QA Test Engineer

Description Xcelerate Solutions seeks a QA Test Engineer to play a critical role in ensuring the quality, reliability, security, and performance of secure, high-performing enterprise web platforms. Operating under established technical performance standards and project guidelines, the successful candidate will design, develop, and execute comprehensive manual and automated testing strategies. This position requires a strong technical foundation in modern software testing methodologies, test automation frameworks, and quality assurance best practices. Working in an Agile environment, the candidate will collaborate closely with developers, business analysts, and key stakeholders to deliver defect-free software that complies with rigorous industry performance, usability, and security standards. Come join our award-winning organization and work with some of the most talented and brightest minds in the GovCon industry. Location: Remote Key Responsibilities In accordance with established technical guidelines and quality management objectives, the QA Test Engineer will perform the following duties: 1. Test Planning & Manual Testing Analyze system requirements, user stories, and design documents to create detailed, comprehensive, and well-structured test plans, test cases, and test scenarios. Perform thorough manual functional, integration, regression, end-to-end, and user acceptance testing (UAT) to validate system behavior against requirements. Conduct usability and UI testing to verify that frontend implementations match designed wireframes and user experience guidelines. 2. Test Automation & Scripting Design, develop, maintain, and execute automated test scripts utilizing modern frameworks (such as Cypress, Selenium, Playwright, or WebdriverIO) to optimize regression testing. Implement and maintain automated API testing suites (using Postman, RestAssured, or similar tools) to validate backend RESTful services and microservices. Integrate automated test suites into continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines (such as Azure DevOps, GitLab CI, or Jenkins) to support automated build validation. 3. Integration, Regression & Database Verification Write and execute database queries (using SQL or equivalent) to validate database migrations, inspect data integrity, and verify that backend transactions occur correctly. Conduct API, database, and backend validation testing to ensure end-to-end system cohesion. Perform rigorous regression testing cycles ahead of scheduled deployment releases to guarantee system stability. 4. Defect Tracking, Reporting & Compliance Document, track, and manage software defects through their entire lifecycle using tools like Jira or Azure Boards, ensuring clear, reproducible steps and detailed logs are provided to development teams. Work closely with the software development team to isolate, replicate, and resolve system issues. Verify system compliance with accessibility standards, ensuring the application meets Section 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) requirements. Produce detailed test execution reports, quality metrics, and compliance documentation for project management and stakeholder review. Required Qualifications Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a related technical field (equivalent professional experience may be considered). Experience: Minimum of 5+ years of professional software quality assurance and testing experience. 3+ years of hands-on experience designing, writing, and executing automated test scripts for enterprise-scale web applications. Proven experience testing single-page applications (SPAs) built with modern frontend frameworks (such as React) and backends built with robust frameworks (such as .NET Core / .NET). Technical Skills: Proficient with automated testing tools and frameworks (e.g., Selenium WebDriver, Cypress, Playwright). Strong understanding of RESTful API testing, JSON, and web services. Solid database testing experience, including proficiency in writing and optimizing SQL queries. Familiarity with version control systems (Git) and collaborative branching workflows. Strong understanding of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) processes in an Agile/Scrum environment. Soft Skills: High attention to detail with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. Outstanding verbal and written communication skills to articulate defects and collaborate with technical and non-technical team members. Preferred Qualifications Experience with performance, load, and stress testing tools (such as JMeter, Locust, or LoadRunner). Experience working with cloud-based test automation platforms (such as Sauce Labs, BrowserStack, or AWS Device Farm). Knowledge of mobile application testing (iOS, Android) and responsive web design testing frameworks. Experience performing security, vulnerability, or penetration testing. Practical knowledge of Section 508 compliance testing tools (such as JAWS, NVDA, WAVE, or Axe). Certifications To meet technical and cybersecurity compliance baselines, candidates must possess or be willing to obtain: 1. Cybersecurity Baseline Certification (Preferred but not required) Active DoD 8570.01-M / DoD 8140 Information Assurance Technical (IAT) Level II certification (or higher). Acceptable certifications include: CompTIA Security+ CE (highly preferred) GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) CCNA-Security 2. Professional/Technical Certifications (Preferred but not required) ISTQB Certified Tester (Foundation or Advanced Level) Certified Software Test Engineer (CSTE) Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) or Professional Scrum Master (PSM) Security & Clearance Requirements Due to the secure nature of the enterprise environment and associated federal mandates: Work Status Allowable: U.S. citizenship Minimum Clearance to Start: Public Trust or Favorably Adjudicated Secret Clearance Compliance: Must strictly adhere to enterprise cybersecurity policies, operations security (OPSEC) requirements, and system access regulations. About Xcelerate Solutions: Founded in 2009 and headquartered in McLean, VA, Xcelerate Solutions (www.xceleratesolutions.com) is one of America's fastest-growing companies. Xcelerate’s culture is defined by our diversified workforce of dynamic and versatile professionals, supported with growth and development opportunities that contribute to individual and company growth. This strong commitment to our employees has been recognized by our inclusion on the Washington Business Journal’s “50 Best Places to Work” list as well as being a “Great Place to Work” certified company with a 4.6 star, and a 99% CEO approval Glassdoor rating. Come find out why Xcelerate Solutions is one of the top DC Metro employers! Xcelerate Solutions is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, age, equal pay, disability, veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or expression of another protected characteristic. As part of this commitment to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals, Xcelerate Solutions provides reasonable accommodation if needed because of an applicant's or an employee's disability. Pay Transparency Notice: Xcelerate Solutions will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.