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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for QA Software Tester

💰 $65,000 - $95,000

Quality AssuranceTechnologySoftware DevelopmentIT

🎯 Role Definition

As a QA Software Tester, you are a critical pillar of our software development lifecycle. You'll work hand-in-hand with developers and product managers to meticulously test new features, hunt down elusive bugs, and champion the end-user experience. Your primary mission is to identify issues before they reach our customers, using a combination of manual and automated testing techniques. This role requires a blend of technical expertise, analytical prowess, and a relentless pursuit of quality to ensure our applications are robust, reliable, and delightful to use.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Junior QA Analyst
  • Technical Support Specialist
  • Software Developer (with an interest in QA)

Advancement To:

  • Senior QA Software Tester
  • QA Automation Engineer
  • QA Lead / Test Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Business Analyst
  • Product Owner
  • DevOps Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Meticulously design, develop, and execute comprehensive, end-to-end test plans and detailed test cases to ensure software meets or exceeds specified standards and user requirements.
  • Conduct thorough manual testing, including exploratory, smoke, sanity, and regression testing, across multiple platforms (web, mobile, desktop) to identify, isolate, and document defects.
  • Develop, maintain, and execute automated test scripts using frameworks like Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright to improve testing efficiency, coverage, and reliability for regression suites.
  • Clearly document, track, and manage software defects and inconsistencies in bug tracking systems like Jira or Azure DevOps, providing detailed steps for reproduction and collaborating with developers on resolution.
  • Collaborate closely with software developers, product managers, and business analysts throughout the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC) to clarify requirements and ensure a shared understanding of quality expectations.
  • Perform functional, performance, and security testing of APIs (REST, SOAP) using tools such as Postman or SoapUI to validate data integrity, error handling, and overall system integration.
  • Plan and execute non-functional testing, including performance, load, and stress tests, to identify system bottlenecks and ensure the application is scalable, stable, and responsive.
  • Actively participate in requirement analysis and specification review meetings to provide early feedback on testability, potential risks, and ambiguities before development begins.
  • Configure and maintain robust test environments, including test data setup and management, to ensure a stable and reliable platform for executing all testing activities.
  • Diligently re-test and verify bug fixes and resolutions implemented by the development team to confirm that issues are resolved and have not introduced new regressions.
  • Generate and communicate clear, concise test status reports, quality metrics, and risk assessments to project stakeholders, including QA leads, project managers, and leadership.
  • Analyze test results and application logs to identify root causes of failures, distinguish between system, environmental, and data issues, and provide actionable insights.
  • Proactively identify opportunities for improving QA processes, methodologies, and tools to enhance overall product quality and team efficiency.
  • Evaluate software applications from an end-user perspective to ensure intuitive user experience (UX) and adherence to usability standards, providing qualitative feedback to the design team.
  • Write and execute complex SQL queries to perform back-end database testing, ensuring data integrity, accuracy, and consistency across the application.
  • Execute cross-browser and cross-platform compatibility testing to ensure a consistent and high-quality user experience across all supported web browsers and operating systems.
  • Provide mentorship and guidance to junior QA team members, sharing best practices in testing methodologies, tool usage, and defect management.
  • Actively engage in all Agile/Scrum ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives, to represent the quality perspective.
  • Conduct accessibility testing based on WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards to ensure the product is usable by people with a wide range of abilities.
  • Perform basic security testing to identify common vulnerabilities (e.g., XSS, SQL injection) and escalate potential security risks to the appropriate teams.
  • Create and maintain clear, detailed documentation of test procedures, testing environments, and quality assurance standards for knowledge sharing and future reference.

Secondary Functions

  • Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for test cases, processes, and quality standards.
  • Participate in design and requirement review sessions to provide early feedback on testability and potential risks.
  • Provide support to other teams, such as customer support, by helping to investigate and reproduce reported customer issues.
  • Contribute to the continuous improvement of the team's testing strategies and the overall software development process.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Test Management & Defect Tracking: Proficiency with tools like Jira, Azure DevOps, TestRail, or qTest.
  • Automation Frameworks: Hands-on experience with test automation tools such as Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, or Appium.
  • API Testing: Strong knowledge of API testing tools like Postman, SoapUI, or Insomnia for REST and SOAP services.
  • Database & SQL: Ability to write and execute complex SQL queries for back-end data validation.
  • Version Control: Familiarity with version control systems, primarily Git.
  • Programming/Scripting: Basic to intermediate proficiency in a programming language like Java, Python, or JavaScript for writing automation scripts.
  • CI/CD: Understanding of Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment pipelines and tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, or CircleCI.
  • Performance Testing: Experience with performance and load testing tools such as JMeter or LoadRunner.
  • Web Technologies: Solid understanding of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and web browser developer tools.
  • SDLC Methodologies: In-depth knowledge of Agile, Scrum, and Kanban frameworks.

Soft Skills

  • Attention to Detail: Meticulous and thorough in all aspects of testing and documentation.
  • Analytical & Problem-Solving: Ability to diagnose complex issues, analyze root causes, and think critically.
  • Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills to clearly articulate defects and collaborate with the team.
  • Collaboration & Teamwork: A strong team player who can work effectively with both technical and non-technical colleagues.
  • Curiosity & User Empathy: A natural curiosity to explore applications, anticipate user behavior, and advocate for the end-user.
  • Time Management: Ability to prioritize tasks, manage workloads, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
  • Adaptability: Flexible and open to changing priorities and new technologies.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in a technical field.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related engineering discipline. Certifications like ISTQB are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Information Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2-5 years of professional experience in a software quality assurance or testing role.

Preferred:

Demonstrable experience working within an Agile/Scrum development environment. A proven track record with both manual and automated testing is highly preferred. Familiarity with testing SaaS, cloud-based, or mobile applications is a significant plus.

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