QA Manager- Communications

Description

The Manager of Citizens' Communications Quality Assurance team leads the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of quality assurance processes for personalized customer-facing communications across digital channels, including email, SMS, mobile applications, and real-time decisioning platforms prior to production release. This role ensures accuracy, compliance, consistency, and customer-level precision in all outbound communications, enabling Citizens to deliver high-quality, error-free customer experiences. The QA Manager will also work closely with the Communications Platform Product Owners on the development and oversight of end-to-end data and process controls contributing to the overall health of the communications platform.

The QA Manager is responsible for overseeing a team of QA specialists, establishing testing and governance standards, partnering with cross-functional stakeholders, and driving process optimization through automation, data-driven insights, and innovation, such as introducing AI capabilities to the QA process. They will also drive continuous improvement through metrics, audits, and root-cause analysis. The ideal candidate balances strong people leadership with hands-on QA expertise and the ability to influence outcomes across marketing, technology, and compliance teams.

Primary Responsibilities

People Leadership & Team Management

* Lead, coach, and develop Communications Quality Assurance Specialists, fostering a culture of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.

* Set clear performance expectations and conduct regular feedback, coaching, and performance reviews.

* Provide guidance on complex testing scenarios, data interpretation, and prioritization of competing initiatives.

Quality Assurance Strategy & Execution

* Define and maintain QA standards, testing methodologies, and governance frameworks for personalized customer communications.

* Oversee end-to-end testing across channels to ensure correct message delivery, eligibility logic, sequencing, formatting, and personalization accuracy.

* Review and approve QA test strategies, test data, and validation results prior to deployment.

* Ensure audit-ready documentation and adherence to internal controls and regulatory requirements.

Process Optimization & Automation

* Identify opportunities to streamline, standardize, and automate QA testing and data management processes.

* Drive continuous improvement initiatives leveraging tools, analytics, and best practices to reduce defects and increase testing efficiency.

* Establish metrics and KPIs (e.g., defect rates, cycle time, rework) to measure QA effectiveness and report results to leadership.

Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Collaboration

* Partner closely with Marketing, Product, Technology, Data, Compliance, and Governance teams to align on requirements and testing timelines.

* Manage stakeholder review and approval workflows, ensuring governance protocols are followed consistently.

* Serve as a trusted advisor, challenging assumptions constructively and influencing decisions through clear, data-driven insights.

Platform & Data Oversight

* Provide oversight for QA activities related to decisioning platforms such as Pega (or equivalent), including test data preparation and deployment readiness.

* Ensure appropriate use of data, logic, and customer attributes to support accurate personalization.

* Stay informed of platform enhancements, tool improvements, and industry QA best practices.

Required Skills & Experience

* Strong leadership and people management skills with the ability to mentor and develop analytical professionals.

* Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly to diverse audiences.

* Proven experience managing QA, testing, or analytics functions in a data-driven or digital communications environment.

* Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; ability to synthesize insights and present results to senior stakeholders.

* Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, Agile environment.

* Experience with decisioning platforms (e.g., Pega) is preferred but not required.

* Working knowledge of SQL and/or Python for data validation, analysis, or testing automation is highly desirable.

* Experience in regulated industries (financial services, healthcare, insurance) or heavy compliance communications review.

Education & Certifications

* Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Analytics, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field preferred.

* Equivalent professional experience may be considered in lieu of a formal degree.

* QA, Agile, or data-related certifications (e.g., ISTQB, Scrum, Pega certifications) are a plus.

Key Success Factors

* Ability to balance attention to detail with strategic thinking.

* Comfort questioning requirements and decisions while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships.

* Demonstrated success improving quality…