We currently have 2 full time permanent opportunities for Sr. QA Managers at a company in King of Prussia, PA. The positions are not bonus eligible and do not receive stock grants. The first position requires strong automated testing experience while the second does not.
1. Senior Manager
This position has overall leadership and management responsibility for the QA Common Services team. The Common Services Team supports QA Automation, Tools and Performance Engineering.
Responsibilities:
Basic Function:
Accountable for the effectiveness and efficiency of the QA Common Services Team. Responsible for setting policies, procedures and practices. Maintain awareness of new system implementations, Quality Assurance and technological advancements. Ensure high staff productivity and morale through training, coaching, and management. Monitor performance of team players; assist in the preparation of team player Career Development Plans, the salary decision process, and coaching for direct reports. Handle overall resource management for QA Common Services. Actively pursue process improvement opportunities.
Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities:
- Actively guides the professional development of the QA Common Services staff.
- Provides technical expertise to performance, automation and tools teams, so we continually improve the effectiveness of the QA Common Service s Team.
- Assumes responsibility for the quality of the team's output.
- Leads the QA Common Services Team through the execution of the tactical plan. Participates on the definition of the strategic team.
- Prepares test estimates and project schedules.
- Plans, monitors and tracks individual project staffing efforts.
- Serves as an escalation path for QA Common Services support activities.
- Assists in setting standards, metrics and best practices for the QA team.
- Works with VP and other senior QA managers to define the QA strategy.
- Ensures team adherence to established standards and methodologies.
- Develops and sustains appropriate relationship with peers and other project team members, both within and external to QA.
- Participates in the evaluation of client area application system processes in preparation for proposed project and enhancement implementations.
- Oversees evaluation of system functions and response times while acknowledging the impact to the end user; suggests changes for efficiencies within or between systems, as it impacts projects and enhancements prior to implementation.
- Reviews requirements and specifications for potential performance risks/issues and provides input during requirements and specification walkthroughs.
- Contributes to the development of the performance test plans and project testing approach.
- Contributes performance strategies to the development of project and release Test Plan documents; understands and contributes to the process of performance test estimates and project schedules.
- Ensures the accuracy of performance test estimates and project schedules.
- Confirms adherence to established performance standards and methodologies and the utilization of performance tools and methodologies to improve individual effectiveness and to increase efficiencies in the QA process
- Coordinates and performs the evaluation of Software Test and Performance tools and recommends changes to the existing tool suite.
- Coordinates and performs code reviews and walkthroughs of the Performance testing and automation scripts ensuring compliance with the Programming Standards and Best Practices. Recommends code improvements.
Supervision Received:
The QA Common Services Manager reports to the Vice President, QA.
Supervision Exercised:
Automation / Performance Engineers, Senior Engineers and Lead(s) report into the Common Services Manager.
Qualifications:
Required:
- Proven ability, vision and skills to lead a department towards specific goals in a rapid changing environment. Proven leadership and mentoring capabilities. Good judgment and the ability to work effectively with a diverse workforce.
- Experience with system development lifecycle. Extensive knowledge and work experience of test engineering methodologies.
- Working knowledge of testing concepts, verification and validation techniques, defect management, quantitative methods, risk management and measurement programs. Working knowledge of defect tracking, quality principles and testing tools.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong analytical, problem solving and planning ability. Detailed oriented. Observational. Ability to multi-task to accomplish workload efficiently. Excellent time management.
- Good work ethic and general business acumen.
- Ability to interact and influence clients, team members, various levels of management and external groups. Experience negotiating with business partners and external vendors.
- Supervisory and administrative experience. Performance management. Staffing. Experience on budgetary responsibilities.
- Understanding of various technologies, relational database principles, client/server infrastructure, and n-tier architecture concepts. Proficient on Microsoft Office suite. Knowledge of Sybase, Oracle, Web and Middle tier testing.
- Working experience with risk management, statistical analysis, quality assurance and quality control practices.
- Bachelor's Degree or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
- Training on project management or equivalent knowledge. Training on Supervisory and Team building skills.
- 5+ year performance and automated testing experience
- Experience implementing WinRunner/QTP and LoadRunner Programming Standards, Styles, and Best Practices
- 4+ years of expertise using LoadRunner in Load, Stress, Performance testing of J2EE (Weblogic),Oracle, Sybase, and Web Applications
- 3+ Years of expertise in WinRunner and/or QTP code development within a Web environment
- 3+ years experience with development of TSL, C, C++, J2EE, Java, JBDC, VU Gen within a Window, Unix and Linux environment
- Experience of 2+ years using simulation and modeling tools
- Experience with designing, developing, and importing DLL's and JAR files within LoadRunner
- Strong knowledge of application, database, web, and system resource metrics
- Knowledge and experience with statistical analysis (Linear Regression, ANOVA, Significance Tests)
- Experienced with architecture design and integration of frameworks and multiple modules
- 3+ years of strong SQL experience (preferred Oracle, Sybase, SQL Server 2000)
- Experience with code evaluations and conducting code reviews
- Experience with performance system development lifecycle. Extensive knowledge of performance test engineering methodologies including performance testing concepts, verification and validation techniques, defect management, quantitative methods, risk management and measurement programs
- Working knowledge of defect tracking, quality principles and testing tools
- Knowledge of Sybase, Oracle, Web and Middle tier testing
- Knowledge of WinRunner and/or QTP Programming Standards, Styles, and Best Practices
- Proficient on Microsoft Office suite
Preferred:
- Bachelors Degree or an equivalent combination of education and work experience
- Certified Software Testing Engineer (CSTE) designation
- Mercury Certified Product Specialists (WinRunner/QTP, LoadRunner)
- Risk Management; Statistical Analysis; Quality Assurance and Quality Control practices
- Knowledge of company business functions
- Basic programming knowledge
2. Sr. QA Manager
Overview:
Provide leadership to individuals in the Quality Assurance team. Responsible for setting policies, procedures and practices. Maintain awareness of new system implementations, Quality Assurance and technological advancements. Ensure high staff productivity and morale through training, coaching, and management. Monitor performance of team players; assist in the preparation of team player Career Development Plans, the salary decision process, and coaching for direct reports. Handle overall resource management for QA. Actively pursue process improvement opportunities.
