Position OverviewThe Software Test Lead is responsible for leading the Quality Assurance (QA) and testing efforts for enterprise web applications, ensuring software quality through comprehensive manual and automated testing. This role develops and executes test strategies, manages testing activities, and collaborates with Product Owners, Federal Project Managers (FPMs), Business Analysts, Developers, UX/UI Designers, and stakeholders to deliver secure, reliable, accessible, and high-performing applications. The Test Lead also provides technical leadership for test automation, performance testing, accessibility compliance, and continuous quality improvement throughout the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC).
Key Responsibilities- Lead the planning, design, execution, and reporting of quality assurance and testing activities throughout the SDLC.
- Develop and maintain Test Strategies, Test Plans, Test Cases, Test Scripts, Test Data, Traceability Matrices, and Test Summary Reports.
- Establish and maintain automated testing frameworks using Cypress and other modern automation tools.
- Design, develop, and execute automated functional, regression, integration, smoke, and end-to-end (E2E) test suites.
- Plan and execute performance, load, stress, endurance, and scalability testing using Apache JMeter, Locust, and other performance testing tools.
- Analyze performance metrics, identify bottlenecks, and provide recommendations to improve application scalability and reliability.
- Lead accessibility testing to ensure compliance with Section 508, WCAG 2.1 AA, and Federal accessibility requirements using automated and manual testing techniques.
- Validate responsive design, cross-browser compatibility, and cross-device functionality across desktop, tablet, and mobile platforms.
- Collaborate with Business Analysts and Product Owners to review requirements and define acceptance criteria and test scenarios.
- Work closely with developers to identify, reproduce, document, and resolve software defects.
- Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines to support continuous integration and continuous delivery.
- Track defects, testing metrics, risks, and quality trends using Azure DevOps, Jira, or similar tools.
- Mentor QA engineers on testing methodologies, automation frameworks, accessibility testing, and performance engineering best practices.
- Participate in Agile ceremonies including backlog refinement, sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives.
- Ensure testing activities comply with organizational quality standards, secure software development practices, and Federal compliance requirements.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Software Engineering, or a related field.
- Minimum of 7 years of software testing and quality assurance experience.
- Minimum of 3 years leading QA teams or serving as a Test Lead on enterprise software projects.
- Strong experience designing and implementing automated testing frameworks using Cypress.
- Experience conducting performance and load testing using Apache JMeter, Locust, or equivalent performance testing tools.
- Experience testing RESTful APIs using tools such as Postman, Swagger, or REST Assured.
- Experience validating responsive web applications across multiple browsers and devices.
- Experience performing accessibility testing for Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 AA compliance.
- Experience working in Agile/Scrum development environments.
- Strong understanding of SDLC, STLC, defect lifecycle management, and software quality best practices.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience supporting Federal Government web applications.
- Experience integrating automated testing into Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or other CI/CD pipelines.
- Experience with Playwright, Selenium, or other automation frameworks.
- Experience with security testing, API testing, and database validation.
- Familiarity with OWASP Top 10, DevSecOps, and secure application testing.
- ISTQB Certified Tester, Certified Agile Tester, or equivalent QA certification.
Desired Skills- Test Strategy and Test Planning
- Manual and Automated Testing
- Cypress Test Automation
- Apache JMeter Performance Testing
- Locust Performance Testing
- API Testing (Postman, REST Assured, Swagger)
- Functional, Integration, Regression, Smoke, and End-to-End Testing
- Performance, Load, Stress, and Scalability Testing
- Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 AA Accessibility Testing
- Responsive and Cross-Browser Testing
- Mobile and Cross-Device Testing
- Defect Management and Root Cause Analysis
- Agile/Scrum Methodologies
Work Environment- Remote or hybrid work environment based on program requirements.
Clearance Requirements- Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.
