VP, Principal I, Automation Engineer (JRI-5823)

The Japan Research Institute (JRI) Limited is a subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) Group. SMBC Group is a Tokyo-based bank holding company that is ranked among the largest 25 banks globally by assets under management. JRI provides comprehensive, highly value-added information services through the coordinated application of its 3 functions. i.e. information systems, consulting and think-tank. As a system integrator, JRI offers services in IT strategy planning, implementation and outsourcing to a broad range of industries and activities. JRI Singapore currently supports the overall IT functions of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) in Asia Pacific Region.

Responsibilities

Automation Strategy & Framework

• Define and implement the automation test strategy aligned with the project’s goals and timelines.
• Design and build scalable automation frameworks covering web, mobile, API, and integration layers.
• Ensure automation aligns with Agile/DevOps practices, enabling CI/CD pipeline integration.
• Establish standards for test script development, code reviews, and reusability.

Test Automation Delivery

• Lead the design, scripting, execution, and maintenance of automated test cases for internet and mobile banking platforms.
• Drive automation coverage for functional, regression, API, performance, and security testing.
• Oversee the integration of automation tools into build and release pipelines.
• Manage automation test environments, test data, and continuous validation processes.

Leadership & Stakeholder Collaboration

• Manage and mentor a team of automation engineers (onshore / offshore / internal / external), providing technical guidance and training.
• Collaborate with QA Test Lead, Developers, DevOps Engineers, and Business Analysts to embed automation effectively in the delivery lifecycle.
• Partner with business and technology stakeholders to report automation coverage, progress, and ROI.

Quality & Risk Assurance

• Ensure automation frameworks support banking-grade security, compliance, and regulatory requirements.
• Identify opportunities to optimize manual-to-automation transition and accelerate delivery.
• Drive innovation in automation by evaluating new tools, frameworks, and technologies.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
• 7+ years in QA, with at least 3 years in an Automation Lead role.
• Strong expertise in test automation tools and frameworks (e.g., Selenium, Appium, Playwright etc).
• Hands-on experience in API testing (Postman, Karate).
• Proven knowledge of CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab, Azure DevOps).
• Strong programming/scripting skills (e.g. Java, Python, JavaScript, or C#).
• Experience with banking or financial services applications, particularly internet and mobile banking.
• ISTQB Test Automation Engineer / Certified SDET or equivalent is highly preferred.
• Knowledge of cloud-based testing platforms (e.g., BrowserStack etc) is preferred.
• Experience with performance testing tools (JMeter) and security testing frameworks is preferred.
• Familiarity with corporate banking products (cash management, payments, FX, trade finance) is preferred.