Leads to establish quality improvement goals and monitors compliance to accepted processes and practices, instituting any new or changed procedures and measure their results.
Assists in the establishment and execution of testing services.
Maintains the awareness of industry and technological advancements and trends.
Assists in the definition of the QA’s strategic direction. Maybe be asked to communicates with senior management on long range issues, assists in ensuring management objectives are achieve.
Responsibilities:
- Leads the QA Analysis, QA Automation and QA Performance teams through the execution of the tactical plan. Participates on the definition of the strategic team.
- Manages the delivery and support of QA services through adherence to the SLC and QA methodology. Identifies and acts on necessary corrections and improvement/efficiency opportunities.
- Accountable for the development of release Test Plan and the post-implementation report..
- Oversees the project testing plans and implements changes for efficiencies within or between projects.
- Prepares test estimates and project schedules.
- Responsible for the overall resource management within the department.
- Tracks the execution of the release testing schedule.
- Responsible for the release defect management. Reports release defect information. Guides through resolution and calls attention to priority issues. Responsible for preparing the final go/no go release recommendation.
- Serves as an escalation path for QA Production Support activities.
- Assists in setting standards, metrics and best practices for the QA team.
- Recruits highly skilled and motivated QA staff and evaluates team players performance. Mentors less experienced Team Players on QA best practices and methodology.
- Works with Director to define the QA strategy.
- Develops, documents and maintains the QA methodologies, processes and procedures.
- Provides career and technical advice to QA Team Players.
- Utilizes tools and methodologies to improve individual effectiveness and to increase efficiencies in the QA process. Identifies trends and implements corrective actions.
- Reviews requirements and specifications to identify potential risks to quality, identify ambiguities or omissions, and ensure testability. Works with project team to recommend and implement steps to mitigate identified risks.
- Ensures team adherence to established standards and methodologies.
- Develops and sustains appropriate relationship with peers and other project team members.
- Maybe asked to manage capital and expense budgets.
Qualifications:
Supervision Received:
The QA SR. Manager reports into the QA Director or VP.
Supervision Exercised:
Associate Analysts, Analysts, Senior Analysts and Lead report into the QA SR. Manager.
Required:
- Proven ability, vision and skills to lead a department towards specific goals in a rapid changing environment. Proven leadership and mentoring capabilities. Good judgment and the ability to work effectively with a diverse workforce.
- Experience with system development lifecycle. Extensive knowledge and work experience of test engineering methodologies.
- Working knowledge of testing concepts, verification and validation techniques, defect management, quantitative methods, risk management and measurement programs. Working knowledge of defect tracking, quality principles and testing tools.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong analytical, problem solving and planning ability. Detailed oriented. Observational. Ability to multi-task to accomplish workload efficiently. Excellent time management.
- Good work ethic and general business acumen.
- Ability to interact and influence clients, team members, various levels of management and external groups. Experience negotiating with business partners and external vendors.
- Supervisory and administrative experience. Performance management. Staffing. Experience on budgetary responsibilities.
- Understanding of various technologies, relational database principles, client/server infrastructure, and n-tier architecture concepts. Proficient on Microsoft Office suite. Knowledge of Oracle, Web and Middle tier testing.
- Working experience with risk management, statistical analysis, quality assurance and quality control practices.
- Bachelor’s Degree or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
- Training on project management or equivalent knowledge. Training on Supervisory and Team building skills.
- 5-7 years experience in Quality Assurance.
- 5-10 years experience of leadership experience.
Preferred:
- Knowledge of company business functions.
- Certified Software Testing Engineer (CSTE) designation
- Strong knowledge of IT standards and procedures and company systems.
- Extensive knowledge of company applications.
- Extensive knowledge of company business functions.
- In-depth knowledge of system and technology alternatives.
Highlights:
- Must be able to manage effectively in a fast paced, deadline driven, dynamic environment
- Prefer candidates with experience from large software companies that sell software as products
- Automated testing experience
- Prefer Spring MVC experience
- International testing experience is a plus (testing around globalization of software)
- Will manage teams of at least 8-10
- Must be proficient with Excel
- Must be available for additional work hours when required