Quality Assurance Specialist

Ensures the quality of the products that technology delivers, working closely with all applications, common services/middleware, and infrastructure teams throughout the development/engineering lifecycle. Designs, develops, executes, and maintains test plans of infrastructure, common services/middleware, data, and applications in various environments. Records and documents testing results (including anomalies and issues) and compares them to expected results. Detects solution failures so that defects may be discovered and corrected. Generates historical analysis of test results and maintains a list/repository of defects. Reviews and interprets all documentation related to testing, including business requirements and functional and design specifications, to provide input to the project team on the planning of testing activities. Provides immediate response to production program problems.

Responsibilities

• Provides guidance on reviewing, evaluating and driving requirements for testability to ensure review processes are adhered to.
• Recommends and implements solutions based on analysis of issues and implications for the business.
• Identifies emerging issues and trends to inform decision-making.
• Leads initiatives. Able to coordinate resources and manage problems to resolution when necessary.
• Conducts independent analysis and assessment to resolve strategic issues.
• Supports the execution of strategic initiatives in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
• Monitors and tracks performance, and addresses any issues.
• Breaks down strategic problems, and analyses data and information to provide insights and recommendations.
• Manages and leads the development and implementation of complete test strategies.
• Designs and supports the implementation of best-in-class testing strategies for complex solutions, across multiple platforms and businesses/groups.
• Performs analysis of test results and prepares comprehensive subsystem and/or system level evaluation reports which verify and validate system performance.
• Creates discrepancy reports and performs integration regression testing to verify/validate incorporated fixes to software, components, subsystems and systems.
• Reviews, evaluates, and derives requirements for testability.
• Designs, develops, executes, and maintains testing strategies and plans to ensure stability and efficiency, enabling a seamless customer experience.
• Executes and verifies test cases as part of the overall functional testing of Information Technology products as well as reporting defects and test results to the stakeholders.
• Recommends approaches to streamline and integrate technological processes and systems in the organization to improve overall efficiency and improve the bank.
• Ensures the accuracy and consistency of test results through documentation processes. Follows BMO’s SDLC process.
• Communicates the overall quality of a deliverable and ensures metrics are used to drive delivery and identify any areas of concern.
• Participates in programs/projects across the enterprise.
• Participates as an active stakeholder in every initiative, driving quality based on fact-based metrics.
• Ensures development teams’ unit testing practices are in place and confirms core criteria met prior to integrated testing delivery.
• Proactively provides improvement opportunities to the team to enhance the customer experience.
• Drives the testing automation capabilities.
• Identifies opportunities to strengthen the quality assurance capability, such as: sharing expertise to promote technical development, mentoring employees, building communities of practice and networks.
• Stays abreast of industry technical and business trends through participation in professional associations, practice communities & individual learning.
• Focus is primarily on business/group within BMO; may have broader, enterprise-wide focus.
• Provides specialized consulting, analytical and technical support.
• Exercises judgment to identify, diagnose, and solve problems within given rules.
• Works independently and regularly handles non-routine situations.
• Broader work or accountabilities may be assigned as needed.

Qualifications

• Typically, 4-7 years of work experience in IT or business environment and/or BS/BA or MBA/MS in computer science, engineering, information systems, math or business.
• Knowledge of the SDLC, testing concepts, methodologies, metrics, automated testing frameworks and BMO documentation standards.
• Understanding of BMO applications and infrastructure components.
• Problem solving skills including the ability to troubleshoot and identify problem areas throughout testing.
• Collaborate well with others. Ability to translate technical concepts into easy to understand terms.
• Able to analyze data and use testing metrics to highlight improvement opportunities.
• Deep knowledge and technical proficiency gained through extensive education and business experience.
• Verbal & written communication skills - In-depth.
• Collaboration & team skills - In-depth.
• Analytical and problem solving skills - In-depth.
• Influence skills - In-depth.
• Data driven decision making - In-depth.