IT Quality Assurance Engineer

The IT Quality Assurance Engineer will play a key role in ensuring the quality, stability, and performance of enterprise IT systems and applications developed and supported by the organization's Global IT Center of Excellence (CoE).The position requires strong analytical skills, creative problem-solving, excellent communication, and the ability to work effectively in a global time zone model, primarily supporting U.S. business hours (approximately 2:00 PM – 11:00 PM IST).Key ResponsibilitiesTest Planning & Strategy- Analyze business and technical requirements to define clear, measurable test objectives and acceptance criteria. - Develop detailed test plans, test cases, and test scripts covering functional, integration, regression, performance, and user acceptance testing. - Participate in sprint planning and backlog refinement to ensure testability of stories and epics. - Contribute to and maintain the enterprise QA standards, templates, and CoE best practices. - Identify opportunities for test optimization, automation, and continuous improvement.Test Execution & Defect Management- Perform manual and automated testing for web, API, desktop, and mobile applications. - Execute regression and smoke tests for builds and releases. - Log and track defects using tools like Azure DevOps, Jira, or ServiceNow. - Work closely with developers to reproduce, isolate, and validate issue resolutions. - Verify data integrity in backend systems (SQL Server, Dataverse, Azure SQL, etc.). - Ensure traceability between requirements, test cases, and defects.Test Automation & Continuous Integration- Design and maintain automated test suites using modern frameworks such as Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, Postman, or ReadyAPI. - Implement test automation for UI, API, and database layers to ensure coverage across systems. - Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, Jenkins, or GitHub Actions). - Monitor test runs, analyze reports, and provide actionable insights to developers and stakeholders. - Maintain version control of test scripts and configurations using Git or Azure Repos.Collaboration, Communication & CoE Engagement- Operate as a key contributor within the IT Quality CoE, ensuring consistency in testing methodology across projects. - Partner with U.S.-based QA leads, developers, product owners, and business users to plan and execute testing cycles. - Conduct QA walkthroughs, demos, and training sessions for cross-functional teams. - Communicate proactively on risks, blockers, and readiness during release cycles. - Contribute to innovation initiatives such as AI-based testing, low-code automation, and performance analytics.Performance, Security & User Experience Testing- Execute performance and load testing using tools like JMeter, LoadRunner, or K6. - Identify and analyze system bottlenecks, response times, and scalability issues. - Support security testing coordination by validating encryption, role-based access, and data privacy requirements. - Collaborate with UX designers and product teams to ensure usability and accessibility standards are met.Documentation & Continuous Improvement- Document test cases, results, automation coverage, and known issues in the CoE repository. - Prepare QA summary reports for each sprint or release cycle, highlighting metrics and trends. - Recommend process improvements in testing methodologies, tool usage, and defect management workflows. - Stay current with emerging QA tools, frameworks, and industry trends. - Participate in QA knowledge-sharing sessions within the CoE.Required Qualifications- Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related technical field. - Experience: 4–8 years of experience in software testing, with at least 2+ years in test automation or QA for enterprise applications.Technical Skills- Strong knowledge of QA methodologies, SDLC, and STLC. - Proficiency with testing tools: Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, Postman, JMeter, or equivalent. - Experience with test management and defect-tracking tools (Azure DevOps, Jira, ServiceNow). - SQL proficiency for backend validation (SQL Server, Oracle, or Azure SQL). - Working knowledge of CI/CD and DevOps practices (Azure DevOps, Jenkins). - Familiarity with Agile and Scrum frameworks. - Knowledge of Power Platform, .NET, Azure, or Dynamics 365 environments is a plus. - Experience testing APIs, integrations, and data pipelines (Fabric, Synapse, or Data Factory) preferred.Soft Skills- Excellent written and verbal communication skills for collaboration with U.S. stakeholders. - Highly creative and analytical thinker, with attention to detail and problem-solving ability. - Self-directed, capable of managing deliverables independently under limited supervision. - Collaborative and adaptable, thriving in a fast-paced, global CoE environment. - Strong sense of ownership, quality mindset, and customer empathy.Preferred Qualifications- ISTQB Certified Tester – Foundation or Advanced Level. - Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals / DevOps Engineer / Power Platform Functional Consultant. - Exposure to manufacturing, supply chain, or ERP system testing. - Experience with AI-assisted testing or test data generation tools (e.g., Copilot for testing, Testim, Applitools).Work Environment- Working Hours: Align with U.S. Central or Eastern Time (approx. 2:00 PM – 11:00 PM IST). - Engagement Model: Hybrid or remote, with daily coordination across U.S. and global teams. - Culture: Collaborative, quality-driven, and innovation-focused under the QA Center of Excellence framework. - Tools: Azure DevOps, GitHub, Power BI, and Microsoft Fabric environments.