The Guitar Center Company

QA Lead

The Guitar Center Company  •  $100k - $115k/yr  •  Frederick, MD (Onsite)  •  3 months ago
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Job Description

We are seeking an experienced QA Lead to drive quality assurance initiatives across our software development lifecycle. The ideal candidate will bring expertise in test strategy, test planning, and team leadership, with a proven track record of managing both onshore and offshore QA resources. This role requires strong hands-on skills in automation testing with any coding language, JavaScript, Typescript, or Java, as well as the ability to influence quality standards and practices at a strategic level.
Key Responsibilities

  • Define, develop, and implement test strategies and test plans for complex applications and systems.
  • Lead and mentor a QA team comprised of onshore and offshore engineers, ensuring alignment with project goals and deadlines.
  • Oversee the full QA lifecycle including requirements analysis, test design, execution, defect management, and reporting.
  • Establish and enforce QA processes, standards, and best practices to ensure consistent product quality.
  • Drive adoption of automation testing frameworks and tools (with a focus on Ghost Inspector, CodeCeptJS, Playwright, typescript, postman or any modern tool), reducing manual effort and increasing coverage.
  • Collaborate with product managers, developers, and stakeholders to integrate quality practices throughout the development cycle.
  • Monitor QA progress, resource allocation, and risk management, delivering regular status updates to leadership.
  • Champion continuous improvement initiatives in testing methodologies, automation, and cross-team collaboration.

About Music & Arts

The first Music & Arts was located in a small house in Bethesda, MD and run by founder Benjamin O'Brien. When Music & Arts opened its doors in 1952, we offered printed music, music lessons, dance lessons, and art supplies. Ben decided shortly after opening his business that he wanted to focus on music to better serve his customers -- a decision that remains intact to this day.

Since the 1990's, Music & Arts has expanded nationwide through organic growth and a series of acquisitions and mergers with other music dealers. In 2005, Music & Arts joined forces with American Music to become the largest band and orchestra instrument retailer in the United States. Based in Frederick, MD, Music & Arts is now part of the Guitar Center enterprise and comprises 200+ retail stores, 120+ educational representatives, and 300+ affiliate locations.

Qualifications

To join our band you will need the following experience:

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent work experience).
  • 7+ years of QA experience in software testing, with at least 3+ years in a QA Lead role.
  • 5 years of experience working on ecommerce web, Salesforce and mobile platforms. (ATG experience a plus)
  • Proven experience managing onshore and offshore QA teams, driving performance and accountability.
  • Strong knowledge of QA methodologies, test design techniques, and SDLC/Agile development practices.
  • Hands-on experience with automation testing frameworks and tools
  • Experience with CI/CD pipelines and integrating automated tests into deployment processes.
  • Strong communication, leadership, and organizational skills.
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, balancing multiple priorities while maintaining high standards of quality.

Preferred Skills

  • Familiarity with performance and load testing.
  • Working knowledge of AWS cloud and pipeline.

Why Guitar Center? Here's just some of the rewards:

For our employees who are musicians we offer the unique opportunity of gig leave--take time off to share your music with the world and return to your job after your tour! Guitar Center offers robust benefits and perks, including Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K plus company match, mental health support, paid sick/holiday/vacation time, employee discount program, and tuition reimbursement options.

Pay Rate: $100,000 - $115,000/yr depending on background and experience.

The job posting is not necessarily reflective of actual compensation that may be earned, nor a promise of any specific pay for any specific employee, which is always dependent on actual experience, education, and other factors. The pay range(s) listed are provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may be different in other locations.

With a career at Guitar Center, you become part of the world's largest multichannel musical instrument retailer. Whether at our Stores, Contact Centers, Distribution Centers, or Support Center, Guitar Center employees have a common goal: to help people find their sound and fill the world with more music.

Love this gig and want to apply?

Send your resume and cover letter today along with salary expectations!

Music & Arts is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides fair and equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected status prohibited under Federal, State, or local laws. All employment decisions are based on valid job‐ related requirements.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our website, you may request a reasonable accommodation to express interest in a specific opening. You can request reasonable accommodation by calling 1‐818-735-8800 ext. 2862 or by sending an email to recruiting@guitarcenter.com

The Guitar Center Company

About The Guitar Center Company

We exist so music can persist. Our family of brands has put more instruments into the hands of more people than anyone on the planet. Meet the family or, as we call them, The Guitar Center Company.

Guitar Center. But there's more to us than guitars and basses.

We carry all kinds of musical instruments, plus essentials like amplifiers, recording equipment, lighting, live sound, DJ gear, with services like lessons, rentals and repairs. How do we do it all? With the most talented group of music-loving Associates in the world.

Guitar Center Professional is a network of account managers and engineers with direct access to the world’s best manufacturers. From personal studios to concert venues, we design and install custom audiovisual systems that exceed your expectations.

Audio Visual Design Group (AVDG) meticulously designs, engineers, and installs next-gen audio, video, and lighting systems for homes and businesses around the globe. Their world-class technical staff brings the most incredible personal musical experience to everyone on the planet.

Music & Arts believes deeply in the transformative power of music. Their collaboration with students, parents, and teachers includes providing lessons, rentals, repairs, plus all levels of band and orchestra sales and service.

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Please Be Advised - Recruitment Scams: we will only reach out to interview, make an offer of employment or conduct onboarding activities for candidates who have applied through our careers site. If you find a job posting on a third-party job site, such as LinkedIn, please know that a legitimate posting will direct you to our careers site to apply. When interviewing for a position, the candidate experience will include live interaction, such as a video conference or phone call, with a Recruiter and/or company employee(s). Be aware of suspicious recruitment activity. If you think you are a victim of an employment scam, please visit the Federal Trade Commission.

Industry
Retail & Ecommerce
Company Size
10,000+ employees
Headquarters
Westlake Village, CA
Year Founded
1964
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