Senior Analyst: Quality Control

Overview

The Senior Analyst: Quality Control is responsible for leading the design, development, maintenance and execution of QC plans, test scenarios and test cases for a variety of systems across IT.  This position guides and coordinates all project QC tasks, while assisting with test environment administration.  Additionally, this position helps maintain and evolve the QC Strategy, as well as related processes and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for defining and documenting test plans, identifying appropriate test stages and techniques, and guiding the project team and users throughout plan execution
• Accountable for test environment administration tasks and related coordination with Desktops and Operations departments
• Accountable for the delivery of high quality end user support, including training associated with test tools
• Accountable for maintaining metrics on QC process and results
• Accountable for authoring and maintaining documentation of QC guidelines and processes
• Accountable for providing inputs associated with QC activities to project managers for use in project plans and status reporting
• Accountable for developing accurate duration/effort estimates for QC activities and delivering to timelines and expectations
• Fosters a collaborative work environment leveraging Agile and DevOps principles and techniques
• Participates in the review of documentation, communicating findings and supporting resolution of those findings 
• Provides feedback on requirements and design from a QC perspective
• Analyses and decomposes requirements and design documentation to determine test points, test scenarios/cases
• Develops, runs, maintains and manages manual functional test cases to validate requirements in an economic and efficient manner
• Partners with project teams to verify defect fixes and conduct regression testing against new and existing applications
• Responsible for interfacing with relevant QC Automation Engineers to clarify requirements, to provide test case information, to address test environment arrangements (e.g., access and privileges), to communicate test case and/or scope changes, etc.
• Accounts for the administration of deviation management system and test case repository
• Executes automated functional test cases, as needed
• Assists with yearly forecasting activities such as providing level of effort estimates for project proposals 
• Responsible for interfacing with software support and maintenance vendor to resolve issues, seek advice/information, and to ensure tool capabilities are being leveraged as much as possible
• Performs workflow analysis.  Identifies and recommends potential process improvements and team development opportunities
• Identifies alternatives while initiating actions to avoid potential problem situations before they occur and/or increasing the probability of desired outcomes
• Identifies and communicates to QC leadership what resources are needed to perform the duties of this position effectively
• Provides guidance to junior QC analysts.  Performs coaching and training of less experienced or new team members
• Assists in the development of RFP/RFI documentation for vendor selection.  Contributes to the development, analysis and recommendation of vendors based on prioritized evaluation criteria
• Participates in the interview process for open positions
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Ensures requirements traceability from high level requirements to lower level requirements to test cases
• Identifies, communicates and tracks system deviations and quality metrics in a manner that facilitates resolution and helps system stakeholders understand risk
• Written and oral communications are clear, correct, factual, timely, and at the right level of detail, using non-technical language as much as possible
• Provides timely, accurate and complete status reporting to stakeholders and manager in an effective manner
• Ensures a good proactive working relationship is maintained with other teams, both within the IT department and in the Business
• Facilitates User Acceptance Testing (UAT) planning, execution and management, including environment preparation, test tool support and coordination of related activities
• Promotes and demonstrates open and transparent communication between business support teams and fee-earning employees via firm-approved communication methods and technologies
• Anticipates obstacles when planning and adjust accordingly
• Interfaces with project team members, including Business Analysts and SMEs, to confirm scope of project, requirements, test data needs, test account privileges, etc.
• Encourages team members to provide continuous feedback to each other and to share information openly
• Provides sufficient notification and explanation to QC leadership and project manager if deliverables are not achievable or when critical issues arise
• Performs other duties as assigned or required to meet Firm goals and objectives

Qualifications, Experience and Personal Attributes

Education/Training/Certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Sciences or related field. An equivalent combination of education and/or experience may be considered in lieu of the degree when the experience has been directly related to the functions of the job
• Certified Software Tester (CSTE), Quality Assurance Institute (QAI) preferred

Professional Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a software QC role with broad experience in the creation and maintenance of test cases for a variety of applications (e.g., SaaS, Client/Server, Mobile, & Hosted)
• Prior experience working in a professional services setting preferred
• Prior experience writing project test plans and assisting with overall QC strategy for an organization
• Prior experience with the interpretation of use cases, design and functional specifications, while providing feedback relevant to QC concerns
• Prior experience managing test case repositories, organizing test cases for execution, and leveraging test case construction and execution best practices
• Ability to conduct and direct research into IT issues and products, as required
• Ability to exhibit diversity in the types of circumstances, technologies and projects to which planning and execution of QC activities has been successfully performed, including Enterprise Business Intelligence powered by Data Warehouses/Lakes.
• Ability to perform general mathematical calculations to support test case construction, business cases, budgets, metrics and so on

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams products
• Understanding of relational database theory and has experience using SQL in support of verification activities
  • Demonstrated knowledge of Azure AD, AD, and InTune features/concepts such as GPOs is helpful
• Prior experience using Virtualization Technology (e.g., VMware, Client/Server Snapshots and Cloning) as part of a Test Environment
• Demonstrated knowledge in the application of a broad set of quality control techniques and methods (e.g., White Box, Black Box, Boundary Value, Parallel, Risk Based, etc.)
• Proven experience using contemporary testing tools (e.g., OpenText AQM, Azure DevOps, JIRA and IBM ETM), including defect tracking tools
• Prior experience using relevant Windows operating system tools as part of verification activities
• Strong understanding of QC Principles, QC Process, and Software Development Life Cycle
• Proficiency with Generative AI tools (e.g., Harvey, CoPilot, ChatGPT, and Gemini) to accelerate and to improve test case development, test planning, research, and troubleshooting preferred
• Power BI experience is a plus, including Power Query and DAX (Data Analysis Expressions)

Performance Traits:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate and negotiate effectively and in a professional manner with all levels of the Firm and outside vendors
  • Ability to work in a diverse team environment and effectively support the demanding needs of the Firm
  • Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines with shifting priorities
  • Must be a self-starter with a high level of initiative
• Strong customer service skills, able to anticipate needs and exercise independent judgment
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills and the ability to handle multiple projects
• Maintains confidentiality and exercises discretion
  • Exercises solid strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
  • Adjusts rapidly and frequently to new situations warranting attention and resolution
  • Ability to fully understand the functional and business requirements of a software application
  • Ability to take initiative to generate new ideas to improve department operations
  • Willingness to challenge the status quo

The above is a general description of the essential duties associated with this position and does not represent an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all duties.

The Firm may modify and amend this job description at any time at its sole discretion. Nothing herein creates a contract of employment or otherwise modifies the at-will nature of employment.

Posted Pay Range

The typical pay scale for this position is between USD $140,000.00/Yr. and USD $138,000.00/Yr., although the actual wage or salary could be lower or higher if the candidate's education, experience, skills and internal pay alignment are different from those specified.