Digital R&D - Test Automation Lead

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Lead Test Automation Engineer within Sanofi's Global Digital R&D Software Engineering team, you will serve as the technical lead and quality champion for test automation across one or more digital product squads. You will own the end-to-end automation strategy, drive engineering excellence, and guide a team of automation engineers to deliver high-quality, reliable, and scalable digital solutions. This role sits at the intersection of technical leadership, hands-on engineering, and cross-functional collaboration, directly supporting Sanofi's ambition to be a digital-first, AI-powered healthcare company.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Leadership

• Define and own the test automation strategy, framework architecture, and tooling standards across assigned product domains

• Lead the design and implementation of scalable, maintainable, and reusable automation frameworks (functional, regression, API, integration, performance, and security testing)

• Drive shift-left testing practices, embedding quality from requirements through deployment

• Establish and enforce quality gates, coding standards, and best practices for test automation across squads

• Evaluate and recommend new tools, technologies, and methodologies to continuously improve the automation ecosystem

Delivery & Execution

• Oversee the integration of automated test suites into CI/CD pipelines, ensuring fast and reliable feedback loops

• Lead test planning activities including scope definition, risk-based testing strategies, and effort estimation

• Monitor and report on test coverage, defect trends, and quality KPIs to engineering and product leadership

• Ensure automated test environments are stable, scalable, and aligned with cloud-native infrastructure

• Drive root cause analysis for critical defects and systemic quality issues, proposing and implementing corrective actions

People & Collaboration

• Mentor and coach a team of test automation engineers, fostering technical growth and a quality-first culture

• Collaborate closely with product owners, software engineers, DevOps, and business stakeholders to align on quality objectives

• Act as the primary point of contact for test automation matters within the squad and across the broader engineering community

• Facilitate knowledge sharing, communities of practice, and internal guilds around testing excellence

• Contribute to hiring, onboarding, and capability building within the test automation practice

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure test automation practices comply with Sanofi's IT standards, cybersecurity policies, and (where applicable) GxP/CSV regulatory requirements

• Maintain comprehensive documentation of test strategies, frameworks, and results for audit readiness

• Participate in global Digital R&D engineering initiatives and contribute lessons learned to the broader community

REQUIRED SKILLS & PROFICIENCY

Technical Skills:

• Applications Delivery: Experienced

• DevOps: Experienced

• Software Design: Intermediate

• Cloud Engineering: Experienced

Functional Skills:

• Cybersecurity: Intermediate

• Continued Learning: Experienced

Transversal Skills:

• Quality Mindset: Experienced

• Innovation: Intermediate

• Communication: Experienced

Other Skills:

• Software Engineering: Experienced

• Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC): Intermediate

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

• Test Automation Frameworks: Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, Appium, RestAssured, Karate, or equivalent

• Programming Languages: Python, Java, JavaScript, or TypeScript (proficient level)

• CI/CD & DevOps: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps — experienced in pipeline design

• Cloud Platforms: AWS, Azure, or GCP — experienced in cloud-based test execution environments

• API & Contract Testing: Postman, REST/SOAP/GraphQL, Pact

• Performance & Security Testing: JMeter, Gatling, OWASP ZAP, or equivalent

• BDD/TDD Methodologies: Cucumber, SpecFlow, or equivalent

• Test Management & Reporting: Jira, Xray, TestRail, Allure, or equivalent

• Version Control & Code Quality: Git, SonarQube, code review practices

• Containerization: Docker, Kubernetes (for test environment management)

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QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field

• Experience: 12+ years in software quality engineering, with at least 3 years in a lead or senior automation role

• Proven track record of building and scaling test automation frameworks in cloud-native, DevOps environments

• Experience leading or mentoring small teams of engineers (2–6 people)

• Exposure to regulated environments (GxP, CSV, 21 CFR Part 11) is a strong advantage in the pharma/life sciences context

• Demonstrated ability to influence technical decisions and drive quality culture across cross-functional teams

BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES

• Aim Higher: Sets high quality standards; continuously raises the bar on automation coverage and reliability

• Act for Patients: Understands that software quality directly impacts patient safety and data integrity

• Be Bold: Challenges legacy testing approaches; proposes and implements innovative automation solutions

• Lead Together: Builds bridges across engineering, product, and business teams; fosters a collaborative quality culture

Why choose us?

• Bring the miracles of science to life alongside a supportive, future-focused team

• Discover endless opportunities to grow your talent and drive your career, whether through promotion or international mobility

• Enjoy a thoughtful rewards package that recognizes your contribution and amplifies your impact

• Take good care of yourself and your family with a wide range of health and wellbeing benefits, including at least 14 weeks’ gender-neutral parental leave

• Be part of a dynamic digital transformation journey with executive sponsorship and a strong innovation ecosystem