Systems Testing/QA Specialist - Junior

Project Description

Note: This contract will require the consultant to work from the office location 3 days per week with the remaining 2 days being worked remotely.

The Community Services I&IT cluster (CSC) of the Ontario Public Service serves the Colleges and Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES), Education (EDU), Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH), and Tourism, Culture and Sport (MTCS) Ministries. The Data Product Services Branch (DPS) within CSC provides data collection and analytic service to all four client ministries. DPS supports the ministries by providing information management tools that help enable public policy decision making, business and strategic planning, and program support and improvement.

The Postsecondary Financial Information System (PFIS) is the umbrella term used for a group of information and financial management systems which include: FMA, CFIS, CGRT, PSAB Reporting Framework, CSER, USER, PSAE and PFAAM C/U. Together these data collection and reporting software solutions support key operational lines of business in the Postsecondary Education Division.

The Junior Systems Testing/QA Specialist is required to work on Ministry initiatives supported by the branch. The resource is required to work with various project teams to develop test plans, documentation and perform testing for various solutions and technologies following all applicable GO-ITS standards and industry best practices while adhering to the existing technological solution frameworks. The successful candidate will work with various technology teams to translate business needs and work through the test planning and lead the test phases.

The resource will provide services for data collection projects under the direction of the Senior Technical Manager, DPS team. The assignment entails working with managers, team leads, program analysts, and subject matter experts of the various ministries and Community Services I&IT Cluster throughout the engagement. The System Testing/QA Specialist will provide innovative solutions for the support tasks described below in this RFS.

Job Description

Note: This contract will require the consultant to work from the office location 5 days per week.

Responsibilities:

• Provide expert advice on testing strategy, test planning, selection of testing tools, and identification of resources required to support testing activities.
• Plan, organize, and execute testing activities for large systems in both GUI and non‑GUI environments, including system integration, specialized testing (e.g., stress and performance testing), and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
• Develop, maintain, and execute test strategies, test plans, test scripts, test cases, and test data aligned with functional and non‑functional requirements.
• Collaborate closely with the testing lead, IT lead, and project team members throughout all phases of the system lifecycle, including analysis, design, development, implementation, and ongoing support.
• Participate as a member of an Agile delivery team, contributing to sprint planning, daily stand‑ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives.
• Support Agile testing practices by validating user stories, identifying defects early, and ensuring quality and acceptance criteria are met within each sprint.

General Skills:

• Strong knowledge of structured methodologies and all phases of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• Hands-on experience with quality assurance principles, practices, tools, and structured testing methodologies.
• Experience executing a broad range of testing types, including functional, integration, system, performance, and load testing.
• Proficiency with automated testing tools, DevOps tools, data query tools, and version control systems.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication abilities.
• Highly organized team player with a proven ability to meet deadlines.

Desirable Skills:

• Knowledge of at least one programming language, including experience developing automated test scripts.
• Understanding of testing approaches within an object-oriented development environment.
• Experience using information retrieval and data query tools.
• Knowledge of Information Management principles, policies, and best practices.
• Understanding of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and related standards and regulations.
• Experience testing Commercial Off‑the‑Shelf (COTS) applications.
• Experience supporting testing efforts for systems of varying size and complexity.

Knowledge Transfer

• Transfer From Systems Testing/QA Specialist to Designated CSC Resource

When Knowledge Will Be Transferred:

• Knowledge transfer must be completed minimum one week prior to the end of the project or one week prior to the consultant leaving the ministry.

What Knowledge Will Be Transferred:

• All deliverables, including design/supporting/release/training documents must be checked into designated version control repositories (for example, SharePoint). All final documents and working drafts related to project requirements or solution design must be stored on designated project repositories (for example, SharePoint site, Azure DevOps, GIT, etc.)
• Project manager and designated ministry staff must be regularly informed in writing (by email) of where documentation has been stored and must be provided a minimum of one walk-through of all documentation as part of the final knowledge transfer activities.

How Knowledge Will Be Transferred:

• Knowledge will be transferred through 1 on 1 sessions, emails, document updates and document review with the team.

Deliverables / Responsibilities

QA and Technical Skills - 75%

• Strong manual testing skills to complement automated testing and ensure comprehensive test coverage.
• Experience creating, executing, and maintaining automated test scripts using tools such as Selenium or Playwright.
• Basic knowledge of writing and troubleshooting test scripts, with familiarity in JavaScript or TypeScript for testing web applications (e.g., Angular-based applications).
• Experience querying relational databases (e.g., Oracle) using SQL to validate test results; familiarity with PL/SQL is an asset.
• Experience using Azure DevOps to manage test cases, log and track defects, and support test execution.
• Experience testing RESTful APIs using tools such as Postman or SoapUI.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, including integrating or executing automated tests within Azure DevOps.
• Experience or exposure to accessibility testing for web applications, including knowledge of WCAG guidelines and use of automated tools (e.g., AXE) and screen readers (e.g., NVDA, Narrator).
• Experience testing reports and enhancements to existing systems.

General and Soft Skills - 20%

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with developers, product owners, and other stakeholders.
• High attention to detail, with the ability to identify defects, inconsistencies, and usability issues.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to understand system behaviour and identify potential quality risks.
• Experience working in both Agile/Scrum and Waterfall delivery environments.
• Experience participating in Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks or testing activities with competing priorities under guidance.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with internal teams and client or business stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of common desktop and productivity tools, including Microsoft Office, Outlook, and diagramming/project tools (e.g., Visio, MS Project).

Organization Experience - 5%

• Previous public sector experience in an organization of equivalent size and complexity to the Ontario Public Service