Automation Test Lead at New Look, London/Remote, 3 Months initial, £Contract Rate

Automation Test Lead – Contract

Location: London (2 days per week in the office)

Contract: Initial 3 months, rolling

The Opportunity

New Look is looking for an experienced Automation Test Lead to drive and evolve its automation testing capability across web and mobile platforms.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who combines strong technical expertise with strategic thinking and proven people management experience. You'll take ownership of automation

delivery, lead a distributed team across multiple squads and identify opportunities to improve how we approach software testing.

We're particularly interested in someone who is forward-thinking and passionate about innovation, especially the use of AI and autonomous agents to transform testing processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and drive the automation testing strategy, ensuring continuous improvement across web and mobile platforms.
• Lead, manage and develop a team of approximately 15 automation testers across multiple squads and locations.
• Provide technical leadership, setting standards and ensuring high-quality automation delivery.
• Review existing automation frameworks and identify opportunities to optimise performance, efficiency and coverage.
• Drive the adoption of modern automation practices and technologies.
• Explore and implement AI-driven testing solutions, including autonomous agents that can independently perform tasks and improve through training.
• Improve test reporting, providing clear visibility of automation performance, quality and progress.
• Work closely with engineering and technology teams to ensure automation is embedded throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Challenge existing approaches and introduce new ideas to take automation capability to the next level.

Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in an Automation Test Lead, QA Automation Lead or similar leadership position.
• Strong experience designing, implementing and driving automation strategies.
• Hands-on experience with Playwright, ideally using JavaScript or TypeScript.
• Experience with C# and modern software testing practices.
• Experience with mobile automation frameworks such as WebdriverIO (WDIO) and Playwright.
• A strong understanding of automated testing frameworks across web and mobile environments.
• Previous line management experience, ideally leading teams of 6–18 people.
• Experience managing distributed teams across multiple locations.
• A track record of improving automation processes, frameworks and test reporting.

The Ideal Candidate

You'll be a confident and proactive leader who can balance strategic thinking with technical credibility. You'll be comfortable challenging existing processes, bringing fresh ideas and influencing teams to deliver meaningful improvements.

You'll also be someone who can quickly understand an existing environment, identify opportunities and turn ideas into practical improvements.

Previous experience within retail or ecommerce would be advantageous.