RQ11601 – Systems Testing/QA Specialist – Senior

S M Software Solutions Inc; Toronto; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

S M Software Solutions Inc is seeking an experienced Systems Testing/QA Specialist – Senior to support a government ministry in Toronto. The role focuses on QA strategy, automated and manual testing, data reconciliation, performance testing, and test automation within GUI and non-GUI environments.

The candidate will develop test plans, scripts, and test data, coordinate testing activities, and ensure high-quality delivery while aligning with Agile processes and regulatory standards.

Qualifications

• Proven testing strategy experience for large, complex systems.
• Experience creating test plans, cases, scripts, and expected results.
• Experience with automated and performance testing tools and defect tracking.
• Knowledge of accessibility testing and AODA-related standards.

Responsibilities

• Advise on testing strategy, tools, and resource needs.
• Plan and coordinate GUI and non-GUI testing, including SI and UAT.
• Develop and execute test plans, scripts, and cases with the team.
• Run functional, integration, system, and regression tests.
• Track defects with ALM/JIRA/Bugzilla/Azure DevOps; work with devs to resolve.
• Create automated tests and integrate into CI/CD pipelines.
• Perform performance, stress, and load testing; ensure scalability.
• Ensure compliance with accessibility standards and security basics.
• Document test results, coverage, and quality metrics; assist with release notes.

Skills

Testing strategy

Data reconciliation

Automated testing

Performance testing

QA coordination

UAT planning

CI/CD integration

Problem solving

Accessibility testing

Tools

Jira

Bugzilla

Micro Focus UFT

Selenium

Postman

Azure DevOps

TestRail/Zephyr

Job description

Client: Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement - RQ11601

We are looking for an experienced Systems Testing/QA Specialist – Senior to support the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in quality assurance, manual and automated testing, performance testing, test strategy development, and data reconciliation for large, complex, business-critical systems. The candidate should be proficient in testing tools, defect tracking, database validation, accessibility testing, and test automation, with the ability to coordinate testing activities and ensure high-quality system delivery.

Job Details

Job Title: RQ11601 – Systems Testing/QA Specialist – Senior

Client: Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement

Work Location: 777 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario

Work Arrangement: Onsite, 5 days per week

Estimated Start Date: October 26, 2026

Estimated End Date: March 31, 2027

Number of Business Days: 110

Extension: Probable after the initial mandate

Hours: 7.25 hours per day

Security Level: No clearance required

Must-Have Skills

• Proven experience executing testing-related activities and data reconciliation activities for large, complex, business-critical business systems.
• Experience developing test plans, test cases, test scripts, and expected test results for complex business systems.
• Experience developing and executing automated test and performance test scenarios for large, complex systems.
• Experience with automated and manual testing tools and problem-tracking software, such as Jira, Bugzilla, and the Micro Focus UFT Product Suite.

Description And Responsibilities

• Provides advice on testing strategy, test plans, the selection of testing tools, and the identification of resources required for testing.
• Plans and organizes testing efforts for large systems in Graphical User Interface (GUI) and non-Graphical User Interface (GUI) environments, including the execution of systems integration tests, specialized tests, and user acceptance testing (e.g., stress tests).
• The Quality Assurance Specialist is responsible for developing test plans, test scripts, and test cases and executing these against the various components. The tester will work with the testing lead and IT lead of each project, as well as project team members, in the analysis, design, development, implementation, and ongoing support of the required systems.
• Executes functional, integration, system, and regression tests.
• Validates that the system behaves as expected under various conditions.
• Identifies, documents, and tracks software defects using tools such as ALM, JIRA, Bugzilla, and Azure DevOps.
• Works closely with developers to reproduce and resolve issues.
• Develops and maintains automated test scripts using tools such as Micro Focus, OpenText™ UFT, Selenium, TestComplete, or Postman.
• Integrates automated tests into CI/CD pipelines.
• Conducts performance, stress, and load testing to ensure the system can handle expected user traffic and data volumes.
• Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and related regulations and standards.
• Collaborates with developers, business analysts, and project managers to clarify requirements and ensure quality.
• Participates in Agile ceremonies, such as sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives.
• Maintains detailed documentation of test results, test coverage, and quality metrics.
• Provides input for user manuals and release notes.
• Ensures testing processes comply with industry standards and regulatory requirements.

