QA and Test Engineer job description
A QA and Test Engineer checks that software works as intended before customers use it. A business needs one to catch defects early, protect its reputation and let developers release changes with confidence.
Why the role exists
The QA and Test Engineer is the team's independent check on quality. In Indian IT services firms and product startups, this person joins sprint planning, writes test cases from requirements, tests each build and reports defects clearly. Over time they also automate repeat checks so releases move faster.
What the person does
- Read user stories and requirements, and ask questions about unclear or missing behaviour before development starts.
- Write test cases and test data that cover normal use, edge cases and failure paths.
- Run manual tests on each build across browsers, devices and operating system versions.
- Log defects in Jira with clear steps, expected result, actual result and screenshots or logs.
- Retest fixes and run regression checks so old features are not broken by new changes.
- Build and maintain automated tests for stable flows using Selenium, Playwright or similar tools.
- Test APIs with Postman and check the data stored behind the screen.
- Report test status in daily stand-ups and give the team an honest view of release risk.
Skills and tools
- Test design methods such as boundary values, equivalence classes and exploratory testing
- Defect tracking and test management with Jira, TestRail or similar
- Automation with Selenium, Playwright, Cypress or Appium
- API testing using Postman or REST Assured
- Basic SQL to check data and set up test cases
- Reading logs and browser developer tools to narrow down faults
- Basic scripting in Java, Python or JavaScript
- Careful, curious thinking and clear written bug reports
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Preferred: a degree or diploma in computer science, IT or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- Preferred: a testing certification such as ISTQB, though practical skill matters more.
- Preferred: experience testing a live web, mobile or API product through at least one release cycle.
- Candidates moving from support, development or manual testing roles are welcome with proof of skill.
How the work is judged
- Defects found before release compared with those found by customers afterwards.
- Clarity and usefulness of bug reports, judged by how quickly developers can reproduce them.
- Coverage of important user journeys by planned tests and reliable automation.
- Stability of automated tests, including how often they fail for reasons unrelated to real defects.
- Timeliness of test sign-off and the accuracy of risk advice given to the team.
Where the role can lead
- Senior QA Engineer or SDET, owning test strategy and automation frameworks.
- QA Lead or Test Manager, guiding a team and its release decisions.
- Moving into DevOps, product management or development with a quality mindset.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- How would you test a login page? List the cases beyond a correct username and password.
- Tell us about a serious defect you found. How did you report it and what happened next?
- A developer says your bug is not reproducible. What do you do?
- Which tests would you automate first in a new product, and which would you keep manual?
- How would you test a payment flow where the gateway response may be delayed?
- Release day is tomorrow and testing is incomplete. What do you tell the team?
Hiring tips for this role
- Give a sample screen and ask the candidate to list test cases in ten minutes. Strong testers think about odd inputs, not just the obvious path.
- Ask for a real bug report they wrote. Vague reports waste developer time, and that habit is hard to change later.
- Be clear on manual versus automation needs. Many candidates claim automation but have only run scripts written by others.
- Do not treat testing as a stepping stone job. Hire people who enjoy finding problems, since they stay engaged and improve release quality.
Questions about hiring a qa and test engineer
Testers mainly run tests and report defects. QA Engineers also look at how the team builds software, such as test plans, automation and process gaps. In small teams, one person often does both.
Not always. A new product changes quickly, so manual and exploratory testing often come first. Add automation once main flows are stable and the same checks are repeated every release.
An SDET is a Software Development Engineer in Test. This person writes code to build test tools and frameworks, so the role needs stronger programming than manual testing does. It suits larger teams with frequent releases.
Yes. GullyHR supports permanent hiring. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer stage. You make the hiring decision.
Hiring a qa and test engineer?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.