QA Engineering Lead (Automation Testing)

We are seeking a QA Engineering Lead (Automation Testing) to lead automation testing and serve as senior quality engineering authority for the HUD ADPS program, responsible for establishing and governing enterprise quality assurance, automated testing, release validation, and continuous quality improvement practices across multiple application portfolios. This position plays a critical role in ensuring software solutions meet functional, performance, security, accessibility, and compliance requirements while supporting HUD's application modernization, cloud transformation, DevSecOps, data modernization, and AI-enabled initiatives.

The QA Engineering Lead works closely with Product Owners, Business Analysts, Developers, Cloud Engineers, Cybersecurity Specialists, and Program Leadership to embed quality throughout the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). The role is expected to drive automation-first testing strategies, implement quality gates in CI/CD pipelines, support AI-assisted testing, and provide executive-level reporting on quality metrics, defects, release readiness, and operational risk.

This is a fully remote position supporting a federal government contract that requires a federal background check and NACI clearance. Candidates must reside in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the overall Quality Assurance (QA) and Test Automation Strategy for HUD ADPS applications and services.
• Establish enterprise testing standards, quality metrics, governance processes, and best practices aligned with Agile, DevSecOps, and CI/CD methodologies.
• Lead the design, development, implementation, and maintenance of automated testing frameworks for web applications, APIs, integrations, data pipelines, cloud-native applications, and enterprise platforms.
• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines to support continuous integration, continuous testing, and continuous delivery objectives.
• Develop comprehensive test plans, test cases, test scripts, acceptance criteria, and traceability matrices aligned with business and technical requirements.
• Perform and oversee functional, regression, integration, system, user acceptance, performance, load, stress, accessibility, and security testing activities.
• Validate data quality, data reconciliation, and reporting accuracy across enterprise data environments and analytics platforms.
• Coordinate testing activities across multiple Agile teams, releases, and application portfolios.
• Support release management processes including release readiness reviews, deployment validation, rollback testing, and production verification.
• Manage defect identification, prioritization, root-cause analysis, remediation tracking, and reporting.
• Develop dashboards and executive reports that communicate quality trends, testing coverage, release readiness, defect metrics, and operational risks.
• Support Authority to Operate (ATO), FISMA, NIST, and cybersecurity compliance activities by validating security controls and participating in assessment activities.
• Evaluate and implement AI-assisted testing solutions to improve test coverage, defect detection, and quality engineering efficiency.
• Provide mentorship, technical leadership, and training to QA engineers and project teams regarding quality engineering best practices.
• Identify opportunities for process optimization, automation, and continuous improvement across software delivery and operational support processes.

Required Experience and Skills

• 10+ years of overall IT experience, including
• 7+ years in Quality Assurance, Software Testing, or Quality Engineering.
• 5+ years of hands-on test automation experience designing, developing, and maintaining automated test frameworks for enterprise applications, including DevSecOps initiatives.
• Experience leading QA automation strategy, test planning, test execution, defect management, and release validation across Agile software delivery teams.
• Proficiency with at least one automation programming language, such as Java, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, or C#.
• Experience with web UI automation tools such as Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, or similar.
• Experience with API testing, service validation, and integration testing using tools such as Postman, REST Assured, Karate, SoapUI, ReadyAPI, or similar.
• Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, or similar tools.
• Experience creating test plans, test cases, test scripts, acceptance criteria, traceability matrices, and test summary reports.
• Experience performing functional, regression, integration, system, smoke, performance, accessibility, and security-related testing.
• Strong SQL skills for database validation, data reconciliation, and reporting accuracy testing.
• Experience with defect tracking, root cause analysis, risk reporting, and quality metrics using tools such as Jira, Azure Boards, ServiceNow, or similar.
• Knowledge of Agile, Scrum, DevSecOps, CI/CD, and secure SDLC practices.
• Ability to lead testing activities across multiple applications, releases, or Agile teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to brief technical findings, risks, and release readiness to leadership.
• Ability to pass required Federal background screening and obtain and maintain both government clearance and customer approval.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.

Technical Skills and Tools

Experience with or a combination of the following tools and technologies

• Test Automation: Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, TestNG, JUnit, Cucumber, Robot Framework, Postman, ReadyAPI, SoapUI, Karate, REST Assured, Pact, WireMock.
• DevSecOps and CI/CD: Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, SonarQube, Veracode, Checkmarx, Snyk, Nexus IQ, Artifactory, HashiCorp Vault, Trivy, Aqua Security, Prisma Cloud.
• Cloud and Container Platforms: Microsoft Azure, AWS, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Kubernetes, OpenShift, Docker, AWS Lambda, Azure Functions.
• Data and Analytics: SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Snowflake, Power BI, Tableau, Databricks, Apache Spark, Kafka, Airflow, dbt, Informatica, Talend.
• AI & Intelligent Testing:GitHub Copilot, Microsoft Copilot, OpenAI GPT, Azure OpenAI Services, Amazon Bedrock, AI-assisted test generation platforms, predictive defect analytics, intelligent test automation, machine-learning-based test optimization, anomaly detection tools, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) testing validation, AI model validation frameworks, SHAP, LIME, MLflow, Great Expectations, Deequ, prompt evaluation frameworks (e.g., Promptfoo), hallucination detection tools, AIF360, Fairlearn
• Performance and Security Testing: JMeter, LoadRunner, NeoLoad, Gatling, k6, Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP, Nessus, Qualys.
• Agile and ITSM Tools: Jira, Confluence, ServiceNow, Rally, Azure Boards, SAFe, Scrum, Kanban.
• Programming and Scripting: Python, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, C#, SQL, Bash, PowerShell, YAML, JSON, Go, and Shell scripting.

Preferred Qualifications :

• Experience supporting Federal civilian agencies, HUD, or housing financial assistance systems.
• Experience supporting enterprise application modernization, large-scale cloud transformation initiatives, and testing cloud-native applications in Azure, AWS, or OCI.
• Experience implementing and validating AI-assisted testing solutions, including intelligent test automation, predictive defect analytics, RAG output validation, and AI-enabled quality engineering practices.
• Experience supporting FISMA, NIST 800-53, ATO, FedRAMP, or federal cybersecurity compliance.
• Experience with enterprise data validation, business intelligence testing, API testing, and systems integration testing.
• Experience with performance testing tools such as JMeter, LoadRunner, k6, Gatling, or NeoLoad.
• Certifications such as ISTQB, Certified ScrumMaster, SAFe, AWS/Azure certifications, Security+, or Agile testing certifications., * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, Software Engineering, Engineering, Mathematics, Data Science, Cybersecurity, or a related technical discipline.
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, or a related field is preferred but not required.
• Relevant professional certifications may be substituted for a portion of the educational requirements where permitted by contract and agency policy.

Education and Certifications

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. May need to lift up to 25 pounds occasionally.

Tanaq Technical Services (TTS) strives to deeply understand and analyze our clients' vision, needs, and requirements so we may provide alternative solutions, empowering them to choose the best resolution. We aim to achieve excellence by delivering on our commitments to our clients, employees, and partners. Our Commitment to Non-Discrimination Tanaq Technical Services is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Tanaq complies with the Drug-free Workplace Act of 1988 and E-Verify.