Systems Testing / QA Specialist – Senior

Client: Government Services Integration Cluster

Ministry: Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Work Arrangement: 100% Onsite – 5 Days per Week

Contract Start Date: September 29, 2026

Contract End Date: October 1, 2027

Extension: Up to 1 Extension

Number of Positions: 1

Security Clearance: No Clearance Required

Maximum Bill Rate: $702/day

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Senior Systems Testing/QA Specialist to support large-scale enterprise IT initiatives. The successful candidate will be responsible for planning, designing, executing, and managing comprehensive testing activities across complex systems.

This role requires strong expertise in manual and automated testing, functional and non-functional testing, API testing, performance testing, accessibility compliance (AODA), defect management, database validation, and end-to-end quality assurance.

The candidate will work closely with testing leads, developers, business analysts, project managers, and other technical stakeholders to ensure high-quality system delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice on testing strategies, test plans, testing tools, and resource requirements.
  
• Plan and organize testing efforts for large-scale systems across GUI and non-GUI environments.
  
• Develop comprehensive testing strategies, test plans, test cases, test scripts, test data, and test reports.
  
• Execute functional, integration, system, regression, acceptance, and end-to-end testing.
  
• Perform non-functional testing, including performance, load, stress, and scalability testing.
  
• Support and participate in User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
  
• Validate system behavior under various conditions and ensure coverage of functional and non-functional requirements.
  
• Identify, document, prioritize, track, and manage software defects using tools such as Jira, Azure DevOps, ALM, Bugzilla, or similar platforms.
  
• Collaborate with development teams to reproduce, investigate, and resolve defects.
  
• Develop and maintain automated test scripts and automated test suites.
  
• Utilize automation tools such as Selenium, Cypress, Postman, Micro Focus/OpenText UFT, TestComplete, or similar.
  
• Perform API testing and validation using Postman or similar tools.
  
• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines.
  
• Work with CI/CD and version control tools such as Jenkins, Git, and GitLab.
  
• Conduct backend and database testing using SQL and Oracle.
  
• Validate data integrity, consistency, accuracy, migration, and transformation across system components and databases.
  
• Develop and manage robust test data strategies, including realistic test data generation, data privacy, and test environment management.
  
• Develop and execute performance test scripts using JMeter, LoadRunner, or similar tools.
  
• Analyze performance bottlenecks and evaluate system scalability.
  
• Conduct basic security testing and collaborate with security specialists for advanced security and penetration testing.
  
• Ensure compliance with QA standards, industry standards, regulatory requirements, and security testing best practices.
  
• Conduct accessibility testing and ensure compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
  
• Collaborate with developers, business analysts, project managers, and cross-functional teams to clarify requirements and ensure quality.
  
• Participate actively in Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives.
  
• Support projects operating under Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall methodologies.
  
• Maintain detailed documentation related to test execution, test coverage, quality metrics, and test results.
  
• Provide input into user manuals, release notes, and project documentation.
  
• Support testing activities throughout all phases of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
  

Requirements

Mandatory Skills and Experience

Core QA & Testing Experience

• 10+ years of experience in software testing within enterprise-level IT environments and large-scale systems.
  
• Minimum 5+ years of hands-on experience in Manual Testing across multiple testing types, including functional, non-functional, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
  
• Strong hands-on experience with both manual and automated testing tools and frameworks.
  
• Proven expertise in end-to-end testing of complex enterprise systems.
  
• Extensive experience creating and maintaining:
  
• Test strategies
  
• Test plans
  
• Test cases
  
• Test scripts
  
• Test data
  
• Test reports
  
• Experience executing functional, integration, system, regression, acceptance, and non-functional testing.
  
• Strong understanding of software development and testing lifecycles.
  
• Experience supporting and participating in UAT activities.
  
• Strong knowledge of structured QA methodologies and quality assurance principles.
  

Test Automation & API Testing

• Hands-on experience with automated testing tools and frameworks.
  
