at ILLINOIS MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE CO. in Peoria, Illinois, United States
Job Description
Job Summary
The Automation and Quality Assurance Manager oversees planned and systematic approach designed to provide adequate confidence that products will conform to established requirements throughout the product’s life cycle. The responsibility for quality rests with the organizations that design, develop, deliver, and maintain the deliverable. Quality assurance supports these activities by ensuring that adequate quality processes and procedures are planned, developed, and implemented. Quality assurance activities focus on the identification, prevention, and correction of unsatisfactory conditions or elements which influence acceptability of the deliverables in terms of specific requirements to be met.
The manager is responsible for oversight of the development of test objectives, leading testing engagements, and providing actionable analysis to help support QA testing efforts. The manager must have broad knowledge in testing methodology & tools, test automation, with an understanding of architecture, technology, and industry best standards and procedure. In addition, the manager will apply expert level skills in data analysis, understanding of different infrastructure, platforms, and the ability to identify risks and Issues, and propose mitigation strategies. The manager shall also lead the automation initiative with the overall objective of reduced turn around time, increased quality, and enhanced user experience.
The manager will lead the work of others in the delivery of solutions that are consistent with the Technology Division’s mission, strategies, quality plans, standards, and guidelines. The manager shall be considered a subject matter expert (SME) for all quality assurance procedures, policies, and QA testing activities. The manager shall ensure effective communications and relationships between customers, business users, and project team members are maintained.
Responsibilities
- Manage quality assurance activities for multiple complex projects across all project lifecycle phases
- Conduct and/or oversee all aspects of quality assurance including establishing metrics and monitoring that canbe used to identify quality issues, analyze problems and develop quality improvement initiatives, applying industry best practices, developing, and implementing new tools and processes to ensure quality goals are met
- Evolve formal QA processes to ensure team stays up to date with its application and adoption of industry-accepted best practices
- Function as a knowledge expert with planning and implementing QA standards and procedures
- Lead, coordinate, facilitate and motivate all associated quality assurance resources to gain alignment on goals and deliverables
- Function as a knowledge expert with performing different types of testing including Sanity Testing, Integration Testing, System Testing, GUI SIT, UAT, APT, Mobile App, and Regression Testing
- Function as a knowledge expert with test planning and controlling, and experience with creating all test artifacts
- Function as a knowledge expert with software development life cycle practices and methodologies, and understanding of Product backlog (PBI), Spring backlog, Spring planning, Daily stand ups, Spring demonstration and Spring retrospective meetings
- Function as a knowledge expert of quality assurance/control methods, principles, and practices, including statistical analysis and sampling techniques
- Facilitate and lead effective team meetings, manage change, and conflict, and develop resource planning estimates to manage workload and productivity
- Own Incident, Request, Change and Escalation processes, ensuring high levels of performance in these processes, accurate reporting and establishing service improvement activities when required
- Guides coordination of resolving parties, effective communication among stakeholders and facilitates post incident review, particularly upon escalation
- Monitor, and support delivery of quality assurance activities; ensuring methodologies and procedures are in place and are followed
- Effectively deliver/manage Staff Management including recruitment, mentoring, training, target setting and performance assessment
- Communicate and collaborate with team members, IT and the Business Units as needed regarding project deliverables including managing expectations
- Make recommendations to management about schedules, prioritization, and resource allocation with input from team members
- Provide ongoing quality assurance activities status reporting for use by management
- Prepare for, conduct, and participate in quality reviews
- Reviews status reports of team members across all projects and addresses issues as
- Complies with and enforces standard policies and procedures
- Oversee human resources administrative aspects and oversight for staff
- Perform additional duties as assigned
Skills
- Build and maintain relationships with business and customer groups
- Experience of managing 3rd parties and 3rd party delivered services
- Able to manage sensitive and sometimes confidential information
- Focused and versatile team player who is comfortable under pressure
- Ability to understand the business need for each project
- Ability to manage and prioritize and tasks and time efficiently
- Make continuous improvement in applying and advancing quality assurance capabilities
Experience, Education, and Certifications
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Required Experience: 7+ years of applied quality assurance leadership role in IT Demonstrated experience in standing up quality assurance teams, leading quality assurance teams, and utilization of industry best practices.
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Required Education: Bachelor’s degree or 12 years’ experience
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Recommended Certifications: Current or in-process certification in ISTQB: International Software Testing Qualifications Board (Advanced Level) or equivalent
Additional Requirements
- Must be available as needed, on a 24-hour on-call basis
- Some travel may be required