General Skills

• Experience in planning, organizing, and implementing testing efforts at the specified experience level.
• Knowledge of structured methodologies for the development, design, implementation, and maintenance of applications.
• Knowledge and experience using Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools and data query tools to aid in the development of test cases.
• Knowledge and experience using automated test tools and version control systems on one or more platforms.
• Experience executing functional tests, non-functional tests, and systems-level integration tests.
• Experience supporting user acceptance testing and participating in UAT activities.
• Experience with quality assurance principles, practices, tools, and structured methodologies.
• Experience creating testing strategy documentation, test plans, test cases, and test data for various types and phases of testing, including technical and business functional validation.
• Experience in quality assurance and testing, including unit testing, integration testing, load testing, performance testing, etc.
• Knowledge and experience in all phases of the Systems Development Life Cycle.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills; organizational, creativity, and perseverance skills; verbal and written communication skills; and interpersonal skills.
• A team player with a track record of meeting deadlines.
• Knowledge of one or more automated testing tools.
• Knowledge of system, integration, regression, and acceptance testing.
• Familiarity with Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to write clear, comprehensive test cases and execute them effectively.
• Experience with tools such as ALM, JIRA, Bugzilla, TestRail, Zephyr, etc.
• Familiarity with tools such as Selenium, Cypress, or Postman for API testing.
• Understanding of scripting languages (e.g., Python, JavaScript, Bash) for automation or test data setup.
• Demonstrated ability to write queries to validate data and perform backend testing.
• Clear grasp of the software development and testing life cycles.
• Experience conducting basic security testing and collaborating with security specialists for deeper penetration testing.
• Experience developing and managing robust test data strategies, including generating realistic and sufficient test data, ensuring data privacy, and managing test data environments.
• Validates data integrity, consistency, and accuracy across various system components and databases, performing data migration and transformation testing as needed.
• Experience developing and executing performance test scripts using tools such as JMeter or LoadRunner, and analysing performance bottlenecks and system scalability.

Desirable Skills

• Knowledge and experience in at least one programming language.
• Experience using information retrieval packages.
• Knowledge and understanding of testing methods in an object-oriented environment.
• 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 regulations and standards.
• Experience planning and organizing testing efforts for both large and small systems.
• Experience coding automated test scripts to produce sets of automated test cases.
• Experience testing Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) applications.

Experience And Skill Set Requirements

• QA Skills – 45%
• Experience setting up test strategies for complex business systems involving data, rules, and images that undergo a very high rate of change annually.
• Experience in data analysis, cleansing, conversion, and reconciliation on large, complex systems.
• Experience executing test cases and test scenarios for large, complex systems.
• Excellent coordination and organization skills to assist with all QA activities within tight timelines and conflicting priorities.
• Experience in accessibility testing of applications aligned with AODA (WCAG 2.0 AA).
• Technical Skills – 35%
• Excellent working knowledge of workflow, portfolio management, and rule-driven business solutions.
• Experience with web-based three-tier software platforms.
• Experience with testing tools and problem-tracking software, such as Jira, Bugzilla, Azure DevOps, and the Micro Focus Product Suite.
• Good knowledge of Oracle database tools.
• Proficiency with desktop tools, including Visio, MS Office, MS Project, and MS Outlook.
• Experience testing custom implementations and COTS implementations, including IBM J-Rules Engine.
• Working knowledge of web-based application development.
• Experience with accessibility testing tools such as WAVES, JAWS, NVDA, and Compliance Sheriff.
• General Skills – 15%
• Experience effectively coordinating multiple teams representing various business and technology areas, each responsible for a component of the solution.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, presentation skills, interpersonal skills, and negotiation skills.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Public Sector Experience – 5%
• Experience in the public sector, either as a vendor representative or under contract to a government ministry or agency.