Senior QA and Platform Engineer (AU, Media, Remote)

Schedule: Monday to Friday (AU Timezone)
Remote (must be within Metro Manila)

Position Overview and Purpose
The Senior QA & Platform Engineer keeps client's websites stable, secure and up to date. The role builds and runs the automated testing that every release passes before it reaches readers, and looks after the upkeep of the WordPress platform the brand websites run on: core, PHP and plugin upgrades, security patches and the release process. It sits in the Platform & Quality squad and works across all four engineering squads.

What will you do?
Organising & Executing (50%)

• Builds and maintains the end-to-end test automation framework for the Express estate in Playwright (Cypress where suites already exist), covering critical journeys on every brand: article and gallery templates, navigation, Piano sign-up and paywall, newsletter sign-up, AreLink commerce links and ad slot rendering.
• Adds API and contract tests for the commerce services (AreLink, AreDeals, ArePrice, AreProduct) and other internal APIs.
• Runs automated regression, visual regression, accessibility (axe-core) and performance (Lighthouse CI) checks as gates in the CI/CD pipeline, so a failed build does not reach production.
• Plans and delivers WordPress core, PHP and plugin upgrades across the estate on WP Engine, including
  impact assessment, staged rollout through development and staging, regression and a rollback plan.
• Keeps dependencies current and patched (Composer, npm, Dependabot or Renovate) and acts on WordPress security advisories within agreed timeframes, working with Cybersecurity.
• Manages the release process: release calendar, change notes, deploy verification and post-release smoke tests. Keeps staging environments in parity with production.

Analysing & Interpreting (20%)

• Sets the test strategy for the estate: risk-based coverage, what is automated versus tested manually, test data, and entry and exit criteria for release.
• Tracks and reports quality and platform health: escaped defects, automated coverage of critical journeys, flaky test rate, change failure rate, and WordPress and PHP versions against supported releases.
• Triages defects and production issues to root cause, uses Beacon and Lighthouse CI results to catch performance regressions introduced by releases, and feeds recurring failures

Supporting & Interacting (20%)

• Provides day-to-day technical direction to the Philippines based QA and SDET engineers: priorities, test standards and review of test code.
• Coaches squad developers to write testable code and add tests with their changes, and reviews test coverage in pull requests.
• Works with WP Engine and The Code Company on platform upgrades, environment issues and support
  escalations.
• Communicates release and maintenance windows to Editorial and Product, and supports user acceptance testing.

Personal and Professional Development (10%)

• Invest in professional development through regular learning opportunities to build on skills and knowledge.
• Invest in personal development through wellbeing initiatives and take regular leave to maintain a balanced life.

Who you are?
Essential

• 5+ years in QA and test automation for web applications, including 2+ years on WordPress
  or PHP platforms.
• Strong hands-on test automation in Playwright or Cypress with JavaScript/TypeScript, including building a framework from scratch, page objects, test data management and parallel runs.
• Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or similar) as release gates.
• Solid WordPress knowledge (core, themes, plugins, WP-CLI) and experience carrying out core, PHP and plugin upgrades on production sites.
• REST API testing and working SQL for test data and validation.
• Understanding of web performance (Core Web Vitals), accessibility testing and web security basics (OWASP).
• Git, Jira and Confluence; writes clear defect reports and documentation.
• Able to guide other QA engineers and work across several teams at once.

Desirable

• Experience with WP Engine or WordPress VIP.
• Visual regression (Playwright screenshots, Percy or similar) and Lighthouse CI.
• Load testing with k6 or JMeter.
• Testing ad tech (GAM, Prebid) and paywall or subscription journeys (Piano).
• Cross-browser and real-device testing (e.g. BrowserStack), including iOS Safari.
• ISTQB certification.
• Experience working with offshore or distributed teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or a related field.

Join the awesome team and enjoy these benefits & perks:

• Fully Remote Arrangement
• Medical, Dental Coverage and Life insurance from day 1 of employment
• Paid Vacation and Sick Leave (with Quarterly Sick Leave Conversion)
• Competitive salary package and annual appraisal
• Financial Assistance Program
• Mandatory Government Benefits and 13th Month Pay
• Complimentary Sleeping Quarters, Coffee at no cost
• Complimentary Office Fitness and Wellness Facilities at no cost
• Regular Company Events, Work Life Balance, and Career growth opportunities
• Accessible location at the heart of Metro Manila --- the Mega Tower, EDSA

JOIN CONNECTOS NOW!
ConnectOS is certified as a Great Place to Work and is a top-rated Philippines employer of choice.
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Equal Employment Statement
Employment decisions at ConnectOS will be conducted without consideration of factors such as age', race, color, religion, gender, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, and marital status. ConnectOS ensures the full confidentiality of the data it processes.