Senior Project Validation Lead

Location: Austin, TX (Hybrid: Mon/Wed/Thurs onsite – no remote)
Hours: 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (some flexibility)
Regulatory Requirement: W2 only. Must be able to obtain CFIUS clearance

About The Role

Our client is seeking a highly experienced IVVQM (Integration, Verification, Validation, and Qualification Manager) / Senior Project Validation Lead to join their Austin-based team. You’ll be critical to delivering tailored solutions for state and local governments—ensuring accuracy, security, and quality for official documents and biometric services. This customer-facing role requires strong leadership, technical acumen, and the ability to drive validation activities from project start through final deployment.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with sales/technical teams to create tailored validation and quality management strategies; prepare estimates and resource plans for IVVQ activities during bids and presales phases.
• Lead validation, verification, and quality assurance activities on identity and biometric projects; define testing strategies, write test plans, execute manual and automated tests, and manage test documentation.
• Optimize test coverage and minimize project risk; analyze root causes, track defect resolutions, and ensure project deliverables meet quality standards.
• Serve as the primary interface for customers throughout the project lifecycle (kickoff, UAT, deployment, reviews); clearly communicate validation goals, strategies, and results, and lead executive reviews and issue escalations.
• Deploy solutions on customer sites and support troubleshooting with internal/external teams.
• Review and enhance IVVQ methodologies to improve project outcomes and efficiency; share lessons learned and help develop best practices within the organization.
• Lead project IVVQ activities and coordinate efforts between cross-functional teams and customers; report progress, ensure timelines and standards are met, and continuously improve processes.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in validation, regardless of education level.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, IT, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Proven ability to lead validation activities and projects start to finish.
• Strong customer-facing skills and experience presenting to clients.
• Deep knowledge of IVVQ methodologies (integration, verification, validation, qualification).
• 3+ years in project leadership roles, managing validation for complex solutions.
• Solid experience in both manual and automation testing (this is NOT an automation role).
• Strong understanding of web/mobile technologies and API testing (Soap/Rest).
• Knowledge of data communication/network protocols (TCP/IP, HTTP, SSL/TLS, LDAP) and SQL.
• Experience in defect management tools (e.g., JIRA), SDLC, release, and security best practices.
• Skilled in troubleshooting under pressure and leading teams through issue resolution.
• Familiarity with automation tools (TestComplete, ReadyAPI, JMeter preferred).
• Ability to travel to customer sites for deployments and support.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in identity or biometrics projects.
• Leadership background guiding teams through validation/integration.
• Experience with public cloud (AWS/Azure), PKI, and digital security practices.
• Advanced skills in automation scripting (JavaScript, Python, etc.).

Benefits

You'll play a vital leadership role in delivering high-impact secure solutions for government and law enforcement, in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.