About the position
Introduction
As a Senior Quality Engineer, you will be responsible for ensuring the reliability, scalability, and performance of software applications through the design and implementation of automated and performance test procedures. You will lead efforts to ensure software meets quality standards via test automation frameworks, performance benchmarks, and continuous quality assurance across the SDLC.
The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, proactive, and passionate about leveraging modern testing tools and practices to deliver high-quality software. This role requires hands-on experience in test automation, performance testing, and quality engineering leadership in complex enterprise environments.
Description
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE ROLE
Test Design and Automation
- Design, implement, and maintain robust automated test suites (unit, integration, system, regression, UI).
- Develop and document test plans, test cases, and automation scripts aligned with business and functional requirements.
- Collaborate with development teams to ensure testability of solutions and shift testing left in the SDLC.
- Ensure test coverage across different layers of the application using modern test automation frameworks (e.g., Selenium, Cypress, JUnit, Postman, REST Assured).
- Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines.
Performance and Load Testing
- Design and execute performance, load, and stress tests to evaluate system behaviour under varying loads.
- Monitor and analyze system performance metrics to identify bottlenecks and degradation.
- Utilize tools such as JMeter, Gatling, or LoadRunner for performance testing and generate actionable insights.
Quality Assurance and Defect Management
- Validate software functionality and user experience through functional and exploratory testing.
- Identify, log, and track defects using test management tools (e.g., JIRA, TestRail, Xray).
- Support root cause analysis and ensure timely resolution of issues.
- Champion the use of quality metrics and dashboards for transparency and continuous improvement.
Test Environment & Closure Activities
- Collaborate with DevOps and Infrastructure to set up and maintain test environments, including production-like performance test environments and test data management.
- Participate in test closure activities, capturing key metrics, lessons learned, and contributing to quality retrospectives for continuous improvement.
Mentorship and Process Improvement
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior QEs and team members on quality best practices.
- Lead internal QA training sessions and workshops to build team capability.
- Continuously evaluate and improve test tools, processes, and practices to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.
- Advocate for test-driven development (TDD) and behavior-driven development (BDD) practices where applicable.
Minimum Requirements
QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
- 5–8 years of experience in software testing, with a minimum of 3 years in test automation and performance testing.
- BSc in Computer Science, Information Systems, or equivalent.
- ISTQB Certification or similar QA/Testing certification is advantageous.
KEY COMPETENCIES
Technical Skills
- Proficient in at least one programming language used in test automation (e.g., Java, JavaScript, Python).
- Strong working knowledge of automation frameworks (e.g., Selenium, Playwright, Cypress).
- Advanced knowledge of performance testing tools and interpreting performance logs.
- Familiarity with CI/CD tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps.
- Understanding of API testing, mocking, and contract testing.
- Experience in testing enterprise systems, preferably within the tertiary education or public sector.
Business and Domain Knowledge
- Sound understanding of business processes within the education sector is advantageous.
- Ability to assess the cost-benefit of test efforts and tools.
- Strong client interaction, workshop facilitation, and process mapping capabilities.
Interpersonal Skills
- Able to build trusting relationships and communicate clearly and assertively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Skilled in cross-functional collaboration with developers, BAs, and DevOps.
- Proactively identifies risks and mitigates them through clear communication and planning.
- Champions a culture of quality and continuous improvement.
Desired Skills:
- software testing
- automation testing
- performance testing
