QA Program Manager

Job Title: QA Program Manager

Location:
Chicago, IL, 100% Remote

Duration: 12+ Months contract

We are looking for a QA Program Lead. Someone who has run testing across multiple work streams for Testing, driving testing vectors of:

• Manual
• Automation
• System Integration
• End to End
• Performance
• Data Migration

In addition to driving those efforts, this person needs to have been responsible for building testing strategies for a large organization, again, across multiple work streams and applications that include:

• Services layer (an example is an enterprise services platform)
• Data, including relational, non-relational, and big data (ex., data warehouses and data lakes)
• BI & Reporting
• Front-end websites
• Nice to have: point-of-sale systems

QA Program Lead

Looking for a QA Program Lead, someone who has run testing across multiple work streams for testing driving testing vectors. QA Program Lead provides leadership and direction to optimize software quality, supporting strategic business initiatives. The role collaborates with IT leadership and global business stakeholders in establishing overall strategy, methodology, and approach for software quality assurance (including automation) for new initiatives and projects, as well as continuous improvement of existing automation.

This position leads a team of quality engineers and analysts, who in turn engage with IT, Product and Business organizations performing complex project and production delivery related work. Collaborates with cross functional teams, including 3rd party vendors and manages resources across multiple vendor suppliers to achieve desired objectives.

The ideal candidate will have significant experience testing medium - large scale, multi-system integrated applications, ideally in the e-commerce and digital industry. Their experience will demonstrate that they have a solid understanding of and follow Quality Assurance best practices yet know when flexibility within those guidelines is acceptable. Candidates must have a clear understanding of agile software development methodologies and have worked in several successful programs.

They will have solid technical skills, which will be used to not only find, but also troubleshoot and research problems and issues when they arise. They will understand the benefits of test automation and will have been a part of a team that has successfully used both automation and manual testing in the past.

They will have strong communication skills, demonstrating their ability to collaborate with not only other QA people but also with developers, project managers and various levels of management. They will be effective in the use of their time, demonstrate a strong sense of project urgency, and with an ability to work under pressure while still delivering on schedule. Their experience will show that they can effectively work on multiple projects at one time - prioritizing their daily work to meet the needs of the projects.

They are personable, approachable, willing to help others, able to work under minimal supervision and not easily distracted from their tasks.

YOU ARE:

• A problem-solver with critical thinking skills
• An excellent presenter and communicator, both written and verbal
• Highly organized with solid time management and project management skills
• Experienced managing QA team of individual contributors spread across multiple programs
• Experienced in both Manual and Automation testing
• Curious and user focused

Overview

• Balance resource assignments to consistently support projected deployment schedules across multiple programs and multiple work streams.
• Provide strategic quality thought-leadership during planning and execution of major corporate IT initiatives/projects.
• Formally supervise, mentor the team (including delivery partners) on functional testing best practices to promote delivery optimization.
• Manage, coach and drive talent development for a team of Quality Analysts & Engineers
• Create and/or oversee the creation and approval of project test cases and QA-related documentation.
• Create and gain project approval on project test plans across the various programs & projects.
• Provide accurate and justifiable estimates for QA resources and testing schedules.
• Works with Business customers in understanding and clarifying requirements and stories across multiple programs and projects.
• Effectively execute tests and records results working with others to identify and resolve defects.
• Incorporates test automation as part of their work process.
• Collaborate with onshore and offshore team members across multiple programs and work tracks on all project related testing.

Experience

• 3+ years experience leading cross-functional software quality organization for functional (including Integrations with 3rd Party Apps) and non-functional (Automation, Performance) testing.
• Experience managing a QA team of individual contributors spread across multiple programs, with at least 10 direct reports, including a mix of temporary/contract employees from multiple vendor partners who are…