Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Analyst

Job Description

Ascend Indiana (Ascend) is a fast-growing nonprofit on a mission to address Indiana’s workforce misalignment. Ascend’s vision is for Indiana to be a place of economic opportunity for all. An initiative of Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), Ascend collaborates with corporate, education, philanthropic, and community partners, and is well-positioned to play a leadership role in addressing Indiana’s workforce challenges.

The Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Analyst is a critical member of the Ascend Network Product team. Through the Ascend Network, our job matching platform, Ascend helps job seekers find quality career opportunities that match their interests and skills, while supporting Indiana employers in their efforts to identify and hire qualified candidates.

The SQA Analyst will work closely with the engineering and product teams for the Ascend Network. In this role, the SQA Analyst will be responsible for ensuring the quality and reliability of our software product and implementing automated testing procedures to improve the organization’s testing capabilities.

To be successful in this role you must be...

Adept in managing quality assurance methodologies, tools, and processes.

• You develop and execute comprehensive test plans and test cases based on product requirements and design specifications.
• You design, implement, and maintain test automation frameworks, scripts, and tools to enhance testing efficiency and effectiveness.
• You conduct thorough functional, regression, performance, and usability testing to identify defects and ensure the software meets quality standards.
• You develop testing processes and identify KPIs to measure quality.

An analytically minded problem-solver with an investigative approach to testing.

• You conduct root cause analysis and work closely with development teams to ensure timely resolution of identified defects and issues.
• You continuously monitor and evaluate software development processes to identify areas of improvement and implement best practices for quality assurance.
• You apply meticulous attention to detail in all testing phases, detecting errors and communicating investigations succinctly to your team.

An effective communicator across a variety of internal and external stakeholders.

• You collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including software developers, product managers, and other team members to understand project requirements and provide input on quality-related issues.
• You document and track defects using issue tracking systems and provide detailed reports on test results, metrics, and overall quality status.
• You participate in project planning and estimation activities to ensure that quality considerations are properly accounted for.

Motivated by ambitious goals and driven to make a state-wide impact.

• You are organized and outcomes focused. You track your progress daily and react quickly if you are not on track to accomplishing your goals.
• You manage and report against goals, priorities, and objectives to the Vice President of Product Development.
• You support additional projects as assigned by the Vice President of Product Development.

Requirements

• 3.0+ cumulative GPA from either an undergraduate or graduate institution.
• 3-5 years of experience in software quality assurance or similar.
• Experience designing and executing test plans and test cases for complex software applications.
• History of leveraging test automation tools, such as Selenium or similar.
• Familiarity with databases, SQL query languages and other scripting/programming languages, preferably Python or React.
• Experience with Jira or similar issue tracking systems.
• Comfortable working with agile development teams and knowledge of agile methodologies.
• A detail-oriented self-starter who can be given a need or objective, break it down into executable activities, identify questions that need to be asked, gather priorities and requirements, set and manage to milestones, and then execute effectively.
• Track record of successfully working collaboratively within a team.
• Demonstrate ethical handling of confidential information.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite required.

Details

• Manager: Vice President of Product Development, Ascend Indiana
• Direct Reports: None
• Office location: 16 Tech, downtown Indianapolis, with hybrid work (in office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays each week)
• Work week: 40+ hours/week
• Travel: 5%

Benefits

• 100% of your healthcare and dental premiums are paid for individual and family.
• Pre-tax & Roth 401(k) Retirement Plan with generous match - 5% contributed by the employer regardless of employee contribution and up to an additional 5% employee voluntary contribution eligible to be matched by the employer.
• Company paid group life benefits as well as company paid short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• New office location and facilities at 16 Tech Innovation District with hybrid remote flexibility.
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) including 17 holidays.

September 19, 2023