by design.
• Flexible work model with options for onsite work in Abu Dhabi or remote within the specified time zone.