Accessibility Testing Lead, Education Platform (Hyderabad-based)

About the Position

We are looking for a lead-level Accessibility QA Engineer who still tests hands-on. You will guide engineering on accessible implementation, run knowledge sessions for engineering and product, and write an accessibility plan for a platform. The plan states the testing the platform needs and the support and budget it does not yet have. Quality engineering uses that plan to request both. You will audit against WCAG 2.2, targeting AA, with awareness of AAA where relevant, and you need working knowledge of WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 at A and AA. Audits use screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, and automated scanners. You will own the accessibility testing process, from test plans, severity, regression, and sign-off through CI gates, remediation guidance, and stakeholder reporting. An accessibility certification is not required. You will manage and mentor the accessibility QA team, and report conformance and regulatory risk in writing that both engineers and legal or compliance staff can use. This position is intended for Hyderabad-based candidates who are available to work from the office.

About the Project

Our client, a globally recognized leader in investment management education and certification, ships web and mobile products used in more than one country. Those products must conform to accessibility standards, including UK and US requirements and the other country rules that apply. Accessibility is owned as a continuous practice with product, design, and engineering: acceptance criteria before code is written, checks in pull requests and CI, manual audits with assistive technology, and conformance reporting to delivery and compliance stakeholders. This role leads that accessibility QA practice. It is distinct from the general QE Engineer and QE Lead roles, where accessibility testing is a supplementary skill. The lead guides engineering on accessible implementation and writes an accessibility plan for a platform.

About the Team

You will work with a scaled Quality Engineering function and collaborate closely with product, design, engineering, and compliance stakeholders. The role includes leading and mentoring the accessibility QA team while supporting cross functional collaboration throughout the delivery lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Write an accessibility plan for a platform.
• Guide engineering on accessible implementation, beyond defects found after the fact, and run knowledge sessions for engineering and product.
• Conduct hands-on accessibility audits against WCAG 2.2, targeting AA, with awareness of AAA where relevant, using working knowledge of WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 at A and AA. Use screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, and automated scanners. Current hands-on testing stays part of the lead role.
• Create, execute, and review accessibility test plans, test cases, and automation for web and native mobile products.
• Design and maintain the accessibility testing process: test plans, definition of done, severity and priority taxonomy, regression suites, and sign-off criteria.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the accessibility QA team: set individual goals, review test plans and bug reports, and calibrate quality across testers.
• Work with product, design, and engineering to shift accessibility left: accessible design-system components, accessibility acceptance criteria in tickets before code is written, pull-request checks, and CI-gated automated scans.
• Select, configure, and maintain the automated scanning stack (axe DevTools, WAVE, Siteimprove, or equivalent), and integrate accessibility testing into CI/CD and design tooling.
• Explain the user impact of accessibility issues, provide remediation guidance, and support teams during implementation.
• Conduct accessibility audits and risk assessments for new and existing products.
• Establish accessibility quality metrics, dashboards, and reporting for stakeholders.
• Track conformance against WCAG, produce and maintain VPATs and Accessibility Conformance Reports, and report risk exposure under UK and US accessibility requirements and the other country rules that apply, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508, and the European Accessibility Act (EAA) where the product is offered there.
• Train QA, design, and engineering staff on accessibility fundamentals and assistive-technology use.
• Evaluate and apply AI-assisted tools to accelerate testing and reporting, and decide where AI output needs human verification.

Requirements

• Lead-level accessibility experience, with current hands-on testing. An accessibility certification is not required.
• Experience guiding engineering on accessible implementation, running knowledge sessions for engineering and product, and writing an accessibility plan for a platform that states the testing the platform needs and the support and budget it does not yet have.
• Deep working knowledge of WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 success criteria at A and AA.
• Practical fluency in WAI-ARIA 1.2 roles, states, and properties.
• Proficiency reading and writing semantic HTML and CSS, including the ability to identify accessibility defects in code, not only in the rendered UI.
• Working knowledge of UK and US accessibility requirements, and of the other country rules that apply, because the products are used in more than one country. That includes how WCAG maps to the ADA and Section 508, and to the EAA where a product is offered in the EU.
• Proficient screen-reader use on desktop (NVDA and JAWS on Windows, VoiceOver on macOS) and mobile (VoiceOver on iOS, TalkBack on Android), including completing real tasks by ear.
• Keyboard-only testing: focus order, visible focus indication, no keyboard traps, and all interactive elements operable.
• Experience with automated scanners (axe DevTools, WAVE, Siteimprove, or equivalent), including a clear sense of their coverage limits.
• Comfortable using browser developer tools to inspect the DOM and accessibility tree and confirm what assistive technology receives.
• Experience testing native mobile apps (iOS Accessibility and Android Accessibility).
• Proven experience leading accessibility testing across web, mobile, and digital products.
• Experience building or running an accessibility testing process, including definition of done, CI checks, and design review, rather than only executing an existing checklist.
• Prior experience managing or leading a QA team: planning, review, coaching, and training.
• Experience using AI tools to accelerate testing and reporting workflows, with clear judgment about where AI output needs human verification.
• Strong written communication. Bug reports and stakeholder reports must be usable by both engineers and legal or compliance staff.

Nice to Have

• IAAP certification (CPACC, WAS, or CPWA), or Section 508 Trusted Tester certification.
• Experience with PDF and document accessibility remediation and validation (for example the PAC tool and tagged PDF structure).
• Understanding of cognitive and low-vision accessibility beyond blindness-focused testing (readability, plain language, motion and animation sensitivity, timing).
• Experience contributing to or auditing an accessible design system or component library.
• Experience authoring and reviewing Accessibility Conformance Reports.
• Experience with accessibility maturity models and with KPI or metrics reporting to non-technical stakeholders.

Technologies

WCAG 2.1 and 2.2, WAI-ARIA 1.2, HTML, CSS, screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack), browser developer tools (DOM and accessibility tree), automated scanners (axe DevTools, WAVE, Siteimprove, or equivalent), CI/CD accessibility gates, design tooling, AI-assisted testing and reporting tools