The Quality Assurance Analyst is focused on identifying testing needs and executing testing with the goal of providing quality software to our clients. A QA Analyst is aligned with one of our business unit aligned teams and is responsible for balancing their time across projects, reporting, performing independent test design and/or testing; and developing manual and/or automation tests.
This opportunity is at our headquarters in Milwaukee, WI with hybrid set up and 2-3 days per week in the office .
As a QA Analyst, you will:
Testing Approach - across projects (20%)

• Develop and implement efficient and effective testing strategy, test conditions and test scripts for projects
• Ensure appropriate testing coverage and requirements traceability through the creation, implementation and enhancement of comprehensive test plans, test cases, test steps and test automation
• Define clear expectations for all testing tasks, including inputs and outputs
• Educate and train developers, peers and future QA team members on the QA process
• Evaluate the need for test automation and performance testing for projects
• Participate in continual improvement of the agile process

Testing - in project(s) (50%)

• Drive testing process from Business Scope to Deploy and Production Installation
• Develop and execute test plans, test cases, scripts, and create test data for your agile delivery team; may include functional, integration, regression, data integrity and stress testing as well as assisting with user acceptance
• Review and identify gaps and deficiencies in business requirements, technical specifications, designs and testing documentation for completeness and testability
• Help team to identify and log defects, capturing steps to reproduce (actual vs. expected) and relevant details of the issue while driving all defects and design changes from discovery or inception to resolution

Defect Tracking and Metrics (20%)

• Develop reporting standards and manage reporting of key QA metrics
• Track defects for metrics and proactively identify areas of improvement
• Create and execute on solutions for the QA functional team and the assigned agile delivery team(s)

Testing Environments (10%)

• Coordinate test environment setup and test data creation with the Project Lead for all planned test execution activities
• Manage change processes such as build promotions to UAT and Production environments

What makes this opportunity great:

• Information technology is a core part of Baird's business strategy and plays a critical role in the growth and transformation of the firm.
• Ability to work on critical projects with a variety of teams and leaders, proving your ability to influence and make business impact through providing technology solutions.
• Support and flexibility to grow and be your best at work, at home, and in the community

What we look for:

• A minimum of five years of prior IT experience, including at least three years of related QA or Software Testing experience preferred
• Practical knowledge of and experience with agile software development methodologies (Kanban, Scrum, XP, Lean)
• Ability to partner with Business Analysts and Product Owners to review requirements, write user stories, uncover risks, and identify areas to be tested.
• Ability to partner with Software Developers and Architecture to review system designs, identify technical challenges, and identify automation candidates.
• Ability to automate, or recognize the opportunity to automate, repeated tasks and tests.
• Basic understanding of typical web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, REST APIs)
• Proficiency with databases and SQL queries, including the ability to create queries to validate data integrity and other data constraints.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Azure cloud services, Azure DevOps, and Azure Logic Apps is a plus.
• Strong communication skills, including experience speaking to both technical and non-technical audiences and the ability to influence without authority.
• Detail-oriented individual that possesses exceptional organizational, time management, and problem-solving skills.
• Adaptability to change approach and priorities to meet the needs of the project and business

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Commitment to Inclusion & Diversity

Baird is committed to inclusion & diversity for our clients, our associates and the communities where we live and work. This commitment stems from our culture of integrity, genuine concern for others and respect for the individual. We view inclusion & diversity as an ongoing journey - one of shared responsibility, continuous improvement and a focus on progress. We invite you to join us as we work together to foster an environment where diversity unites rather than divides us.