About this role
<div class="content-intro"><h3>Who We Are:</h3>
<p>At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse. </p>
<p>Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work. </p></div><p><span data-contrast="auto">We are seeking a visionary and resilient Head of Quality Engineering to lead and scale our QA function in India. This is a pivotal leadership role within our Engineering and Technology team, requiring a unique blend of strategic foresight, commercial awareness, and hands-on technical expertise.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The ideal candidate is not just a manager but a leader and coach—someone who can recruit and build a high-performing team from the ground up while maintaining involvement in projects and automation. You will be the driving force behind our continued AI Transformation in QA in the region and, ensure our technical capabilities are always one step ahead of business demand.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">What you’ll be doing:</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Leadership, Team Development & Future-Readiness</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="33" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Build & Scale:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Recruit top-tier QA talent to build the India team. Manage high-volume, high-pressure hiring cycles and a establish QA Automation hub.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="33" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Future-Proofing the Workforce:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Collaborate closely with Sales and Business Development</span><strong><span data-contrast="auto"> teams</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> to understand the sales pipeline and emerging market trends. Translate these insights into training roadmaps to ensure the team is "project-ready" for next-generation work before it arrives.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="33" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Talent Development:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Follow and contribury to global engineering career progression frameworks. Foster a culture of continuous learning by coordinating training programs, onboarding graduates, and personally coaching team members.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="33" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Global Collaboration:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Act as the primary liaison for the India region within our global community of QA leaders, ensuring alignment with global standards while addressing local operational needs.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="33" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Employee Wellbeing:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Balance the drive for high performance with a deep commitment to team wellbeing, proactively managing signs of burnout and ensuring a healthy, sustainable work-life balance for your staff.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559738":60,"335559739":60,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<p> <br><strong><span data-contrast="auto">AI Transformation & Technical Excellence</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="34" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">AI Leadership:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Champion the adoption of AI-assisted testing tools and generative AI within the QA workflow. Lead transformation activities to automate test generation, self-healing scripts, and predictive quality analytics.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="34" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Automation Strategy:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Lead the design and development of robust, scalable test automation frameworks using modern tools, with a specific focus on Playwright.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="34" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Hands-on Engineering:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Review complex test scenarios and contribute to automation code or framework architecture. You will be expected to guide the team on technical implementation in Java, Python, or JavaScript.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="34" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Shift-Left & CI/CD:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Support project teams in integrating quality gates within deployment pipelines and drive the adoption of "Shift-Left" testing principles.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<p> <br><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Strategic Quality Management</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="35" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Metrics & KPIs:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Define and track quality metrics (DRE, Test Coverage, Cycle Time) to provide transparent reporting to executive stakeholders.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="35" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">SDLC Integration:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Collaborate closely with Engineering, Product, and DevOps leads to embed quality as a mindset throughout the development lifecycle.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="35" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Infrastructure & Data:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Oversee test environment management, data management strategies, and ensure the infrastructure supports rigorous performance and security testing.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="35" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Client Delivery Assurance:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Act as the senior escalation point for critical project quality issues. Build relationships with global account leads to ensure Indian based delivery teams are meeting client expectations and strictly adhering to any SLAs</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<p> <br><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Process & Operations</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="36" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Agile Efficiency:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Optimize testing processes to support rapid Agile/Scrum development cycles, reducing time-to-market whilst improving quality.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="36" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Prioritization:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Expertly handle multiple conflicting priorities and context switching between strategic planning, crisis management, and recruitment activities.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">What we want from you:</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></p>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="41" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Extensive QA Leadership & Team Scaling: </span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">Proven extensive experience in Quality Assurance, leading and managing teams, with a track record of building and scaling QA teams from small to medium sizes (including graduate intake and senior hires).</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="41" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Comprehensive Technical QA Expertise: </span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">Strong hands-on proficiency in test automation frameworks (Java, Python, JavaScript), deep understanding of Functional, API, Performance (JMeter, k6), and Security testing fundamentals.