Performance Test Lead

Position Overview:

We are seeking an experienced Performance Test Lead to spearhead a performance readiness engagement

for a SaaS workflow platform serving approximately 3,000 users. The platform is built on .NET microservices

running on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure SQL, and Azure Service Bus, with a React front end.

The role involves rebuilding the existing JMeter test suite to accurately reflect production usage patterns,

benchmarking the system up to 2.5 times peak load, and delivering a comprehensive, evidence-based

readiness statement to leadership. The ideal candidate brings 8+ years of QA experience, including at least

4 years leading performance and load testing initiatives on web applications. This is a high-visibility

engagement requiring strong technical depth, analytical rigor, and clear communication with client IT

leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assess the existing JMeter suite, test environment, and load generator setup, and recommend prioritized

corrections

• Build the workload model from production telemetry in Azure Application Insights (KQL) and Microsoft

Clarity, covering scenario mix, concurrent users, think time, pacing, and RPS

• Define pass/fail thresholds (p90/p95/p99 response times, error rate, throughput, database CPU) and

obtain client sign-off

• Own the performance test plan including load steps from 50% to 250% of peak, plus soak and spike tests
• Design distributed JMeter execution with a controller and workers, and tune JVM heap settings
• Run benchmarks and identify root causes of each threshold breach using Application Insights, AKS, and

Azure SQL metrics

• Deliver benchmark reports, a ranked remediation backlog, and the readiness statement
• Conduct handover sessions and write the operational runbook
• Report progress to client IT leadership on a bi-weekly basis

Required Skills:

• 8+ years of QA experience including at least 4 years leading performance and load testing
• Expert-level Apache JMeter including correlation, parameterization, pacing, distributed and non-GUI runs
• Load testing applications using OAuth2 / Azure AD (Entra ID) authentication
• Hands-on experience with Azure Application Insights, Microsoft Clarity, and KQL
• Diagnosing bottlenecks in SQL Server / Azure SQL (Query Store, wait stats, connection pools)
• Experience building workload models from production analytics
• Strong written communication skills for producing actionable test reports for leadership

Preferred (Bonus) Skills:

• Kubernetes / AKS metrics monitoring
• Testing applications that use message queues or SignalR/WebSockets
• Playwright and Lighthouse for front-end performance testing
• Azure DevOps
• ISTQB Performance Testing certification