Quality Assurance Application Analyst

Arnold & Porter Llp; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 89,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Arnold & Porter LLP is seeking a detailed Quality Assurance Application Analyst to validate enterprise applications across desktop and endpoint environments. You will design testing strategies, execute comprehensive tests, and verify packages (MSI/MSIX/IntuneWin32) before release, collaborating with Desktop Engineering and stakeholders.

The role emphasizes defects management, root-cause analysis, and ensuring secure, reliable deployments with minimal user disruption.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, Software Engineering, or a related field plus two years of relevant experience.
• Minimum of three years of QA/testing or application analyst experience.
• Knowledge of QA methodologies, testing principles, and SDLC.
• Ability to develop and execute multiple test cases across installations, upgrades, and integrations.
• Proficiency with Jira, Azure DevOps, ServiceNow, or equivalent defect-tracking tools.
• Working knowledge of SQL and relational databases for data validation.
• Experience with Windows OS, endpoint deployment tools (MECM/SCCM, Intune).
• Familiarity with REST APIs, web services, and enterprise integrations.

Responsibilities

• Translate requirements into testing strategies, plans, and acceptance criteria for deployments and upgrades.
• Conduct installation, upgrade, regression, integration, and UAT testing for enterprise applications.
• Validate packaging (MSI, MSIX, EXE, IntuneWin32) and silent install/uninstall behaviors.
• Identify and track defects through resolution using defect-management processes.
• Investigate and resolve issues across configurations, dependencies, and deployments.
• Perform root-cause analysis with Desktop Engineering, security, and business teams.
• Validate interfaces, database transactions, and data integrity after installations.
• Develop test documentation, environments, data, and release-validation procedures.
• Support user acceptance testing and stakeholder sign-off.
• Evaluate releases, patches, and config changes for impact in collaboration with Desktop Engineering.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Jira

Azure DevOps

ServiceNow

SQL

PowerShell

MECM/SCCM

Intune

MSI/MSIX packaging

Job description

Arnold & Porter is an international law firm with offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. The firm advises clients on complex regulatory, litigation, and transactional matters across a broad range of industries, including many of the world's leading companies and organizations.

We are seeking a detail-oriented Quality Assurance Application Analyst to help ensure the quality, reliability, security, and performance of the firm’s enterprise applications. This role is responsible for planning and executing structured testing, validation, documentation, and release-readiness activities for application packaging, installations, upgrades, patches, integrations, and deployments across the firm’s desktop and endpoint environment.

Working closely with Desktop Engineering, business stakeholders, project managers, vendors, and support teams, the Quality Assurance Application Analyst will validate that applications function as intended, meet business requirements, and are released with minimal disruption to users. This role reports to the Senior Manager of Desktop Engineering and may work fully remote in a firm-approved U.S. state.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyze business and technical requirements and translate them into comprehensive testing strategies, test plans, test cases, and acceptance criteria for application deployments, upgrades, and integrations.
• Perform installation, upgrade, compatibility, functional, regression, integration, smoke, and user acceptance testing for enterprise applications, application packages, and system integrations.
• Validate application packages, including MSI, MSIX, EXE, and IntuneWin32 packages, before release. Confirm silent installation and uninstallation behavior, configurations, shortcuts, licensing, and default settingsTest application installations, upgrades, and removals across standard operating system images, hardware models, and virtual desktop environments to ensure compatibility and a consistent end-user experience.
• Identify, reproduce, document, prioritize, and track software defects through resolution using established defect-management processes.
• Investigate application issues involving functionality, configuration, installation, deployment, dependencies, permissions, integrations, and system behavior to support accurate defect resolution and release decisions.
• Conduct root-cause analysis and collaborate with Desktop Engineering, infrastructure, database, security, vendor, and business teams to resolve defects, deployment issues, and production-impacting application concerns.
• Validate application interfaces, database transactions, reports, and integrations to confirm data accuracy and system integrity following installations and upgrades.
• Develop and maintain test documentation, test environments, test data, defect records, application procedures, and release-validation documentation.
• Support user acceptance testing activities, including test preparation, execution, issue resolution, and stakeholder acceptance.
• Evaluate software releases, patches, upgrades, configuration changes, and enhancements for functional and operational impact in partnership with the Desktop Engineering team.
• Support application deployments through endpoint-management tools, such as Microsoft Configuration Manager and Microsoft Intune, including pre-production validation, post-deployment smoke testing, and production verification.
• Monitor post-release application behavior and document corrective and preventive actions when production issues arise.
• Maintain test evidence, configuration records, release-validation procedures, workflows, and technical knowledge-base content.
• Recommend improvements to application functionality, packaging and deployment practices, testing processes, business workflows, and quality-assurance methodologies.
• Ensure application changes comply with organizational change-control, cybersecurity, documentation, and software quality standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, Software Engineering, or a related field, plus two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in application analysis, software quality assurance, application testing, application packaging validation, deployment testing, or application support. An equivalent combination of education, training, certifications, and relevant professional experience may be substituted for the degree requirement.
• Minimum of three (3) years of application QA/testing or application analyst experience.
• Knowledge of software quality assurance methodologies, testing principles, release validation, and the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute installation, upgrade, compatibility, functional, regression, integration, and user acceptance test cases.
• Proficiency with defect-tracking and application lifecycle-management tools such as Jira, Azure DevOps, ServiceNow, or equivalent platforms.
• Working knowledge of relational databases and SQL for data validation, reconciliation, and troubleshooting.
• Ability to troubleshoot application issues using installation, event, and application logs, error messages, database records, system reports, and other diagnostic information.
• Experience with Windows desktop operating systems, application installation technologies, and endpoint deployment tools such as Microsoft Configuration Manager (MECM/SCCM) and Microsoft Intune.
• Basic scripting exposure (e.g., PowerShell) for test support and log review preferred.
• Familiarity with REST APIs, web services, system interfaces, and enterprise application integrations.
• Experience documenting test plans, test cases, defects, requirements of traceability, test results, and application support procedures.
• Working knowledge of Agile/Scrum and traditional SDLC methodologies.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, particularly Excel, Word, Teams, and Outlook.
• Understanding of application security, user access controls, authentication, authorization, and change-management practices.
• Ability to independently learn and support enterprise software applications and associated business processes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated customer service and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to evaluate risk and recommend appropriate mitigation strategies.

Experience with the following preferred:

• SQL/database validation.
• API and integration testing.
• Automated testing tools.
• Endpoint-management and deployment tools, such as Microsoft Configuration Manager (MECM/SCCM) and Microsoft Intune.
• Application-packaging and installation technologies (e.g., MSI, MSIX, IntuneWin32).
• Windows 10/11 and virtual desktop environments (e.g., Citrix, Azure Virtual Desktop).
• Legal or professional-services applications (e.g., document management systems, document comparison tools, Microsoft Office add-ins).
• Defect-tracking systems, such as Jira or Azure DevOps.
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

Preferred Certifications

• ITIL 4 Foundation preferred.
• ISTQB Certified Tester preferred.
• Certified Software Tester (CSTE) preferred.
• Agile or Scrum certification preferred.

The anticipated base salary for this position is $89,200 to $125,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.

The firm may provide a discretionary bonus annually.