Systems Testing/QA Specialist - Intermediate

Position Summary

The Government Services Integration Cluster is seeking an experienced Systems Testing/QA Specialist to support enterprise-level IT projects. The successful candidate will be responsible for planning, designing, executing, and documenting manual and automated testing activities to ensure the quality, reliability, accessibility, performance, and security of software applications.

The candidate will collaborate with developers, business analysts, project managers, testing leads, and other technical stakeholders throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The role requires hands-on experience with functional and non-functional testing, test automation, defect management, database validation, and accessibility compliance, particularly under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain test strategies, test plans, test cases, test scripts, test data, and test reports.
  
• Plan, organize, and execute testing activities across GUI and non-GUI applications.
  
• Perform functional, integration, system, regression, end-to-end, and user acceptance testing (UAT).
  
• Conduct non-functional testing, including performance, load, and stress testing.
  
• Perform accessibility testing to validate compliance with AODA requirements and applicable accessibility standards.
  
• Develop, execute, and maintain automated test scripts using tools such as Selenium, OpenText UFT, TestComplete, and Postman.
  
• Integrate automated testing activities into CI/CD pipelines where applicable.
  
• Identify, document, track, and manage defects using JIRA, Azure DevOps, ALM, Bugzilla, or similar tools.
  
• Collaborate with developers to reproduce, investigate, and resolve software defects.
  
• Perform backend and database testing using SQL, Oracle, and data validation queries.
  
• Validate data integrity, consistency, and accuracy across applications, databases, and system components.
  
• Support data migration and transformation testing, including test data preparation and management.
  
• Conduct basic security testing and collaborate with security specialists on advanced security assessments.
  
• Analyze test results, identify performance bottlenecks, and report quality metrics and risks.
  
• Maintain comprehensive testing documentation, test coverage records, and evidence of test execution.
  
• Participate in Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives.
  
• Work closely with project teams throughout requirements analysis, design, development, implementation, and ongoing application support.
  
• Ensure testing activities comply with established QA practices, applicable standards, and regulatory requirements.
  
• Provide input for user documentation, release notes, and implementation support.
  

Requirements

Mandatory Skills and Experience

1. Core Testing Skills

• Minimum 2 years of experience in software testing within enterprise-level IT environments.
  
• Hands-on experience in both manual testing and automated testing tools and frameworks.
  
• Strong understanding of Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall testing methodologies.
  
• Extensive experience with AODA testing and accessibility compliance.
  
• Proven experience developing and maintaining test strategies, test plans, test cases, test scripts, and test reports.
  
• Experience with test automation tools such as Selenium or API testing tools such as Postman.
  
• Experience with performance testing tools such as JMeter, LoadRunner, or equivalent.
  
• Experience with defect tracking and test management tools such as JIRA, Azure DevOps, ALM, Bugzilla, TestRail, or Zephyr.
  
• Demonstrated expertise in end-to-end testing of complex systems, covering functional and non-functional requirements.
  
• Knowledge of QA compliance standards and security testing best practices.
  
  
  

2. Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of relational databases, including SQL and Oracle.
  
• Experience writing queries for backend testing and data validation.
  
• Knowledge of cloud technologies, including Microsoft Azure or AWS.
  
• Understanding of CI/CD pipelines and integration tools such as Jenkins, Git, or GitLab.
  
• Knowledge of scripting languages such as Python, JavaScript, or Bash for test automation and test data preparation.
  
• Experience with test automation frameworks, version control systems, and testing tools.
  
• Knowledge of performance testing, test data management, and data integrity validation.
  

3. Communication and Interpersonal Skills

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with technical and functional teams.
  
• Ability to work within large, multidisciplinary project teams.
  
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and systematic problem-solving abilities.
  
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver quality results under pressure.
  
• Adaptability to changing requirements, tight deadlines, and project environments.
  

4. Public Sector Experience

• Familiarity with Ontario Public Service (OPS) quality assurance standards, processes, and practices.
  
  
  

Desirable Skills

• Knowledge of at least one programming language.
  
• Experience with information retrieval packages.
  
• Understanding of testing methodologies in object-oriented environments.
  
• Knowledge of Information Management principles, policies, concepts, and practices.
  
• Experience planning and coordinating testing for both large-scale and smaller applications.
  
• Experience developing automated test scripts and reusable test cases.
  
• Experience testing Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) applications.
  
• Familiarity with structured software development methodologies and the complete SDLC.
  

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is an intermediate-level QA professional with hands-on experience in manual and automated testing, accessibility compliance, API testing, performance testing, and database validation. The candidate should be comfortable working in enterprise IT environments, collaborating with cross-functional teams, managing defects, and delivering reliable testing outcomes within tight project timelines.