QUALITY ASSURANCE INTEGRATOR (QUALITY ASSURANCE LEAD) Full-time Job

If you are passionate about leading the delivery of high quality information technology solutions, you will contribute, oversee and advise the Software Testing and Quality Assurance practice for a diverse array of Technology Services, projects and operational initiatives when you join the City of Toronto as a Quality Assurance Integrator.

 

As a Quality Assurance Integrator (Quality Assurance Lead), you will bring subject matter expertise to technically lead the modernization of the Quality Assurance (QA) practice at the City of Toronto. In this role, you will be responsible for defining test strategies, providing technical advice in the planning, designing and testing of technology solutions with an emphasis on test automation in Agile, DevOps and traditional (waterfall) environments. You will rely on strong functional/technical expertise and skills to effectively evolve manual software testing practices to the implementation of automated test scripting. You will also help ensure user expectations are met during the testing process, by maintaining a strong customer focus. When advising projects, you will utilize your interpersonal communication skills and work effectively with team members across the organization.

 

Major Responsibilities:

Your responsibilities as a Quality Assurance Integrator (Quality Assurance Lead) will be varied. Specifically, you will:

• Perform a key role in supporting and elevating the software Quality Assurance (QA) practice through the development of an effective Test Automation Framework based on QA principles, best practices and industry standards in environments where Agile (Scrum, Kanban), CI/CD, DevOps and traditional Waterfall methodologies are utilized.
• Leverage technical knowledge and experience to help design, guide and review all layers of Test Automation in every stage of the development cycle, such as Unit, Functional, Component, Integration etc., and supporting the implementation of a TDD/BDD development model amongst others.
• Collaborates and works closely with Program Management Offices and operational (sustainment) initiatives to devise quality strategies for the effective delivery of solutions in compliance with QA policies, standards and procedures. Provides reports on tests results, provides feedback and raises any issues or concerns that could have implications in the delivery of solutions.
• Advises on the development, maintenance and execution of Test Automation practices for, functional, regression, integration and end-to-end testing.
• Recommends software test automation approaches based on project needs and sustainment plans.
• Leads the establishment of a performance measurements model for overseeing end-to-end quality control and compliance in the delivery of technology solutions. Perform regular audits to ensure proper adherence to QA process and standards.
• Provide critical insight and develop reports on quality measurements (KPIs) and QA compliance to drive discussions towards quality improvement.
• Oversee or execute as required performance (load/stress) testing activities using existing or new tools. Interpret test results, produce reports and report back any significant risk concerns.
• Supervise, motivate and train staff, ensuring effective teamwork, high standards of work quality, continuous learning and innovation.
• Manages, leads and/or oversees as required the Software Quality Assurance component of large IT initiatives.
• Collaborates with project teams on the definition of test strategies and test plans to ensure the final product meets the clients' requirements.
• Manages, advises and/or oversees on the User Acceptance Testing procedures and Quality Assurance measures for projects and attends project meetings as required.
• Ensures that a proper gating criterion is applied through the execution of the project. Checks for compliance as it receives the Development team's unit and sub-system integration testing results.
• Supervise the day-to-day operation of all assigned staff including the scheduling, assigning and reviewing of work; authorize and coordinate vacation and overtime requests; and monitor and evaluate staff performance, approve salary increments, hear grievances and recommend disciplinary action when necessary.
• Provide input when required into the assigned budget. When requested ensure that expenditures are controlled and maintained within approved budget limitations.
• Lead different forums such as communities of practice, working groups, etc. where sharing knowledge/technical expertise with fellow QA team members is required.
• Recommend and implement quality assurance requirements consistent with the Municipal Freedom of Information Privacy and Protection Act (MFIPPA) as well as corporate and legislated standards related to confidential data.
• Provide leadership during the procurement process related to evaluating, and recommending technical solutions with regards to quality assurance.
• Propose and implement plans in support of continuous process improvements including opportunities to enhance the Software Testing Methodology, QA Standards, process and procedures.

 

Key Qualifications:

Your application for the role of Quality Assurance Integrator (Quality Assurance Lead) should describe your qualifications as they relate to:

 

1. Post-Secondary education in Computer Science or in "STEM" (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines, Electronic Engineering or equivalent and considerable experience working within an organization with a Quality Assurance Center of Excellence or on large-scale information technology projects.
2. Extensive progressive experience in a lead Quality Assurance role for large, complex IT solution delivery projects within a mixed environment setting (web based, cloud based, mobile, etc.) with hands-on experience in all facets of QA testing (unit, functional, integration, system, regression, performance and acceptance) in an Agile, DevOps, CI/CD and traditional waterfall (SDLC).
3. Extensive experience in using Test Automation and in building Test Automation frameworks applicable to Agile, CI/CD and SDLC software delivery models with focus on all layers of Test Automation (i.e. Unit/ UI/ Component/ Integration/ System/ End-to-End) leveraging commonly used tools (i.e. Micro Focus-UFT, Selenium, etc.) in various platforms.
4. Considerable experience working in a SCRUM and Kanban agile software development environment overseeing QA activities reviewing and analyzing business requirements, functional specifications and/or User Stories.
5. Experience using Defect tracking and Test Management tools JIRA, X-Ray, Visual Studio, Confluence,  OpenText ALM etc.), performance (load/stress) testing tools (Jmeter, Load Runner Enterprise, etc.) and other relevant technologies such as, Cucumber Testing Tool (BDD), Gherking language, Serenity (BDD), GitLab, etc. that enable a "Shift-left" testing mindset.
6. Experience in developing test scenarios, test cases, test scripts and test data, executing the tests and analyzing the test results, recording bug/defects and issuing and assigning preliminary severity level in a Defect Tracking System.
7. Solid understanding of System Development Life Cycle, Defect Life Cycle and Testing Life Cycle with a strong knowledge and/or experience with manual testing practices.
8. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to effectively communicate in cross functional groups. Comfortable working in a fast-paced dynamic environment.
9. Expert problem solving and effective analytical skills with strong attention to detail.
10. Excellent organization and time management skills, as well as strong influencing and negotiating skills to achieve results.
11. Certification in Software Quality Engineering or equivalent is an asset.

Toronto, the capital of the province of Ontario, is a major Canadian city along Lake Ontarios northwestern shore. It's a dynamic metropolis with a core of soaring skyscrapers, all dwarfed by the iconic, free-standing CN Tower. Toronto also has many green spaces, from the orderly oval of Queens Park to 400-acre High Park and its trails, sports facilities and zoo.