QA Lead

Merkle is seeking a QA Lead to own quality assurance strategy, execution, and oversight for a major digital platform modernization engagement. You' will lead a client QA team of four, establish testing infrastructure (Chromatic, Storybook), and drive quality across component-level, functional, accessibility, and integration testing. 

This is a strategic + hands-on hybrid role: you will be leading the QA strategy and also troubleshoot failing integration tests on any given day. 

Key Responsibilities:

QA Strategy & Planning 

• Develop and own the QA strategy and comprehensive test plan across all Merkle workstreams as deemed appropriate fo the client project 

• Define testing approach for component isolation (Storybook), visual regression (Chromatic), functional coverage, cross-browser testing, accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.2 AA), and integration testing 

• Establish test environment requirements and coordinate with client engineering for setup and maintenance 

• Document acceptance criteria for what passes/fails at each test level 

Toolkit Setup & Configuration 

• Configure and own Chromatic (visual regression) and Storybook (component testing) integration 

• Set up CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or equivalent) to automate visual regression and component testing 

• Troubleshoot configuration issues (design tokens, viewport sizing, addon conflicts, etc.) 

• Establish baseline snapshots and review workflows for visual changes 

• Maintain and iterate on tooling as the codebase evolves 

Testing Oversight & Execution 

• Oversee component-level testing: design system components tested in isolation before page integration 

• Oversee functional and regression testing across all page types and device classes (desktop, mobile, tablet) 

• Oversee cross-browser compatibility testing against an agreed matrix (to be confirmed during kickoff) 

• Oversee accessibility testing: WCAG 2.2 AA compliance validation across all delivered components and pages 

• Oversee integration testing: front-end to SCAPI, front-end to AEM, and design token propagation 

• Define test scope and prioritize coverage based on risk and business impact 

Team Leadership & Collaboration 

• Lead and mentor the client's four QA resources; direct testing activities and ensure quality standards are met 

• Partner with dev team on test data preparation and environment readiness 

• Communicate quality metrics, defect trends, and blockers to Merkle and client stakeholders 

• Manage scope creep; push back on out-of-scope requests with clear rationale 

Defect Management 

• Establish defect logging, triage, and tracking process 

• Triage and prioritize bugs based on severity and business impact 

• Track resolution and retesting to closure 

• Provide clear bug summaries (reproducible steps, root cause analysis where possible) 

Initial Launch Scope 

• Focus for initial deployment: home page, header, footer, navigation, plus one additional page (PDP/PLP) 

• Plan for phased expansion post-launch 

You Have:

• 7+ years of QA / Quality Assurance Engineering experience

• 2+ years in test automation or automation engineering 

• Hands-on experience with visual regression testing tools (Chromatic, Percy, or similar) 

• Hands-on experience setting up, configuring, or maintaining Storybook in a production environment

• Accessibility testing: experience testing to WCAG 2.2 or 2.1 AA standards; familiarity with axe-core, Lighthouse, or manual audit techniques 

• CI/CD troubleshooting: comfortable reading/debugging GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or equivalent pipeline configurations 

• Strong communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to tailor messages for both technical and non-technical audiences

• Experience mentoring or managing 5-10 team members, or demonstrated readiness to lead

• Component-level testing: experience testing design systems, component libraries, or isolated UI elements 

• Integration testing: understanding of front-end–backend contracts, API testing, and debugging integration failures 

Nice-to-Have Skills:

• Agency or client services background

• Experience with SCAPI or Salesforce Commerce Cloud integrations 

• Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) testing or integration experience 

• Accessibility audit experience beyond automated tools 

• Performance testing or monitoring experience 

• Experience mentoring QA teams across time zones or distributed teams 

What Success Looks Like (First 90 Days) 

• QA strategy and test plan documented and approved by stakeholders 

• Storybook and Chromatic configured, integrated into CI/CD, and team trained on workflows 

• Test environment setup plan confirmed with client engineering 

• Browser support matrix locked down 

• Client's four QA resources onboarded and ramped on testing approach 

• Initial component and page-level test coverage in place for first features 

• Accessibility baseline established and WCAG 2.2 AA compliance approach defined 

• Weekly quality metrics and defect reporting cadence established 

Dentsu is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees. We do this without regard to race, color, national origin, sex , sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, political affiliation, religious practices and observances, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. 

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