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="41" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Modern QA Tooling & CI/CD Mastery: </span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">Experience with Playwright is highly desirable, along with proficiency in modern CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI).</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="41" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">E-commerce/Retail Domain Expertise: </span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">Understanding of complex buying journeys within E-commerce/Retail domains, with experience using platforms like Shopify, Adobe Commerce, SFCC, or CommerceTools.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="41" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Strategic Business & Commercial Acumen: </span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">Ability to analyse business trends, sales pipelines, and commercial impact to forecast skill requirements, drive proactive team upskilling, and strategically prepare teams for future sales initiatives.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="41" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">AI Transformation & Empowerment: </span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">Proven experience with AI transformation activities and a passion for empowering teams to effectively utilize AI tools in daily workflows.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="41" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Adaptable, Resilient & Results-Oriented: </span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">Comfortable with frequent context switching, adept at managing ambiguity in a fast-paced environment, and capable of handling demanding hiring targets and delivery deadlines.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="41" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="8" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Exceptional Communication & Stakeholder Management: </span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">Excellent verbal and written communication skills, capable of clearly explaining complex technical quality risks to non-technical stakeholders.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="41" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="9" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">High Emotional Intelligence & Relationship Building: </span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">Possesses high emotional intelligence, fostering deep trust and strong relationships across cultural boundaries as an approachable, empathetic listener.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="41" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="10" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Vibrant Team & Tech Community Builder: </span></strong><span data-contrast="auto">Actively fosters a vibrant internal engineering culture (organizing Hackathons, Guilds, Lunch & Learns) and a strong sense of community within a distributed workforce through team bonding and celebrating successes.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Desirable Attributes:</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":278}"> </span></p>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="38" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Cloud Native:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="38" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Emerging Tech:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Demonstrated knowledge of AI/ML testing approaches and implementation of LLMs in testing.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="38" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Certifications:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> ISTQB Advanced Level or equivalent quality certifications.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="38" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Remote Management:</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Experience managing distributed or remote teams across different time zones.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<h3>What we can offer you:</h3>
<p>Alongside the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands around the world, we’ll also prioritise your career development and help you grow your skills. We’ll empower you to make a difference, allow you to be yourself, and respect who you are.</p>
<p><strong>Our personality and behaviours:</strong> We believe that we are what we do, not just what we say. Our shared values and behaviours show how to bring the VML Enterprise Solution's culture to life through the actions we all take every day:</p>
<ul>
<li>Connect Meaningfully</li>
<li>Inspire Creatively</li>
<li>Include Purposefully</li>
<li>Approach Positively</li>
</ul>
<p>Our brilliant, talented people are what makes VML Enterprise Solutions what we are. That’s why we look for people who go beyond and always push our thinking to be better than yesterday.</p>
<h3>AT VML Enterprise Solutions</h3>
<p>Our Enterprise Solutions division houses strategic consultants, creative and technical architects and skilled developers and operators that together help some of the world’s leading organisations to deliver outstanding digital experiences across all major routes to market worldwide: marketplaces, online retailers, D2C, B2B and social platforms. With over 4,200 experts in 55 operational centres across 34 countries, our capabilities span the entire buying journey from customer acquisition, through engagement, to conversion and loyalty, driving multi-channel growth for world-leading brands.</p>
<p>We work with some of the most exciting brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, EY, Bosch, Unilever, Ford, DFS, Mercedes-Benz, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, Shell and Tiffany & Co. We’ve built over 500 platforms for brands and retailers and generate in excess of $29bn annually for our clients and work with over 50 strategic partners including Adobe, SAP, Salesforce, HCL, Shopify, Sitecore, BigCommerce, commerce tools and Acquia. Our reputation is based on our people, and we believe we have some of the best in the business.</p>
<p>As our business grows internationally, we’re looking for new people to join us on our journey to inspire and take a key role in shaping some of the best commerce solutions, services, and websites in the world. Working as a team, no problem is insurmountable; we share in our client’s successes and believe that anyone can show creative bravery no matter what their role is in the team.</p><div class="content-conclusion"><p><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB">WPP (VML Enterprise Solutions) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.</span></span><span class="scxw176048299"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></p>
<p>VML is a WPP Agency. For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.vml.com/">our website</a>, and follow VML on our social channels via <a href="https://www.instagram.com/vml_global/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/vmlyr/">LinkedIn</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/vml_global">X</a><u>.</u> </p>
<p>When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our <a href="https://www.vml.com/recruitment-privacy-policy">Recruitment Privacy Policy</a>. California residents should read our <a href="https://www.vml.com/california-recruitment-privacy-notice">California Recruitment Privacy Notice</a>. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.</p></div>