QA Engineering Lead

• PositionQA Engineering Lead
• CompanySafeBoda
• LocationKampala, Uganda
• Job TypeFull-Time (Onsite)
• CategoryIT Jobs in Uganda
• IndustryTechnology (Ride-Hailing & Fintech)
• DepartmentEngineering / Quality Assurance
• Start DateNovember 2026
• DeadlineNo closing date specified (apply early)

SafeBoda is a Ugandan technology company that began in Kampala in the mid-2010s, when co-founders Ricky Rapa Thomson, Alastair Sussock and Maxime Dieudonne set out to professionalise the boda boda industry. Its first promise was simple: trained riders, helmets for passengers and transparent fares ordered through a smartphone app. That model changed how many Kampala residents move around the city, and SafeBoda now describes itself as having served millions of people across East Africa.

As QA Engineering Lead, you take end-to-end ownership of quality for every product SafeBoda ships: the passenger and rider mobile apps, web applications and the backend services that power rides, deliveries and wallet payments. The role is a deliberate mix of individual-contributor automation engineering and people leadership. You will design the automation strategy, build the frameworks, write tests yourself and plug them into Argo CI/CD pipelines.

You will also lead QA engineers day to day, set quality standards, run release sign-offs and report quality metrics to product, engineering and DevOps stakeholders. What makes the role distinct is its mandate to replace informal tracking with a defensible system of record, and to act as the final go/no-go gate for Android, iOS and backend releases on a high-transaction platform where payment accuracy matters.

• Build and own SafeBoda’s test automation strategy end-to-end: design, write and maintain automated test suites (API/E2E, Mobile UI, web frontend and backend) across all core backend services, all mobile applications and web applications.
• Integrate automated suites into CI/CD (Argo pipelines), with coverage reporting that is accurate and actionable, not just a percentage on a slide.
• Represent QA in cross-functional planning with PMs, Engineering and DevOps to ensure realistic testing timelines are built into the roadmap from the start, not bolted on at the end.
• Lead and manage the day-to-day performance of QA engineers: set individual goals, run regular 1:1s, and actively develop the team’s automation and structured test-design skills.
• Define and enforce QA process standards: test case documentation, bug triage and severity criteria, release sign-off criteria, and regression scope per release.
• Own accurate, real-time visibility into QA capacity and ticket status (time in QA vs. time queued), replacing informal tracking with a defensible system of record.
• Partner with Engineering leads to resolve recurring bottlenecks before they hit QA, such as batched ticket arrival, incomplete or outdated feature documentation and missing requirement sign-off.
• Track production bug trends by service and feature over time (not single incidents), run retrospectives, and feed learnings back into automation and process priorities.
• Act as the quality gate for releases across Android, iOS and backend services, and make and clearly communicate go/no-go recommendations.

Required Education

• The advert does not state a specific degree requirement. A degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology or a related field will strengthen your application, but proven automation experience carries the most weight.

Work Experience

• 5+ years in QA or software testing, including 2+ years in a lead or senior individual-contributor automation role.
• Proven hands-on experience building automated test suites from scratch, including API testing (Postman/Newman, REST Assured or similar) and mobile automation (Appium, Espresso/XCUITest or similar).
• Experience testing complex, multi-service backend systems such as microservices and async/event-driven flows; payment or wallet reconciliation experience is a strong plus.
• Experience managing or mentoring QA engineers, including performance management and skills development.
• Prior experience in fintech, ride-hailing, delivery or another high-transaction-volume consumer platform is a strong plus.

Additional Requirements

• Working knowledge of CI/CD pipelines (Argo, Jenkins, GitLab CI or similar) and integrating automated tests into them.
• Comfortable defining and defending QA metrics and OKRs to non-technical stakeholders.
• Able to work onsite in Uganda from the November 2026 start date.

Technical Skills

• API Test Automation: Building and maintaining API and end-to-end suites with Postman/Newman, REST Assured or similar tools.
• Mobile Automation: Automating Android and iOS UI tests with Appium, Espresso or XCUITest.
• CI/CD Integration: Wiring automated suites into Argo, Jenkins or GitLab CI pipelines with meaningful coverage reporting.
• Distributed Systems Testing: Testing microservices, asynchronous and event-driven flows, ideally including payment or wallet reconciliation.
• QA Process Design: Writing test case standards, bug triage and severity criteria, regression scope and release sign-off criteria.
• Quality Metrics: Tracking production bug trends, QA capacity and time-in-QA data to drive decisions.

Soft Skills

• Automation-First Mindset: Defaults to building repeatable, maintainable test infrastructure over manual repetition.
• Ownership and Accountability: Treats quality as a personal deliverable, not a gate to route blame through.
• Structured Communication: Writes clear, self-contained tickets and status updates and calibrates technical depth to the audience.
• Coaching and People Management: Grows team members rather than simply directing them.
• Data-Driven Judgment: Uses trend data to make quality and performance calls.
• Resilience Under Ambiguity: Operates well with incomplete documentation and the shifting priorities of a fast-moving platform.

SafeBoda lists the following benefits for this role: a supportive team environment with mentorship from SafeBoda leadership; the chance to be a critical part of a team at the pinnacle of tech entrepreneurship in Africa; a competitive salary; health insurance; free lunch every day for all staff at the SafeBoda Academy; and SafeBoda Wallet credits for transport.

SafeBoda’s stated values are Community, Safety, Innovation, Transparency, Integrity and Collective Commitment (“I agree and I commit; I disagree and I commit”), so expect a culture where open debate is welcomed before decisions and full commitment is expected after them.

• You get a genuine greenfield mandate to build SafeBoda’s automation strategy and frameworks from the ground up, not inherit someone else’s.
• The role blends hands-on engineering with team leadership, which is a rare combination for senior QA professionals in Uganda.
• You will test payment and wallet flows on a Bank of Uganda-licensed platform, experience that is highly valued across fintech.
• You sit at the release table as the go/no-go decision maker for Android, iOS and backend services.
• SafeBoda is backed by Google’s Africa Investment Fund, Go-Ventures, Allianz X and others, giving you exposure to a well-funded tech company.
• The benefits include a competitive salary, health insurance, daily free lunch and SafeBoda Wallet transport credits.
• Your work directly affects the safety and reliability of a service used by millions of riders and customers in East Africa.

Send an email to recruitment@safeboda.com and attach your CV. Use the exact email subject given in the advert: “QA Enginnering Lead” (SafeBoda’s spelling, copied as written so your email matches their filter).

You can also read the original listing on the SafeBoda careers page. No closing date is given, so apply as soon as possible. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

• Copy the subject line exactly as SafeBoda wrote it, “QA Enginnering Lead”, including the spelling, so your application is not missed by inbox filters.
• Quantify your automation work: number of suites built from scratch, coverage achieved and the reduction in regression time or escaped defects.
• Name the tools you have actually used, such as Postman/Newman, REST Assured, Appium, Espresso or XCUITest, and the CI system you integrated them into.
• If you have tested payment, wallet or reconciliation flows, put it near the top of your CV because the advert calls it a strong plus.
• Show leadership evidence: how many QA engineers you managed, how you ran 1:1s and how you grew their automation skills.
• Include an example of a go/no-go release decision you made and how you communicated it to non-technical stakeholders.