Lead: Software Testing (Stellenbosch) needed at Capitec Bank

PURPOSE STATEMENT

• To drive testing excellence within the product line by managing and overseeing the end-to-end testing process, and optimising testing processes through central and digital test automation practices.
• To develop and implement a comprehensive testing vision and quality roadmap that aligns with organisational goals.
• To ensure the continuity of the testing capability by crafting testing career paths and development paths for testers, including structured training programs and succession planning.
• To provide technical leadership for automation frameworks, while fostering a culture of quality across the organisation.
• The successful incumbent will be expected to have: the ability to work in a fast-paced and collaborative environment; strong ethical standards and professional integrity; and commitment to continuous learning and remaining current with industry trends.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership:

• Develop and implement testing vision and strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Create and maintain quality roadmap for continuous improvement.
• Lead innovation in testing methodologies while defining and enforcing best practices.
• Drive cross-team quality initiatives and cultivate strong partnerships with stakeholders.
• Stay current with industry trends and contribute to the broader testing community.

Technical Excellence and Development:

• Make critical architecture decisions for end-to-end test automation frameworks using JavaScript / Typescript.
• Lead implementation of Playwright-based testing solutions and BrowserStack integration.
• Design and implement scalable, maintainable end-to-end automation solutions across modern tech stacks.
• Drive innovation in testing methodologies through custom JavaScript / TypeScript tool development.
• Code review and mentor team members on JavaScript / TypeScript and modern testing best practices.
• Integrate end-to-end automated testing into CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.
• Develop comprehensive test strategies covering web applications, mobile apps, and API layers.
• Establish testing standards for modern technologies.

Business Value and Quality Assurance (QA):

• Establish meaningful quality metrics and demonstrate ROI from testing efforts.
• Design effective risk mitigation strategies to protect business value.
• Ensure comprehensive QA testing including identifying test conditions, creating test plans and test cases / scripts from project documentation.
• Drive organisational impact through quality culture development.
• Manage release processes and ensure testing integration within SDLC.

Qualifications (Minimum)

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Grade 12 National Certificate / Vocational

Qualifications (Ideal or Preferred)

• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology – Computer Science or Information Management

EXPERIENCE
Minimum:

• 5+ years’ experience in QA testing (identifying test conditions, creating test plans and test cases / scripts from project documentation)
• Extensive hands-on experience in test automation development using JavaScript / TypeScript
• Strong programming background with proficiency in JavaScript / TypeScript (JavaScript / TypeScript programming and modern development patterns)
• Developing and maintaining end-to-end automated test frameworks from scratch (end-to-end test architecture and framework design)
• Solid understanding of modern web technologies and end-to-end testing across various technology stacks (modern web technology stack testing expertise)
• Complex problem-solving in end-to-end scenarios
• Deep understanding of software development principles, design patterns, and clean code practices in JavaScript / TypeScript
• Stakeholder management and strategic influence

Ideal:

• 5+ years’ experience in Managing / Leading / coordinating a technical team and/or the work of Testing roles throughout the various testing phases and activities (technical leadership and team management)
• 3+ years’ Bank IT system exposure
• Advanced end-to-end test automation framework development using Playwright with JavaScript / TypeScript
• Expert-level experience with BrowserStack for cross-browser and native mobile app testing
• Native mobile app testing experience with tools like Appium integrated with BrowserStack
• Testing microservices, APIs, and distributed systems architectures
• CI/CD pipeline integration with end-to-end test automation suites
• Cloud-based testing solutions and modern deployment practices
• Release management exposure

KNOWLEDGE
Minimum:
A detailed understanding of:

• The full IT project lifecycle (SDLC) and how the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) fits into it
• Advanced JavaScript / TypeScript programming OR any other major programming language (Async / Await, and modern patterns, etc.)
• End-to-end testing methodologies and strategies across various technology stacks
• Back End Testing using JavaScript-based tools and frameworks
• Git version control, branching strategies, and collaborative modern development workflows
• CI/CD pipeline integration with GitHub actions
• Agile methodology and modern development practices
• Database interactions using JavaScript against MSSQL / Postgres 
• API interactions using JavaScript

Ideal:
A basic understanding of:

• Playwright framework for end-to end automation – web automation and cross-browser testing
• BrowserStack platform for cloud-based testing and native mobile app testing (BrowserStack integration for cross-platform testing)
• Bank IT-related systems and infrastructure
• Advanced JavaScript / TypeScript patterns and performance optimisation
• Native mobile app testing with Appium and BrowserStack Device Cloud
• Performance testing with JavaScript-based tools
• Visual regression testing and accessibility testing automation
• Docker containerisation for consistent testing environments
• Strategic planning and business alignment

SKILLS

• Analytical Skills
• Problem solving skills
• Communications Skills
• Interpersonal & Relationship management Skills
• Planning, organising and coordination skills
• Change Management Skills
• Strategic Thinking Skills