QA Operator

DataDrone Inc.; Cheyenne, Northern (WY, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

DataDrone Inc. is seeking a dedicated QA role to own the quality gate for every deployment. You will run smoke tests, execute full regression suites, and file bugs with complete reproduction steps and screenshots. You will triage issues within 4 hours and verify fixes before closing.

In this role, you will maintain the QA Practice including a 100+ test case suite and device matrix, and you will continuously improve onboarding and testing coverage across the full device matrix.

Qualifications

• Production QA experience required.
• Bug reports must include steps, expected vs actual, environment, and screenshot.
• Must run regression suites and verify fixes.
• Understanding of gating vs cosmetic issues; know when to block.
• Reproduce bugs reliably every time.
• Regression testing is non-negotiable.

Responsibilities

• Own the quality gate before every deployment.
• Run smoke tests daily and regression tests before release.
• File bugs with full reproduction steps and screenshots.
• Triage bugs within 4 hours; escalate when needed.
• Verify fixes before closing bugs.
• Maintain QA Practice, 100+ test cases and device matrix.
• Maintain QA Onboarding Playbook.
• Test across the full device matrix.

Skills

Production QA

Bug reproduction

Regression testing

Quality gate

Test case design

Edge cases

Tools

Selenium

Playwright

Cypress

Postman

REST client

Job description

DataDrone builds 0-1 SaaS products and the team that ships them. No bosses, no managers — the playbook manages, the copilot tracks. Every role owns a small, defined space with extreme accountability. Nothing ships to our customers without QA sign-off.

What You'll Do

You'll own quality. Every feature passes through you before it reaches production. You run the test suite, file the bugs, verify the fixes, and give the green light to deploy. Your sign-off is the gate between "code complete" and "customer-facing." Without your approval, nothing ships.

Daily Rhythm (How You Operate)

• Daily: run smoke tests and triage incoming bugs within 4 hours — gating bugs escalated immediately.
• Per release: run the full regression suite, verify fixes, and hold the quality gate.
• Per bug: file with full reproduction steps, severity, and screenshots; verify before closing.
• Weekly: keep the QA Practice current — test cases, regression catalog, device matrix.
• Always: test across the full device matrix, not just your primary device.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the quality gate — sign-off required before every deployment
• Run smoke tests daily, regression tests before every release
• File bugs with full reproduction steps, severity, and screenshots
• Triage bugs within 4 hours — gating bugs escalated immediately
• Verify every bug fix before closing
• Maintain the QA Practice (100+ test cases, regression catalog, device matrix)
• Maintain the QA Onboarding Playbook
• Test on the full device matrix — not just your primary device

What We're Looking For

• You've tested software used by real customers. Not academic testing — production QA.
• You can file a bug report that an engineer reproduces on first attempt. Steps, expected, actual, environment, screenshot. Every time.
• You understand the difference between a gating bug and a cosmetic issue — and you know when to block a release vs. when to file and move on.
• You can run a regression suite methodically — not skipping tests because "that area didn't change."
• You can push back on shipping when quality isn't there. Not confrontationally — professionally. You hold the gate.
• You can write test cases. Not just execute them — design new ones when new features ship.

Bonus Points For

• Experience with test automation (Selenium, Playwright, Cypress)
• Experience with API testing (Postman, REST client)
• Experience with mobile testing across device matrices
• Experience maintaining test documentation at scale (100+ test cases)
• Familiarity with SMB SaaS products

The Mindset We Hire For

• The gate is sacred. Your sign-off means "this is ready for customers." Don't give it unless you mean it.
• Bugs are gifts. Every bug you find before the customer does is a crisis prevented. File with pride.
• Edge cases are where bugs live. Happy paths work. Weird combinations of inputs, timing, and device quirks — that's where quality breaks.
• Reproducibility is non-negotiable. "It's broken" is not a bug report. Steps to reproduce, every time.
• Regression is not optional. "We only changed one thing" is how regressions happen. Run the suite. Every time.
• If it's in your head, it's fragile. Testing knowledge belongs in the QA Practice as test cases. Not in your memory.

Success in This Role

• 30 Days — Full regression baselined. QA Practice reviewed. First bugs filed with quality reproduction steps. Onboarding friction points documented.
• 60 Days — QA Practice updated and current. Bug report quality proven. Regression runs clean on every release. You've held the gate.
• 90 Days — Zero escaped bugs to production. QA Practice comprehensive. Your sign-off is trusted. The playbook is handoff-ready.

Tools You’ll Use

Test management and bug board (Sheets/Trello), staging environment, screen recording, error tracking, Slack, Google Drive, AI copilot.

Why Join Us

You won't be the team that gets blamed when things break after being rushed to ship. You own the gate. When you say "not ready," the team listens. When you say "ready," the team deploys with confidence. Your opinion on quality is backed by your test suite — not by gut feeling.

The product is live. The customers use it daily. Your testing protects their experience.

5 hours of focused testing per day. No pressure to rubber-stamp. Quality over speed.

Self-Check Before You Apply

• When was the last time you blocked a release for a quality issue — and the team backed you?
• Can you file a bug report that an engineer reproduces without asking you a single question?
• When you hear "we only changed one small thing," do you still run regression?
• When a bug reaches production that you tested, do you investigate how it escaped — or move on?
• Can you maintain 100+ test cases and keep them current as the product evolves?