Digital QA Lead - Test Automation

Join the world's largest HVAC company, named by Forbes as one of America's Best-In-State Employers 2025!

Daikin Applied is seeking a talented and eager Digital QA Lead - Test Automation. The Digital QA Lead - Test Automation will define and lead enterprise automation strategy and frameworks across multiple digital platforms - including Salesforce, Oracle, Workday, Vertex, and custom-built applications.

This role combines hands-on technical expertise with strategic leadership. You'll architect scalable automation solutions, embed them into CI/CD pipelines, and mentor QA engineers and SDETs across teams to improve quality, efficiency, and consistency. Come be a part of an exciting journey at Daikin Applied, where innovation and excellence drive our every endeavor!

Location: Plymouth, MN - Hybrid

What you will do:

Automation Strategy & Architecture

• Define and own the test automation strategy for Central Testing, spanning UI, API, integration, and regression testing
• Design and maintain scalable, reusable automation frameworks to support diverse technologies and applications
• Partner with DevOps and development teams to integrate automation into CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps preferred)
• Establish frameworks and guidelines for test data management, environment readiness, and reporting standards
• Evaluate and recommend tools and frameworks that enhance automation coverage and maintainability

Hands-On Development & Technical Leadership

• Build and maintain automation test suites using modern programming languages (Java, Python, C#, or TypeScript)
• Develop, review, and optimize automation code to ensure stability and reusability
• Lead efforts to automate regression, smoke, and integration test suites across projects
• Troubleshoot automation issues, ensuring consistent execution across environments
• Ensure automation aligns with best practices for version control, code review, and documentation

Enablement & Collaboration

• Define automation metrics and KPIs to measure adoption, coverage, and value across programs
• Partner with QA leads and product teams to embed automation early in the lifecycle
• Mentor and coach SDETs and QA engineers to strengthen test automation capabilities across teams
• Create starter kits, templates, and knowledge assets to promote reuse and standardization
• Collaborate closely with development, security, and product teams to ensure comprehensive test coverage and release confidence

What's in it for you:

• Medical/Dental/Vision coverage, PTO, 401K match, support for community involvement and much more
• The ability to make an impact and shape your career with a company that is passionate about growth
• The support of an organization that believes it is vital to include and engage diverse people, perspectives, and ideas to achieve our best

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field
• 8-12 years of experience in software quality engineering, with 4+ years in an automation lead or architect role
• Demonstrated success integrating automation frameworks in large enterprise environment
• Strong programming proficiency in Java, Python, or C#
• Deep experience with automation tools (Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, or TestNG/JUnit)
• Proficiency in API and service-level testing (Postman, RestAssured, etc.)
• Experience integrating automation into CI/CD tools (Azure DevOps, Jenkins, GitHub Actions)
• Knowledge of low-code/no-code automation platforms such as Tricentis Tosca, Leapwork, or UiPath Test Suite
• Strong understanding of SDLC, Agile, and QA best practices
• Proven ability to influence technical direction and drive automation adoption across distributed teams
• Skilled at coaching engineers and building consensus across cross-functional stakeholders
• Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field
• Experience leading automation implementation across multiple products or programs
• Demonstrated success integrating automation frameworks in large enterprise environment
• Experience with model-based or data-driven testing frameworks
• Familiarity with cloud-based testing (Azure, AWS) and containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Exposure to performance, security, or accessibility testing
• Experience with automation dashboards (Power BI, Allure)

Daikin Applied offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Multiple medical insurance plan options + dental and vision insurance
• 401K retirement plan with employer contributions matching 100% of the first 3% of employee contributions and 50% on the next 2% of employee contributions
• Short term and long term disability
• 3 weeks of paid time off for new employees + 11 company paid holidays
• Vacation accrues on a monthly basis, unless applicable federal, state and local law requires a faster accrual
• Paid sick time in accordance of the federal, state and local law
• Paid parental leave and tuition reimbursement after 6 months of continuous service
• Company provided life insurance + optional employee paid voluntary life insurance, dependent life coverage and voluntary accident coverage

The typical annual base salary for this position ranges from $100,000 - $166,000 (+ 15-20% bonus) in MN. The range displayed represents the pay range for all positions in the job grade which this position falls. Individual base pay will depend on a wide range of factors including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

#LI-RS1, #LI-hybrid