Senior Quality Assurance Tester

ITility is seeking a talented and mission-focused Senior Quality Assurance Tester to join our Application Operations team in support of a mission-critical enterprise modernization contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). This role directly supports AWS-hosted enterprise applications that enable the secure processing of recruit candidates entering the U.S. Armed Forces across geographically dispersed sites nationwide.

The systems and applications you will test and validate directly support this mission — ensuring every recruit is processed accurately, securely, and without interruption across a nationwide network of military entrance processing locations.

This position is responsible for the creation, maintenance, and management of comprehensive test plans, test suites, estimations, and test cases — spanning both manual and automated testing methodologies — in support of ongoing enterprise application modernization efforts. This is a hybrid role with an expectation of 3 days onsite in Waukegan, IL and 2 days remote per week.


Key Responsibilities:
Test Planning & Strategy:
- Partner with the Application Operations team to create a positive experience in the implementation and use of technology by ensuring all products meet defined business and technical requirements before deployment
- Develop, maintain, and manage comprehensive test plans, test strategies, test suites, test artifacts, and test cases within a dedicated test management system for both manual and automated testing activities
- Define and document testing scope, objectives, entry/exit criteria, and risk-based testing approaches for each release and sprint cycle
- Produce accurate test estimations to support sprint planning, release scheduling, and resource forecasting within Agile delivery frameworks
- Maintain traceability between requirements, test cases, and defects using JIRA and Confluence, ensuring full visibility across the testing lifecycle
- Continuously refine and improve test documentation, templates, and standards to reflect evolving application architecture and mission requirements
- Apply deep subject matter expertise in software testing practices for web applications, serving as the team's go-to authority on testing methodology, standards, and execution quality

Manual & Automated Testing:
- Execute manual and automated testing using documented test cases as determined by the test plan, ensuring thorough coverage across functional, regression, integration, system, and user acceptance testing (UAT) scenarios
- Design, develop, and maintain automated test scripts and frameworks leveraging modern automation tools for web and mobile applications, with hands-on proficiency in Selenium and equivalent platforms
- Perform API testing and validation to ensure secure, accurate data exchange between integrated enterprise systems and downstream mission applications
- Execute performance and load testing to validate application scalability and stability under operational demand conditions
- Conduct security-focused testing activities in alignment with DISA STIGs, RMF requirements, and DoD application security standards
- Leverage AWS cloud architecture knowledge to inform cloud-native testing strategies and validate application behavior within AWS-hosted environments

Agile DevSecOps Integration
- Actively participate in Agile/SAFe ceremonies including sprint planning, backlog refinement, daily standups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives as a senior QA contributor
- Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines, enabling continuous testing and rapid feedback loops throughout the DevSecOps delivery lifecycle
- Collaborate closely with developers, business analysts, and product owners to identify testable requirements, clarify acceptance criteria, and shift quality left in the development process
- Provide QA input during requirements analysis and design reviews to proactively identify gaps, ambiguities, and testability concerns before development begins
- Demonstrate proactive, clear communication in both technical and business settings, ensuring quality risks, testing status, and release readiness are consistently and accurately conveyed to all stakeholders

Defect Management & Reporting
- Identify, document, and track bugs and defects with precision and clarity across every release cycle, managing each issue through the full defect lifecycle from discovery to verified closure
- Utilize JIRA to log, prioritize, assign, and monitor defects in coordination with development and operations teams, ensuring timely resolution aligned with mission impact
- Produce clear, actionable QA status reports, test summary reports, and metrics dashboards for program leadership and Government stakeholders
- Analyze defect trends and test execution metrics to identify systemic quality risks and recommend process or tooling improvements

Customer Service & Collaboration
- Maintain a consistently customer service-oriented approach when engaging with team members, Government partners, and mission stakeholders — prioritizing responsiveness, professionalism, and-solution-focused communication
- Serve as a trusted quality partner to cross-functional teams, fostering a collaborative environment where quality is a shared responsibility across development, operations, and business functions
- Translate complex technical quality findings into clear, business-friendly language that enables informed decision-making by non-technical stakeholders and mission owners

Mentorship & Quality Advocacy
- Mentor junior QA team members, providing guidance on test design, automation development, and quality engineering best practices
- Champion a quality-first culture across the Application Operations team, advocating for robust testing practices at every stage of the software delivery lifecycle
- Contribute to the development of QA standards, testing frameworks, and organizational best practices that elevate team-wide quality capability

Required Qualifications:
- 8+ years of progressive experience in software quality assurance, with demonstrated senior-level expertise in both manual and automated testing
- Expert-level knowledge of software testing practices for web applications, including test design, execution, defect management, and release validation
- Proven hands-on experience with Selenium and modern automation frameworks for web and mobile applications
- Strong proficiency in JIRA and Confluence for test management, defect tracking, and team collaboration
- Demonstrated experience with AWS cloud architecture and testing within cloud-hosted application environments
- Solid experience operating within Agile/SAFe DevSecOps delivery frameworks, including integration of automated testing into CI/CD pipelines
- Strong proficiency in API testing tools such as Postman, REST Assured, or SoapUI
- Working knowledge of federal compliance frameworks including DISA STIGs, RMF, and NIST 800-53 as applied to application security testing
- Proactive, strong communicator with demonstrated ability to engage effectively across both technical and business audiences
- CompTIA Security+ CE or equivalent (DoD 8570/8140 IAT II)
- Active DoD Secret clearance (or ability to obtain)

Preferred Qualifications:
- Direct experience supporting DoD enterprise mission applications
- Experience with performance and load testing tools such as JMeter, Gatling, or equivalent
- Background in security testing practices, including OWASP methodologies and vulnerability validation
- Experience with behavior-driven development (BDD) frameworks such as Cucumber or SpecFlow
- Familiarity with additional test management platforms such as Zephyr or TestRail
- Prior experience in a senior or lead QA role on a DoD or federal government IT program
- ISTQB Certified Tester – Foundation Level (CTFL)
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a related field preferred. An equivalent combination of education, certifications, and directly relevant experience may be substituted.

Work Environment:
- Required to dress appropriately for the job environment, including adherence to safety, security, and site-specific dress standards
- Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while performing computer-based tasks.
- Requires sustained use of hands and fingers for keyboarding, writing, and operation of standard office equipment, as well as frequent verbal communication, active listening, and visual acuity to perform job responsibilities effectively.
- Occasional movement around the office, including climbing stairs.
- This is a hybrid role with a requirement to report at least 3 days onsite with 2 days remote per work week.

Why ITility?
ITility is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business dedicated to delivering secure, innovative technology solutions that protect and defend our nation. We empower our teams to think beyond perceived limits and deliver mission-focused solutions that matter.
Your work will directly contribute to enterprise modernization efforts supporting national defense readiness.

ITility is an Equal Opportunity Employer
ITility is committed to providing a work environment that is non-discriminatory, harassment free, fair, ethical and inclusive. ITility is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity and complies with all applicable laws which prohibit discrimination and harassment in the workplace. ITility strictly prohibits discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law in all terms, conditions and privileges of employment, including without limitation, recruiting, hiring, assignment, compensation, promotion, discipline and termination. This policy covers conduct occurring at ITility’s offices, client sites, other locations where ITility is providing services, and to all work-related activities.