Senior Systems Testing/QA Specialist

Position Summary

The Senior Systems Testing / QA Specialist will lead and execute quality assurance activities for enterprise platform features, system integrations, software releases, and newly onboarded services.

The specialist will develop risk-based testing strategies, plans, scenarios, scripts, test data, automation, requirements traceability, quality metrics, and completion reports. The role will cover functional, integration, system, regression, accessibility, performance, security, API, database, and user acceptance testing.

Working closely with product teams, business analysts, architects, developers, DevOps engineers, security specialists, business representatives, and ministry stakeholders, the specialist will coordinate test environments, manage defects, validate requirements, and assess release readiness.

Key Responsibilities

A. Testing Strategy and Execution

• Develop and maintain comprehensive, risk-based test strategies, plans, schedules, scenarios, scripts, procedures, and test data.
  
• Plan and execute end-to-end testing for complex digital solutions and enterprise applications.
  
• Perform functional, integration, system, regression, accessibility, performance, security, API, database, and user acceptance testing.
  
• Define testing entry and exit criteria and validate compliance with approved requirements and quality standards.
  
• Prepare test completion reports and communicate testing progress, outcomes, and outstanding risks.
  

B. Test Automation and Technical Testing

• Design, develop, maintain, and execute automated tests for user interfaces, APIs, services, and database components.
  
• Identify suitable opportunities to improve testing efficiency and coverage through automation.
  
• Test cloud-based applications, micro services, distributed systems, and integrations across multiple platforms.
  
• Validate data flows, interfaces, service interactions, and system behaviour across integrated environments.
  
• Support reliable, repeatable testing practices across development and release cycles.
  

C. Test Environment and Data Management

• Coordinate test environments, tools, accounts, test data, schedules, and supporting resources.
  
• Assess environment readiness and resolve testing dependencies with technical teams.
  
• Ensure test scenarios and data adequately represent business requirements and relevant operational conditions.
  
• Coordinate test execution across teams and integrated systems.
  

D. Defect Management and Quality Reporting

• Identify, document, classify, prioritize, and track defects throughout the testing lifecycle.
  
• Lead defect triage activities and coordinate with business and technical teams to resolve issues.
  
• Perform retesting and regression testing to verify defect resolution and prevent recurrence.
  
• Maintain requirements traceability, test coverage reports, dashboards, and quality metrics.
  
• Monitor defect trends, unresolved issues, test results, and quality indicators.
  
• Prepare evidence-based release-readiness assessments and communicate residual risks to stakeholders.
  

E. Stakeholder Collaboration and Continuous Improvement

• Collaborate with product owners, business analysts, architects, developers, DevOps engineers, security specialists, and ministry stakeholders.
  
• Facilitate testing discussions, defect-resolution meetings, and release-readiness reviews.
  
• Communicate complex testing findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
  
• Recommend improvements to testing processes, automation frameworks, coverage, and quality assurance practices.
  
  
  

Requirements

Mandatory Qualifications

Candidates must demonstrate the following experience and capabilities:

• Experience planning and executing end-to-end testing for complex digital solutions.
  
• Hands-on experience with functional, integration, system, regression, accessibility, performance, and acceptance testing.
  
• Experience developing and maintaining automated tests for UI, API, service, or database components.
  
• Experience testing cloud applications, micro services, distributed applications, and system integrations.
  
• Ability to coordinate business and technical teams throughout testing, defect triage, and issue resolution.
  
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, documentation, reporting, and communication skills.
  

Technical Skills and Experience

• Test strategy development and risk-based test planning.
  
• Manual and automated testing methodologies.
  
• UI, API, service, and database test automation.
  
• Cloud-based application and micro services testing.
  
• End-to-end integration and regression testing.
  
• Accessibility, performance, security, and user acceptance testing.
  
• Test environment and test data management.
  
• Defect lifecycle management and root-cause investigation.
  
• Requirements traceability and test coverage analysis.
  
• Quality metrics, dashboards, test completion reporting, and release-readiness assessments.
  

Evaluation Criteria

Testing Strategy and Execution

• Experience planning and executing end-to-end testing for complex digital solutions.
  
• Experience with functional, integration, system, regression, accessibility, performance, and acceptance testing.
  
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Test Automation and Technical Testing

• Experience automating UI, API, service, or database tests.
  
• Experience testing cloud applications, micro services, and system integrations.
  

Defect Management and Quality Reporting

• Experience managing defects, requirements traceability, test coverage, quality metrics, and release-readiness assessments.
  

Communication and Collaboration

• Strong analytical, reporting, facilitation, and problem-solving skills.
  
• Ability to coordinate business and technical teams during testing and defect resolution.
  

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Experience working with the Ontario Public Service (OPS).
  
• Previous experience supporting public-sector digital transformation initiatives, enterprise systems, or government service delivery platforms.