Functional Test Lead

Karthik Consulting is seeking an experienced Functional Test Lead to support testing and quality assurance for enterprise payroll applications in a fully remote, U.S.-based role., The Functional Test Lead will lead functional testing efforts for mission-critical payroll systems, ensuring software solutions meet business requirements, comply with organizational standards, and deliver a high-quality user experience., * Execute testing procedures to ensure payroll application products and services meet business and user requirements.

• Evaluate, design, and implement testing strategies aligned with established quality standards.
• Develop and maintain test plans, test cases, testing scripts, and test data for payroll workflows and integrations.
• Conduct functional testing of complex application features and verify defect resolutions.
• Document testing activities and results in compliance with USPS Technology Solution Life Cycle standards.
• Collaborate with Product Owners, Architects, Developers, Managers, and business stakeholders throughout the testing lifecycle.
• Identify opportunities to improve testing efficiency through automation and AI-driven testing solutions.

• 5+ years of experience in manual and automated software testing, including functional testing of complex application features.
• Strong understanding of software development lifecycles, testing methodologies, and comprehensive test plan and test case creation.
• Ability to execute smoke testing, regression testing, and end-to-end testing across payroll business processes and user workflows.
• Experience preparing and managing complex test data sets to validate business logic, workflows, integrations, and error handling.
• Ability to determine when automation and AI-enabled testing tools should be leveraged to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
• Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, problem-solving, organizational, and communication skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong knowledge of payroll cycles, processing, gross-to-net calculations, paycheck generation, payroll simulation, and final pay processing.
• Experience validating tax calculations and withholdings, benefits deductions, garnishments, bonuses, retroactive pay, and back-pay calculations.
• Understanding of federal, state, and local payroll regulations, new hire onboarding, termination processing, and basic payroll accounting concepts.
• Experience testing timesheet, HR system, and payroll integrations in enterprise environments., * Preferred Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Technology, Software Development, Information Systems, Accounting, Business, or a related field.
• Alternative Qualification: Candidates without a relevant degree must possess an additional five years of directly related professional experience.
• Experience: 5-10 years of experience in technology, software development, or software quality assurance preferred, including a minimum of 5 years performing manual and automated testing.
• Must be U.S.-based and eligible for federal work.

Preferred Qualifications & Professional Skills

• Experience with DevSecOps environments, Agile Scrum methodologies, VersionOne or similar Agile project management platforms, SDLC practices, enterprise payroll systems, AI/ML-assisted modernization initiatives, and mainframe environments preferred.
• Experience using AI-powered tools such as Microsoft Copilot, IBM watsonx, ReDux, or similar platforms for automated test generation, AI-assisted test script development, and intelligent test case analysis.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision, collaborate effectively across technical and business teams, and meet testing deadlines aligned with payroll processing schedules.

Karthik Consulting is committed to providing competitive compensation based on the responsibilities of the role, required qualifications, security clearance level, relevant experience, certifications, customer requirements, geographic location, and overall business needs. The salary range listed for this position represents a good-faith estimate of the current compensation range for this role.

At Karthik Consulting, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range. Final compensation decisions are based on the facts and circumstances of each candidate’s experience, qualifications, certifications, clearance level, contract requirements, and overall alignment with the role.

A reasonable estimate of the current salary range for this position is $80,000 to $85,000 annually.

Employees may be eligible for company benefits and additional compensation programs, subject to company policy, contract requirements, and individual eligibility.