Quality Assurance Engineer

Technical Knowledge and Expertise

You have industry-leading technical abilities that enable you to ensure that code developed at a2z and projects using that code are of the highest quality, meet all target requirements, and produce a superior customer experience. You do this by driving development processes that minimize defect introduction, as well as creating and executing testing regimens to uncover and troubleshoot defects that are present.

• You recognize and adopt best practices in software engineering: design, testing, version control, documentation, build, and deployment -- all with an emphasis on software quality.
• You have an in-depth understanding of formal software development processes and procedures.  You keep up with the new technologies and new test methodologies through actively reading, training, and sharing with other engineers.
• You write test plans and test cases that are high quality, high value, and maintainable.
• You create and improve test automation scripts.
• You address testing and process problems at their root, stepping back to understand the broader context.
• You develop pragmatic solutions. You implement flexible/scalable processes and choose simple, straightforward solutions over more complex ones. Where existing solutions are known, you use them.
• You understand a broad range of testing methodologies.
• You understand software testing techniques, such as equivalence class partitioning, boundary value testing, domain analysis testing, orthogonal arrays, etc.
• You anticipate and prevent future problems from occurring. You think and plan for  the long term and do not accept solutions which get the code to production (project testing) but make continued testing after release (regression testing) difficult,  labor intensive, or impossible.

Leadership and Values

You work in a team, driving projects forward and exhibit the following characteristics in your work:

• You collaborate to ensure that decisions are based on the merit of the proposal, not the proposer. When none of the proposals is the obvious winner, you are still decisive and commit to the team’s decision.
• You continue to move forward in the face of ambiguity and imperfect knowledge.  You do not suffer from “analysis paralysis.”
• As you work through ambiguity, you document your path, removing the ambiguity for the next person.
• You teach methods and procedures to reduce ambiguity and improve knowledge on future projects.
• You lead by example.
• You build good working relationships within your team, with development teams you work with, and with others across a2z
• Your decisions and judgment display an emphasis on raising product quality. 
• You proactively support knowledge-sharing within the team and across your division.
• You communicate clearly both verbally and in writing with your team and with other groups. You are able to translate detailed technical problems into communicable messages. You listen effectively.
• You help recruit the very best people for a2z through active participation in the overall recruiting process.
• You embrace the a2z leadership principles

Personal Behaviors

You display the following personal behaviors in alignment with the a2z competencies referenced above:

• Proactive: You display energy and initiative in solving problems. You follow all possible avenues to get the job done.
• Adaptable: You undertake a variety of tasks willingly. You switch from complex to routine tasks when required. You adapt quickly to new technologies and products. You work effectively with a variety of personalities and work styles. You are flexible in working out new solutions, but maintain a consistently high standard of quality.
• Quality: You demonstrate high quality and thoroughness in your work. You are the advocate for quality in others’ work. You recognize that “getting the job done” includes putting all of the quality mechanisms in place for the long term.
• Integrity: You act with personal integrity at all times.
• Professional: You work within, and improve, your team’s processes. You confront problems (even when outside your own domain), propose solutions, take ownership through to resolution or ensure a clear hand-off. You exhibit a positive, can-do approach to work.
• Ownership: You exhibit a sense of ownership with respect to the quality of the solutions that you produce. You seek out and take ownership of issues, even if they are not clearly within your team’s charter. You practice positive handoff of issues to prevent them from becoming abandoned. You are an expert at quality advocacy.
• Core Values: You embrace the a2z Core Values