Senior Quality Assurance Automation Programmer/Developer Resource

This is a remote position.

PLEASE NOTE:

• It is a 100% remote position.

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT:
The Client is seeking one full-time resource to provide Quality Assurance (QA) Automation Programmer/Developer experience to provide technical leadership for automation efforts supporting the Minnesota Eligibility Technology System (METS)/SMRT DevOps team. QA has multiple efforts in progress of automating the QA Regression suite and needs a resource to assist successful completion of work, while documenting processes and procedures for ongoing maintenance and execution. Areas include, but are not limited to, METS, and other DHS and ISDS initiatives that demands support. In addition to this effort, once initial development is complete, make ongoing updates and new test case automation as well as improve overall efficiency of the automation.
At a high level, the resource will provide senior-level technical leadership for automation architecture, framework design, and automation best practices while supporting ongoing modernization initiatives and continuous delivery efforts.

TASKS:

• Design, develop, maintain, and modernize the enterprise automation framework supporting the State's integrated healthcare eligibility system, ensuring long-term maintainability, scalability, sustainability, and reuse across multiple modernization initiatives.
  
• Provide technical leadership for automation architecture, framework design, coding standards, and automation best practices within the DevOps team.
  
• Evaluate and modernize existing automation frameworks to improve maintainability, scalability, reliability, and execution efficiency.
  
• Collaborate with developers, business analysts, DevOps engineers, and QA staff to define automation strategies, reusable test assets, and technical solutions.
  
• Design, execute, and maintain functional, system integration, API, and regression automation suites supporting statewide healthcare eligibility systems.
  
• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines and support automated execution throughout the software development lifecycle.
  
• Mentor automation engineers through code reviews, technical coaching, framework guidance, and knowledge transfer.
  
• Develop SQL queries and perform database validation to support automated testing and troubleshoot complex application issues.
  
• Participate in Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, backlog refinement, defect triage, and technical design discussions while providing automation leadership.
  
• Research, evaluate, and recommend new automation tools, technologies, and framework enhancements that improve software quality and long-term maintainability.
  

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Test Automation & Framework Development
  

• Design, build, execute, and maintain scalable automated test scripts and testing frameworks for web, mobile, and API applications.
  
• Perform automated functional, regression, integration, performance, and end-to-end (E2E) testing to ensure software meets specifications.
  
• Integrate automated test execution into Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to enable continuous quality feedback.
  
• Maintain and optimize existing automated test suites to accommodate changing software features and reduce execution time.
  

• Client Liaison & Stakeholder Management
  

• Act as a primary liaison for client representatives, business analysts, and product owners regarding quality assurance, testing progress, and release readiness.
  
• Translate business requirements and acceptance criteria into clear, executable automated test cases and scenarios.
  
• Present automated test results, coverage metrics, and defect trends to client stakeholders in clear, actionable briefings.
  
• Lead and facilitate User Acceptance Testing (UAT) sessions with client end-users, guiding them through system validation.
  

• Defect Tracking, Quality Control & Analysis

• Identify, log, track, and prioritize software defects and edge-case anomalies using standard defect management systems.
  
• Perform root-cause analysis on test failures and collaborate directly with software engineering teams to accelerate issue remediation.
  
• Author detailed test execution reports, quality summary dashboards, and traceability matrices ensuring complete coverage of system requirements.
  

• Agile Collaboration & Team Support

• Participate actively in Agile/Scrum ceremonies, including sprint planning, backlog grooming, daily stand-ups, and sprint reviews.
  
• Work cross-functionally with system architects, developers, UI/UX designers, and project managers throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC).
  
• Recommend process improvements and continuous quality enhancements to elevate software testing standards
  

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Seven (7) years’ experience designing, developing, and executing automated test solutions for large-scale enterprise applications.
  
• Five (5) years’ experience developing automation frameworks using Java and Selenium or comparable automation technologies.
  
• Five (5) years’ experience designing, developing, or significantly enhancing automation frameworks using object-oriented design principles and reusable framework architecture.
  
• Three (3) years’ experience integrating automated testing into Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines using tools such as Jenkins.
  
• Five (5) years’ experience writing SQL queries and performing database validation in support of automated testing.
  

TECHNICAL TOOLS & AUTOMATION:

• Automation Tools & Frameworks: Command of core automation tools such as Selenium WebDriver, Playwright, Cypress, Appium, or Playwright.
  
• API Testing: Proficient in automated API testing using tools like Postman, RestAssured, or SoapUI.
  
• Programming / Scripting: Proficient in at least one object-oriented or scripting language used in automation (e.g., Java, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, or C#).
  
• Defect & Backlog Management: Hands-on experience with Atlassian Jira, Azure DevOps (ADO), or Quality Center/ALM.
  
• CI/CD Integration: Working knowledge of integrating automated tests into build/deployment pipelines using Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Azure Pipelines.
  
• Methodologies: Strong practical knowledge of Agile (Scrum/Kanban) and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) / Test-Driven Development (TDD) using frameworks like Cucumber or Behave.
  

DESIRED SKILLS:

• Experience serving as an Automation Architect, Principal QA Automation Engineer, Automation Framework Lead, or Senior Automation Consultant.
  
• Experience providing technical leadership, mentoring automation engineers, and conducting automation code reviews.
  
• Experience modernizing mature automation frameworks to improve maintainability, scalability, sustainability, and long-term supportability.
  
• Experience designing automation frameworks from the ground up, including reusable components, reporting, coding standards, maintainability, scalability, and extensibility.
  
• Experience evaluating and modernizing legacy automation frameworks and implementing technical improvements.
  
• Experience supporting large, complex, mission-critical enterprise applications.
  
• Experience collaborating with developers, solution architects, DevOps engineers, and business analysts to implement automation strategies.
  
• Experience using IBM Engineering Test Management (ETM), IBM Quality Manager (QM), IBM Collaborative Lifecycle Management (CLM), or comparable enterprise test management tools.
  
• Experience automating web applications, REST APIs, and database validation.
  
• Experience with performance testing tools or supporting performance testing initiatives.
  
• Experience working within Agile/Scrum DevOps teams.
  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  
• Experience supporting healthcare, human services, government, or other highly regulated enterprise environments.
  

Education/Work Experience

Seven (7) years’ experience designing, developing, and executing automated test solutions for large-scale enterprise applications.