Principal Corporate Functions Quality Engineering Lead

Job Posting Organization:
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is a pioneering international financial institution established in 199

• The EBRD's mission is to foster the transition towards open market-oriented economies and promote private and entrepreneurial initiative in countries from Central Europe to Central Asia. The organization operates in over 30 countries and employs a diverse workforce that reflects a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. The EBRD is committed to sustainability, equality, and digital transformation, and it prioritizes employee well-being and offers a comprehensive suite of competitive benefits.

Job Overview:
The Principal Corporate Functions Quality Engineering Lead will play a crucial role in shaping the quality engineering practices across mission-critical financial platforms. This position is designed for an individual who is passionate about transforming quality from a mere checkpoint into a strategic engineering capability. The successful candidate will lead Quality Engineering at scale, driving intelligent automation and embedding quality into every stage of delivery. The role requires operating across a diverse technology landscape that includes banking, finance, and corporate platforms. The individual will be responsible for bringing together modern Quality Engineering practices, AI-driven insights, and deep domain expertise to ensure resilience, accuracy, and performance in critical systems. This position offers a unique opportunity to make a visible impact in a complex, regulated environment, and to redefine how enterprise systems are tested, validated, and trusted.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Principal Corporate Functions Quality Engineering Lead include defining and leading the Quality Engineering strategy across a large portfolio of enterprise systems, including finance, banking, corporate, and web platforms. The individual will embed automation-first testing into CI/CD pipelines, covering functional, regression, reconciliation, and interface validation. They will align QA practices with regulatory frameworks such as SOX, DORA, and IFRS, as well as modern delivery models like Agile, DevOps, and QA-Ops. The role involves partnering with business domain experts to ensure data accuracy, integrity, and financial validation are incorporated into test strategies. The candidate will design test data and environment strategies for complex financial scenarios, drive innovation in testing using AI/ML techniques, performance engineering, and resilience validation. Additionally, the individual will elevate engineering maturity through shift-left/right testing, automation frameworks, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess strong leadership experience in Quality Engineering or QA within enterprise environments. Proven experience in delivering Quality Engineering across Agile, DevOps, and CI/CD ecosystems is essential. A deep knowledge of test automation, frameworks, and quality strategy design is required. The individual should have experience embedding testing into pipelines using tools like Azure DevOps and Git-based workflows. A strong background in financial systems or regulated environments is necessary, along with knowledge of frameworks such as SOX, DORA, IFRS, and QA governance alignment. Experience in defining and managing test data, environments, and complex scenarios is also required. Hands-on experience in performance, scalability, and resilience testing using tools like JMeter, k6, or Locust is essential. Familiarity with chaos engineering and resilience testing approaches, as well as a strong understanding of branching strategies and quality controls in CI/CD, is important. The ability to influence stakeholders and embed quality across business and engineering teams, along with excellent communication skills and a strategic mindset, is crucial for success in this role.

Educational Background:
The ideal candidate should have a relevant degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field. Advanced certifications in Quality Engineering, such as ISTQB Advanced Test Manager or equivalent, are highly desirable. Additional certifications in ITIL v3/v4 Foundation or experience aligning QA with service management practices will be considered a plus.

Experience:
Candidates should have significant experience in Quality Engineering, with a proven track record of leading teams and delivering quality solutions in complex environments. Experience in scaling Quality Engineering practices across large organizations is preferred, along with a strong understanding of financial systems and regulatory requirements. The role requires a strategic thinker with the ability to drive change and influence stakeholders at all levels.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory, as it is the primary language of communication within the organization. Knowledge of additional languages, particularly those relevant to the EBRD member countries, would be considered an asset and beneficial for collaboration in a diverse work environment.

Additional Notes:
This position is a fixed-term contract with a duration of 3 years. The role is based in Sofia, Bulgaria, and offers a hybrid working arrangement, with a minimum expectation of in-person collaboration three days a week. The EBRD values diversity and encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their background. The organization is committed to providing a positive and inclusive work environment, and it offers competitive compensation and benefits to its employees.