Overview
Junior Software Quality Assurance Specialist Jobs in Springfield, IL at Krasan Consulting Services
Title: Junior Software Quality Assurance Specialist
Company: Krasan Consulting Services
Location: Springfield, IL
Position Overview
The QA / Application Testing Specialist supports quality assurance activities across the full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), contributing to the delivery of high-quality, scalable, secure, and reliable software applications. The role includes both manual and automated testing responsibilities, participation in enterprise QA processes, and support for continuous testing practices within Agile delivery environments.
The ideal candidate possesses strong foundational QA expertise, hands-on experience with manual and automation testing, and the ability to operate within structured QA governance frameworks while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.
Key Responsibilities
- Support the implementation of enterprise QA standards, frameworks, and best practices aligned with organizational and project objectives.
- Assist in designing and executing QA strategies aligned with SDLC phases, project goals, and compliance requirements.
- Create, maintain, and execute manual and automated test cases, test scripts, and test plans.
- Maintain a centralized test repository ensuring traceability between requirements, test cases, and defects.
- Perform functional, regression, usability, integration, and end-to-end testing across web and mobile applications.
- Design, develop, execute, and maintain automated test scripts using Selenium WebDriver and Cucumber (BDD).
- Contribute to scalable and maintainable automation frameworks and continuous testing initiatives.
- Support validation of integrated systems, cross-environment functionality, and business workflows.
- Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines using tools such as Jenkins, Azure DevOps, or GitLab CI/CD.
- Collaborate with development and DevOps teams to support build validation and release quality assurance.
- Execute performance, load, and stress testing using tools such as LoadRunner or equivalent tools.
- Identify, document, track, and assist in triaging defects using JIRA, Azure DevOps, Bugzilla, or similar tools.
- Support defect analysis, root cause identification, and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
- Participate in Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, backlog refinement, stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives.
- Translate business and functional requirements into test scenarios using BDD and Gherkin syntax.
- Maintain comprehensive QA documentation including test plans, execution results, defect reports, and audit-ready records.
- Ensure testing activities align with security, accessibility, and regulatory compliance requirements.
- Collaborate effectively with business analysts, developers, product owners, and stakeholders to ensure clarity and testability of requirements.
- Continuously learn and adopt new testing tools, methodologies, and best practices.
Required Skills & Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
- 7 years of experience in Quality Assurance, Application Testing, or Software Testing environments.
- Strong understanding of SDLC, STLC, and QA methodologies.
- Hands-on experience in manual testing including functional, regression, usability, and integration testing.
- Experience with automated testing using Selenium WebDriver and Cucumber (BDD).
- Familiarity with test management tools such as TestRail, qTest, or similar platforms.
- Knowledge of defect tracking tools such as JIRA, Bugzilla, Azure DevOps, or equivalent systems.
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines and continuous testing practices.
- Exposure to performance and load testing tools such as LoadRunner or equivalent.
- Basic understanding of web and mobile application technologies.
- Experience working in Agile/Scrum delivery environments.
- Strong analytical, debugging, problem-solving, and attention-to-detail skills.
- Effective communication, collaboration, and documentation abilities.
- Ability to work independently and within cross-functional teams.
- Eagerness to learn new testing techniques, tools, and technologies.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting enterprise-scale or compliance-driven environments.
- Familiarity with Azure DevOps, Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, or similar DevOps platforms.
- Exposure to API testing tools such as Postman or Rest Assured.
- Basic understanding of cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure or AWS.
- Experience working within structured QA governance models and standardized testing frameworks.
- Understanding of accessibility, security, and regulatory compliance testing practices.
