Systems Testing/QA Specialist

Overview

Lotus IT is seeking a Senior Systems Testing/QA Specialist for a 6-month onsite engagement with the Health Services Cluster under the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. The successful consultant will play a key role in ensuring software quality across large-scale government systems by developing and executing comprehensive test strategies, automated test scripts, and performance tests. This role requires close collaboration with developers, business analysts, and project managers within an Agile delivery environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice on testing strategy, test plans, tool selection, and resource requirements for testing initiatives
• Plan and organize testing efforts for large systems in both GUI and non-GUI environments, including system integration tests, specialized tests, and user acceptance testing (UAT)
• Develop, maintain, and execute test plans, test scripts, and test cases across functional, integration, system, regression, performance, stress, and load testing phases
• Identify, document, and track software defects throughout the testing lifecycle using tools such as Azure DevOps, JIRA, ALM, TestRail, or Zephyr
• Develop and maintain automated test scripts using tools such as Micro Focus OpenText UFT, Selenium, TestComplete, or Postman, and integrate them into CI/CD pipelines
• Conduct performance, stress, and load testing using tools like JMeter or LoadRunner to ensure system scalability and reliability
• Validate data integrity, consistency, and accuracy across system components and databases, including data migration and transformation testing
• Collaborate with developers to reproduce and resolve defects, and work with stakeholders to clarify requirements and ensure quality standards are met
• Participate in Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives
• Develop and manage robust test data strategies, ensuring data privacy and appropriate test data environments
• Maintain detailed documentation of test results, test coverage, and quality metrics, and contribute input for user manuals and release notes
• Ensure testing processes comply with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and AODA accessibility guidelines

Must-Have Requirements

• Demonstrated senior-level expertise in system testing, including the development of automated test scripts and the creation and execution of complex test plans
• Proven experience coordinating defect management throughout the full testing lifecycle
• Hands-on experience creating test data using automated test tools such as SOAP UI, Swagger, or Postman to support both functional and regression testing
• Experience executing functional, integration, system, and regression tests across multiple phases of the SDLC
• Experience supporting and participating in user acceptance testing (UAT) activities
• Experience creating testing strategy documentation, test plans, test cases, and test data for various testing types and phases
• Strong knowledge of quality assurance principles, practices, and structured methodologies
• Experience with test management and defect tracking tools such as ALM, JIRA, Bugzilla, TestRail, or Zephyr
• Familiarity with automation frameworks and API testing tools such as Selenium, Cypress, or Postman
• Experience developing and executing performance test scripts using tools like JMeter or LoadRunner and analyzing bottlenecks
• Knowledge and understanding of all phases of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, written and verbal communication, and interpersonal skills

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Knowledge and experience in at least one programming or scripting language (e.g., Python, JavaScript, Bash)
• Experience testing Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) applications
• Knowledge and understanding of testing methods in an object-oriented environment
• Experience planning and organizing testing for both large and small systems
• Experience coding automated test scripts to produce full sets of automated test cases
• Knowledge and understanding of Information Management principles, concepts, policies, and practices
• Knowledge and understanding of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and related standards
• Experience with information retrieval packages

Work Environment

This is a fully onsite position requiring the consultant to work 7.25 hours per day, Monday to Friday, between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM (excluding lunch), at either the Toronto (5700 Yonge St.) or Kingston (49 Places D'Armes) office location. No security clearance is required. The team operates using Agile and Scrum methodologies, with regular participation in sprint ceremonies expected.