Test Lead

The Role You Could Play
At MECCA, quality is more than just a checkpoint - it's a mindset. As Test Lead, you'll be at the forefront of shaping how we deliver reliable, scalable, and customer-centric technology at speed. This role is central to strengthening our quality culture across Engineering, blending hands-on expertise with visionary leadership to raise the bar on what excellence looks like.

Reporting to the QA Manager, you'll act as both a practitioner and quality champion, driving a modern QA strategy that embeds shift-left practices, automation-first approaches, and AI-enabled innovation. You'll enable squads to prevent defects early, accelerate feedback loops, and deliver with confidence.

Beyond technical direction, you'll play a key role in mentoring and growing talent within the QA Chapter. By coaching testers and engineers in automation, best practices, and emerging technologies, you'll build a culture of curiosity, learning, and continuous improvement. Partnering closely with Tech Leads, Product Managers, and Delivery teams, you'll align testing with business outcomes and engineering priorities - ensuring that quality is never an afterthought, but a driver of value.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead with vision: Drive the QA strategy from concept to execution, embedding quality as a shared responsibility across squads.
• Champion modern practices: Promote shift-left testing, automation-first approaches, and scalable strategies aligned to the Test Pyramid.
• Leverage AI and innovation: Explore and apply AI-driven testing techniques to improve efficiency, speed, and insight.
• Enable and elevate others: Mentor testers, engineers, and cross-functional teammates - building confidence, capability, and a culture of continuous learning.
• Prevent, not just detect: Embed proactive quality practices that prioritise early defect prevention, developer enablement, and fast feedback loops.
• Collaborate for impact: Partner with Tech Leads, Product Managers, and Delivery teams to ensure testing is aligned with business goals and engineering priorities.
• Raise the bar: Continuously evolve our quality frameworks, automation, and best practices to keep MECCA at the forefront of reliable, customer-centric delivery.

What You Will Bring
We're looking for a Test Lead with strong technical skills, a collaborative mindset, and a passion for quality.

You'll be able to demonstrate:

• 10+ years in software quality assurance, including experience as a senior tester or team lead.
• Experience managing small to medium-sized testing teams, with a focus on people management and delivery.
• Proven ability to plan, manage, and deliver testing activities across multiple projects or squads.
• Hands-on expertise in test automation frameworks, CI/CD-integrated testing, and modern QA tools.
• Strong knowledge of Agile practices (Scrum, Kanban) and modern software development lifecycles.
• Experience applying shift-left approaches and scalable test strategies (e.g. Test Pyramid, exploratory testing).
• Demonstrated success in mentoring and guiding Test Analysts or junior QA team members.
• Solid understanding of functional and non-functional practices.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work closely with developers, product managers, and delivery leads.
• A hands-on problem solver with the ability to balance detail-oriented execution with team leadership.

While not essential, experience in the following areas will help the successful candidate hit the ground running:

• Exposure to QA practices within retail or eCommerce environments, particularly omnichannel systems.
• Experience with performance, resilience, or exploratory testing to strengthen product reliability.
• Knowledge of compliance-driven testing (e.g. accessibility, PCI, privacy) and how to apply it in delivery.
• Familiarity with observability tools (e.g. Datadog, New Relic) to support monitoring and test validation in production-like environments.
• Ability to influence quality practices within delivery teams, encouraging modern testing mindsets.
• Experience contributing to QA chapter activities such as knowledge-sharing sessions, retrospectives, or process improvement initiatives.
• Prior involvement in cross-team quality initiatives, helping uplift capability and consistency across squads.

Your Life At MECCA
We don't just deliver technology - we shape experiences that matter. Joining us means being part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. As a Test Lead, you'll have the platform to make a real impact - on our products, our people, and the way we think about quality.

Here's what you can expect:

• Growth & Development: We invest in our people. From tailored leadership pathways to ongoing learning opportunities, you'll have the space to develop as a leader and innovator.
• Innovation at Scale: You'll work on projects that push boundaries, with the freedom to explore AI and cutting-edge tools that redefine how testing is done.
• Culture of Curiosity: We encourage experimentation, fresh ideas, and bold thinking. You'll be supported to take risks, learn fast, and drive meaningful change.
• Collaboration & Connection: You'll partner with talented engineers, product thinkers, and delivery experts who share your passion for building world-class solutions.
• Making Your Mark: This is a role where your ideas will be heard, your leadership will be felt, and your work will help shift the dial for MECCA and our customers. We believe great people create great outcomes - and we're ready to support you in doing the best work of your career.

Some of our other team member benefits also include:

• Professional development programs and first-class digitised learning offering
• Health and well-being initiatives
• Reward and recognition programs
• Access to bonus and incentive programs
• Access to quarterly product allowance
• Up to 40% discount to spoil yourselves and your immediate family, subject to company policy

There are also so many other ways in which you'll be made to feel part of the MECCA story as we love to celebrate, surprise and delight our team along the way. To learn more about life at MECCA Brands, follow us on LinkedIn at MECCA Brands or @lifeatmecca and for all current opportunities, visit