Senior Functional QA Engineer - AVP (Belfast)

Position Overview

As a Senior QA Analyst, you will be an integral part of our agile delivery team, driving the development and execution of high-quality functional testing in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. You will work closely with product owners, developers, and other stakeholders to ensure that our applications meet both functional and non-functional requirements. Your expertise in Behavior-Driven Development (BDD), agile methodologies, and deep understanding of functional domains will be key to ensuring the success of our projects.

Key Responsibilities

Agile QA Practices

1. Actively participate in all Agile ceremonies, including backlog grooming, sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives.
2. Collaborate with Product Owners and development teams to understand project requirements and define comprehensive test strategies.
3. Develop, execute, and maintain test plans, test cases, and test scripts aligned with Agile methodologies.

Functional Domain Expertise

1. Leverage in-depth knowledge of financial products and services to design effective test scenarios.
2. Ensure test coverage for functional and non-functional requirements, focusing on areas such as trade processing, confirmation, settlement, and margin.
3. Conduct thorough root cause analysis for defects and implement preventative measures to enhance production stability.

Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)

1. Implement and advocate for BDD practices within the QA process.
2. Provide test scenarios and maintain automated test scripts using BDD tools such as Cucumber, ensuring efficient regression testing and maximum test coverage.
3. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to write clear and concise Gherkin scenarios that accurately reflect business requirements.

Team Collaboration

1. Foster a collaborative environment by working closely with developers, business analysts, and other stakeholders to ensure quality throughout the software development lifecycle.
2. Mentor junior QA team members, providing guidance and support to enhance their professional growth.
3. Communicate effectively with global teams, demonstrating strong attention to detail and the ability to organize and prioritize work effectively.

Qualifications

Experience

1. Hands-on experience in software quality assurance, with a focus on Agile methodologies.
2. Proven experience in leading User Acceptance Testing (UAT) cycles for business-critical applications.
3. Strong financial product knowledge, with a distinct advantage in derivatives.

Technical Skills

1. Proficiency in test automation tools and frameworks, particularly those supporting BDD such as Cucumber.
2. Solid understanding of UNIX, shell scripting, and SQL.
3. Understanding of microservices architecture and test requirements.
4. Experience with test management and defect tracking tools, with the ability to generate and interpret associated reports.

Soft Skills

1. Self-motivated individual with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
2. Demonstrated ability to work both independently and within global teams.
3. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a keen attention to detail.
4. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with the capacity to multi-task and prioritize effectively.