QA Lead Functional Tester

Our client is a hugely popular, Fortune 500 company seeking a QA Functional Test Lead to be responsible for leading a small team to perform application testing as well as production support issues for various projects. The Lead supports new quality assurance programs and processes in alignment with QA strategy that includes providing feedback on artifact quality developed during requirements and analysis phases in IT projects as well as performing test execution and assisting with product metrics reporting for both project and support related activities.

The QA Technical Lead is responsible for quality and test related process execution with high impact to the business. This includes providing feedback on artifacts developed during requirements and analysis phase within client projects; authoring test plans and test cases; and performing test execution for both project and support related activities.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

- Test software interfaces with firmware and hardware.
- Set up metrics and reporting structure for project.
- Develop/oversee the development of test activities estimates, resource plans, costs, benefits, and timelines for projects.
- Complete risk and impact assessment for requests and ensure quality and a timely delivery of all projects.
- Identify training needs.
- Identify test environment needs.
- Define and create a Defect Tracking Process/Procedure.
- Perform and/or oversee Test Case Development.
- Manage the day-to-day activities of a group of testers to complete project and support related activities. Delegate assignments to staff members as a part of this process.
- Ensure Test Case reviews with stakeholders are being held as appropriate.
- Formally accept application for testing.
- Coordinate Test Execution.
- Conduct Defect Triage meetings as appropriate.
- Develop, track, analyze, and communicate test-related metrics to project stakeholders.
- Ensure completion of all deliverables within schedule, budget and quality constraints.
- Formally certify application for pilot.
- Conduct Root Cause Analysis.
- Perform functional manual application testing, quality assurance.
- Assess quality and test process maturity level and assist in defining strategy to implement best practices.
- Ensure that projects follow prescribed software development life cycle standards.
- Provide leadership to quality engineers, with complete responsibility and accountability for delivery of project tasks assigned to the QA team.
- Identify and lead implementation of software quality metrics that results in improvement initiatives.
- Develop and maintain good relationships with project team.
- Manage test services for support activity and works with release management to assure product release quality
- Demonstrate continuous effort to improve operations, reduce support, decrease turnaround times, and streamline work processes.
- Provide coaching, education, and career development for QA team.
- Continuously work to increase technical knowledge through self-study and classroom training.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

- Bachelor's degree in IS or related equivalent work experience in an Information Systems position and 3-5 years of experience in job duties.
- Exposure to software/hardware interface testing (example, Surveillance cameras, ATM) is highly desired
- Experience in waterfall and Agile project management and development methodologies 5+ years
- Understands focus of various testing types: black/White Box, unit, integration, system, user acceptance, etc. 5+ years
- Project management knowledge: tasks, activities, duration vs. effort, time reporting 3+ years
- Effort/duration estimation: estimating models, coverage (ie, specialized testing, support, etc.) 3+ years
- Understands relationship of solution architecture to testing 3+ years
- Understands relationship of Requirements to testing 3+ years
- Ability to effectively and frequently interact with Business Analysts, Technical Leads, and Architects 3+ years
- Ability to analyze and specify test environment requirements 1+ years
- Understands release management procedures 1+ years
- Manages testing effort to typical project constraints: budget, schedule, environment, etc. 3+ years
- Ability to establish and drive requirements testability and traceability 5+ years
- Articulates gaps found in requirements and escalates associated risks, drives quality risk analyses
- Experience documenting detailed test plans 3+ years
- Ability to provide relevant QA feedback to software design
- Strong test case modelling/design experience 5+ years
- Effective at verbally validating planned test scenarios with technical and business stakeholders
- Ability to synchronize test design activities with development design activities
- Ability to prioritize test case creation/coverage based on risk
- Ability to identify critical test artifacts from repository for unique purposes (ie, smoke test, regression, etc.)
- Understands/communicates relationship between test execution and software build deployments
- Ability to coordinate/communicate software build deployments to test environment, including planning, prioritization, content, and results
- Ability to track and articulate defect trend data
- Familiarity with commercial defect tracking tools
- Understanding of standard defect life cycle models
- Ability to articulate software quality metrics concepts, value, purpose, processes, etc.
- Experience to drive/facilitate defect triage and resolution activities
- Ability to conducts root-cause analyses on discovered defects and articulate results

This contract position is expected to be 6 months with extension based on proven performance.