Business Analyst & QA Lead (Remote, Continental United States)

International Consulting Associates, Inc; Arlington (VA); Remote; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) plan with company match

Paid Time Off

Education and Professional Development

Job summary

International Consulting Associates, Inc. (ICA) is seeking a Business Analyst / QA Lead to bridge business requirements and technical execution within an Agile/Scrum environment.

You will own requirements documentation, lead test strategy, manage QA across releases, and drive automation to reduce manual testing. Remote work from anywhere in the continental United States is supported.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related field.
• 5+ years of combined BA/QA or QA Lead experience.
• Proven ability to write/manage requirements and test cases.
• Hands-on experience with test automation tools (Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, Postman/RestAssured).
• Strong knowledge of Agile/Scrum methodology.
• Advanced proficiency in JIRA (workflows, dashboards, reporting) and Confluence.
• Experience leading full test lifecycle and defect management.
• Authorized to work in the United States and able to obtain a Public Trust Clearance.

Responsibilities

• Elicit, document, and manage business and functional requirements from stakeholders.
• Translate requirements into user stories, acceptance criteria, and process flows.
• Own the QA strategy for products/features from planning through release.
• Design and document test plans, test cases, and test scripts.
• Lead manual and automated test execution across functional, regression, integration, and UAT cycles.
• Track defects and drive triage to resolution with development teams.
• Monitor quality metrics and act as gatekeeper for release readiness.
• Develop and maintain automated tests (UI, API) and integrate into CI/CD pipelines.

Skills

BA/QA experience

Agile/Scrum

JIRA & Confluence

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Selenium

Playwright

Cypress

Postman/RestAssured

Job description

About ICA, Inc.

ICA, Inc. is a rapidly growing company, located in the D.C./Metro area. We were founded in 2009 to assist government clients with evaluating and achieving their objectives. We have become a trusted advisor helping our clients by offering cutting-edge innovation and solutions to complex projects. Our small company has grown significantly, and we're overjoyed at the opportunity to expand yet again!

We are results-focused and have a proven track record supporting federal agencies and large government services primes in three main areas: Research and Data Analysis, Advanced-Data Science, and Strategic Services. We currently support multiple analytics and research programs across HHS.

At ICA, we believe our success starts with our people. We foster a collaborative "one team" environment where work-life balance isn't just talked about - it's prioritized. We're building dynamic, highly skilled teams in a welcoming and supportive atmosphere. If you're passionate about using your technical expertise to make a difference, we want to talk to you.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

We're looking for a Business Analyst / QA Lead who bridges business requirements and technical execution. This person will own requirements documentation, lead test strategy and execution, drive quality across releases, and bring automation expertise to reduce manual testing overhead - all while operating fluently within an Agile/Scrum environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Elicit, document, and manage business and functional requirements from stakeholders
• Translate requirements into user stories, acceptance criteria, and process flows
• Maintain requirement traceability from business need through to test coverage
• Facilitate requirement walkthroughs and sign-offs with stakeholders and dev teams
• Own the QA strategy for assigned products/features, from planning through release
• Design and document test plans, test cases, and test scripts based on requirements
• Lead manual and automated test execution across functional, regression, integration, and UAT cycles
• Track and report defects, drive triage, and ensure timely resolution with dev teams
• Define and monitor quality metrics (defect density, test coverage, escape rate, etc.)
• Act as the quality gatekeeper for release readiness
• Build and maintain automated test scripts (UI, API, and/or regression suites)
• Identify high-value automation candidates and continuously expand automation coverage
• Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines where applicable
• Evaluate and recommend automation tools/frameworks as needed
• Participate actively in sprint ceremonies (standups, planning, backlog grooming, retros, reviews)
• Write and refine user stories and acceptance criteria in the backlog
• Manage and maintain JIRA boards - epics, stories, sprints, workflows and reporting
• Collaborate closely with Product Owners, Developers, and stakeholders to keep scope, timelines, and quality aligned

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field
• 5+ years of experience in a combined BA/QA or QA Lead role
• Proven experience writing and managing requirements documentation and test cases
• Hands-on experience with test automation tools (e.g., Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, Postman/RestAssured, or similar)
• Strong working knowledge of Agile/Scrum methodology
• Advanced proficiency in JIRA (workflow configuration, dashboards, reporting) and Confluence (or equivalent)
• Experience managing full test lifecycle: planning, case design, execution, defect tracking, and reporting
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to lead QA activities independently and mentor team members
• Must be authorized to work in the United States and have lived in the US for 3 or more consecutive years.
• Must be able and willing to obtain a Public Trust Clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with API testing and CI/CD integration (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, DevOps, etc.)
• Prior experience in federal, healthcare, AWS.
• Familiarity with SQL for data validation is a plus

UNAUTHORIZED USE OF AI ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY: All application materials must be your own original work, and interviews must be completed independently. The use of AI-generated content or AI-assisted technologies during the application or interview process is prohibited unless interviewers provide explicit permission for specific activities during a live technical assessment. Any unauthorized use of AI will result in disqualification from the hiring process.

BENEFITS:

We invest in our team members so you can live your best life professionally and personally, offering a competitive salary and benefits.

• Health Insurance -100% employer-paid premiums - ICA covers the full cost of one of three offered medical plans
• Dental Insurance
• Vision insurance
• Health Spending Account
• Flexible Spending Account
• Life and Disability insurance
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick Leave and Holidays)
• Education and Professional Development Assistance
• Remote work from anywhere within the continental United States

LOCATION & TELEWORK

This is a remote position following Eastern Standard Time (EST). Candidates residing in the DMV area preferred.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

ICA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetics, disability status, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.