• Experience with automation tools such as:
  
• Selenium
  
• Cypress
  
• Micro Focus/OpenText UFT
  
• TestComplete
  
• Postman
  
• Similar automation frameworks
  
• Experience performing API testing using Postman or similar tools.
  
• Experience developing and maintaining automated test scripts.
  
• Understanding of scripting languages such as Python, JavaScript, Bash, or similar for test automation and test data setup.
  
• Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines.
  

Defect Management

• Strong experience using defect tracking and test management tools.
  
• Mandatory experience using Jira to track and manage defects.
  
• Experience with tools such as:
  
• Jira
  
• Azure DevOps
  
• ALM
  
• Bugzilla
  
• TestRail
  
• Zephyr
  
• Similar tools
  

Performance & Non-Functional Testing

• Experience conducting performance, load, and stress testing.
  
• Hands-on experience with tools such as:
  
• JMeter
  
• LoadRunner
  
• Similar performance testing tools
  
• Ability to develop and execute performance test scripts.
  
• Experience analyzing performance bottlenecks and system scalability.
  
• Experience validating system performance against expected user traffic and data volumes.
  

Database & Backend Testing

• Strong understanding of relational databases, including:
  
• SQL
  
• Oracle
  
• Demonstrated ability to write queries for backend validation and data testing.
  
• Experience validating:
  
• Data integrity
  
• Data consistency
  
• Data accuracy
  
• Data migration
  
• Data transformation
  
• Experience with test data management and test data strategies.
  

Accessibility & Compliance

• Extensive experience with AODA testing and compliance.
  
• Knowledge and understanding of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and related regulations and standards.
  
• Knowledge of QA compliance standards and regulatory requirements.
  
• Understanding of security testing best practices.
  
• Experience conducting basic security testing and collaborating with security specialists.
  

Cloud, DevOps & Technical Environment

• Knowledge of cloud technologies such as:
  
• Microsoft Azure
  
• AWS
  
• Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines.
  
• Experience with integration and version control tools such as:
  
• Jenkins
  
• Git
  
• GitLab
  

Methodologies & SDLC

• Deep understanding of:
  
• Agile
  
• Scrum
  
• Waterfall methodologies
  
• Strong understanding of all phases of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
  
• Experience working with structured methodologies for application development, implementation, and maintenance.
  
• Knowledge of system, integration, regression, and acceptance testing methodologies.
  

Public Sector Experience

• Knowledge and experience with Ontario Public Service (OPS) Quality Assurance standards and practices is required/preferred.
  

Desirable Skills

• Knowledge and experience in at least one programming language.
  
• Experience with Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools.
  
• Experience with data query tools.
  
• Experience using information retrieval packages.
  
• Knowledge of testing methodologies in object-oriented environments.
  
• Knowledge of Information Management principles, concepts, policies, and practices.
  
• Experience planning and organizing testing efforts for both large and small systems.
  
• Experience coding automated test scripts and developing automated test suites.
  
• Experience testing Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) applications.
  

Soft Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management abilities.
  
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with functional and technical teams.
  
• Strong collaboration skills within large, cross-functional project teams.
  
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
  
• Strong organizational skills, creativity, and perseverance.
  
• Ability to work under pressure and meet aggressive project timelines.
  
• Adaptability to changing project requirements and priorities.
  
• Strong attention to detail.
  
• Proven ability to work independently while also being an effective team player.
  
• Demonstrated track record of meeting deadlines.
  

Candidate Evaluation Criteria

Important Must-Haves

• 10+ years of enterprise software testing experience
  
• 5+ years of Manual Testing experience
  
• Experience across Functional, Non-Functional, and UAT testing
  
• Hands-on experience using Jira for defect tracking and management
  
• Strong experience in Manual and Automated Testing
  
• Extensive AODA testing and compliance experience
  
• Experience with Selenium and/or Postman
  
• Performance testing experience using JMeter, LoadRunner, or similar tools
  
• Strong SQL/database testing experience
  
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, Git, Jenkins, or GitLab
  
• Knowledge of Azure and/or AWS
  
• Strong experience with Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall methodologies
  
• Ability to work 100% onsite in Toronto, Ontario