Senior Quality Assurance Analyst

Description Fortress Affinity Management is Higginbotham’s standalone affinity insurance platform — purpose-built to turn group relationships into scalable, recurring insurance programs. FAM provides the complete infrastructure needed to support these programs, including digital intake systems, member portals, and dedicated service teams, all aimed at reducing friction and improving results for both producers and their clients. Position Summary: The Senior Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst serves as a key quality partner within Fortress Affinity Management, responsible for strengthening release confidence, reducing production risk, and ensuring the quality, reliability, and functional integrity of internally developed software applications. This role works closely with software developers, product owners, and business stakeholders to design and execute test strategies that validate application behavior against requirements, business expectations, and operational readiness within a Microsoft-centric development environment. The Senior QA Analyst identifies, documents, and tracks defects throughout the software development lifecycle, partners with development teams to accelerate resolution, and supports go/no-go readiness decisions ahead of production releases. Success in this role requires analytical rigor, sound judgment, and a continuous improvement mindset that helps prevent defects earlier in the lifecycle and improves the overall quality discipline of the technology team. Fortress Affinity Management is a forward-thinking technology organization that embraces the thoughtful use of AI-assisted tools to improve software design, development efficiency, test coverage, and overall delivery quality. You’ll serve as the primary QA function embedded within a small, cross-functional development team, partnering closely with developers, product ownership, and business stakeholders to support quality throughout the delivery lifecycle. Supervisory Responsibilities: None Key Responsibilities Develops and maintains test plans, test cases, and test scripts across functional, regression, integration, and UAT phases to ensure complete and scalable test coverage as applications evolve Executes primarily manual test coverage while supporting the expansion and maintenance of automated test suites to improve quality, speed, and repeatability Identifies, documents, and tracks defects, performs root cause analysis on recurring issues, and partners with development teams to prioritize and resolve quality risks efficiently Partners with software developers, business analysts, and product owners to clarify requirements, identify edge cases, and ensure testability prior to development Validates release readiness and communicates go/no-go assessments to stakeholders prior to production deployments Maintains test documentation and quality artifacts, and reports test results, defect trends, and quality metrics to support informed release and prioritization decisions Assists in the evaluation, implementation, and maintenance of automated testing frameworks and tooling to improve testing efficiency Partners with the development team in the responsible use of AI-assisted tools to improve test design, accelerate defect analysis, increase coverage, and support continuous improvement across the software delivery lifecycle Monitors application environments and data integrity to identify environmental factors contributing to test failures Contributes to the continuous improvement of QA processes, standards, methodologies, and best practices across the technology team Performs additional duties as assigned in support of the technology and quality function Core Competencies Ability to Analyze and Solve Problems : Skill in recognizing challenges, exploring options, and implementing effective solutions in a timely manner Attention to Detail : A strong focus on completing tasks and projects accurately and thoroughly Communication Skills : Capable of expressing ideas clearly in both verbal and written forms and engaging with various audiences Timely Task Completion : Ability to finish tasks and projects efficiently, managing resources and priorities effectively Team Collaboration : Willingness to work together with others, promoting teamwork and supporting shared goals Client Focus : Dedication to understanding and addressing the needs of clients and stakeholders to ensure their satisfaction Dependability : Acknowledgment of the importance of being present and punctual Creative Thinking : Openness to suggesting new ideas and methods to improve processes and outcome Organizational Skills : Capability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously Adaptability : Willingness to adjust to changing situations and priorities, showing resilience in a dynamic work environment Experience & Education 5+ years of experience in software quality assurance, software testing, or a related technical role required Demonstrated experience testing web-based, enterprise, or internally developed business applications across multiple release cycles, including cross-functional coordination to support production readiness Experience testing internally developed business applications within a Microsoft-centric development environment preferred, including familiarity with Azure DevOps-based delivery practices Experience working within an agile or scrum development environment preferred Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field such as Business, Mathematics, or Engineering preferred; equivalent combination of education and work experience will be considered Licensing and Credentials: ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) or equivalent QA certification preferred Systems & Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook Experience with Azure DevOps preferred for defect tracking, backlog support, test case management, and sprint and release workflows; experience with comparable platforms such as Jira is also valued Experience testing REST APIs and system integrations using tools such as Postman or SoapUI preferred, particularly within .NET-based application environments Familiarity with testing .NET-based web applications and related business workflows preferred Familiarity with SQL for data validation, back-end testing, and troubleshooting in SQL Server-backed systems preferred Experience with version control systems such as Git preferred Familiarity with AI-assisted development and testing tools preferred, including the ability to use them responsibly to improve productivity, test effectiveness, and software quality within established development standards Physical Requirements: Ability to lift 25 pounds Repeated use of sight to read documents and computer screens Repeated use of hearing and speech to communicate on telephone and in person Repetitive hand movements, such as keyboarding, writing, 10-key Walking, bending, sitting, reaching and stretching in all directions Benefits & Compensation: Higginbotham offers medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, 401K, equity incentive plan as well as multiple supplemental benefits for physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing. Employee Wellness Program Company paid holidays, plus PTO Notice to Recruiters and Staffing Agencies: To protect the interests of all parties, Higginbotham Insurance Agency, Inc., and our partners, will not accept unsolicited potential placements from any source other than directly from the candidate or a vendor partner under MSA with Higginbotham. Please do not contact or send unsolicited potential placements to our team members. *Applications will be accepted until the position is filled