Junior QA Automation Engineer

Key Responsibilities

Test Automation and Development

- Develop, execute, and maintain automated test scripts based on established requirements, technical specifications, and test plans.

- Write and modify test code to validate application functionality, system behavior, and expected results.

- Assist in creating automated tests for new features, enhancements, bug fixes, and existing application functionality.

- Update, repair, and expand existing test scripts and automation frameworks under the guidance of senior team members.

- Support the development and maintenance of reusable test components to improve testing efficiency and consistency.

- Execute automated and manual test cases as needed to validate application functionality.

- Assist with integrating automated tests into continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) workflows.

Software Testing and Quality Assurance

- Perform functional, regression, integration, and smoke testing to verify that applications meet established requirements.

- Review requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria to understand expected application behavior and identify test scenarios.

- Validate application outputs, data processing, user interactions, and system responses against expected results.

- Identify, document, and report software defects with clear reproduction steps, supporting evidence, and expected versus actual results.

- Retest corrected defects and perform regression testing to ensure changes do not introduce new issues.

- Assist with testing across different browsers, environments, configurations, and platforms as required.

- Follow established QA procedures, test standards, and documentation practices.

Debugging and Issue Resolution

- Investigate test failures and assist in determining whether issues originate from application defects, test scripts, test data, or environmental conditions.

- Debug and troubleshoot basic automation scripts and testing issues under the guidance of experienced team members.

- Collaborate with software developers to reproduce defects, clarify findings, and verify corrective actions.

- Update test scripts and test cases as applications and requirements change.

- Escalate complex technical issues, recurring failures, and potential quality risks to senior QA engineers or technical leads.

Documentation and Collaboration

- Maintain accurate test cases, test scripts, test results, defect reports, and related technical documentation.

- Participate in requirements reviews, sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and other Agile development activities as appropriate.

- Collaborate with QA engineers, software developers, business analysts, and project stakeholders to support quality objectives.

- Assist with identifying gaps in test coverage and recommend improvements to test scenarios and automation processes.

- Follow established coding standards, version control practices, and software development procedures.

- Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or Associates degree plus two years' experience.

- 0-2 years of experience in software testing, quality assurance, test automation, or application development. Relevant internships, academic projects, and practical training may be considered.

- Foundational knowledge of programming concepts and at least one programming or scripting language, such as Python, Java, JavaScript, or C#.

- Understanding of software testing principles, including test cases, test execution, defect reporting, and regression testing.

- Basic ability to read, write, and troubleshoot automated test scripts.

- Familiarity with software development lifecycles and Agile development practices.

- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and attention-to-detail skills.

- Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document technical issues clearly.

- Ability to follow technical specifications, work under guidance, and collaborate effectively with a development team.

- Must live in the Continental US.

- Be either a US citizen or Permanent Resident due to the work we do.

- Depending on the agency, you may need to possess or obtain a Public Trust designation or security clearance. Regardless of the specific requirement, all positions require the successful completion of a background check, background investigation, and the standard onboarding process.

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience in government contracting, healthcare (CMS (Center of Medicare & Medicaid) or in the health industry.

- Exposure to test automation frameworks or tools such as Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, or comparable technologies.

- Familiarity with API testing tools such as Postman.

- Basic understanding of SQL and database validation.

- Exposure to version control tools such as Git.

- Familiarity with CI/CD tools and automated testing within build and deployment pipelines.

- Experience using defect tracking and test management tools such as Jira, Azure DevOps, or comparable platforms.

- Understanding of web applications, RESTful APIs, and client-server architecture.

- Experience working on academic, internship, or personal projects involving software development or automated testing.

- Qualified individuals living in HUBZone-certified areas are strongly encouraged to apply. To find out if you live in a HUBZone go to: https://maps.certify.sba.gov/hubzone/map#center=44.722800,-103.249700&zoom=4 .

The likely salary range for this position is $65,000-$85,000. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. Rather, salary will be set based on experience, geographic location and possibly contractual requirements and could fall outside of this range.