Senior Quality Assurance Officer

Key Responsibility Areas

Technical/Professional Responsibilities 

• Conducts review of requirements package by: 
  • Defining review objectives, priorities, and deadlines. 
  • Independently verifying user requirements against those which have been documented. 
  • Reviewing project documentation and working papers for conformance to user requirements and with standards and procedures for systems development 
  • Reviewing file specifications, screen, and report layouts. 
  • Reviewing programs/system specifications. 
  • Conducting walkthroughs of system prototypes and related project documentation. 
• Conduct reviews of applications to determine conformance to specifications and standards by: 
  • Reviewing project documentation and conferring with users and assigned staff to clarify and determine essential test requirements. 
  • Review test data sets to determine adequacy regarding depth and scope. 
  • Conducting independent tests of custom-developed and off-the-shelf software applications to determine conformance with user requirements standards and fitness for use. 
• Assist clients in formulating user acceptance test methodology and in defining specialised test conditions by: 
  • Facilitating review of relevant project documentation and system prototypes. 
  • Evaluating feasibility of alternate testing methodologies on a situational basis. 
• Ensures the training of user personnel in System Acceptance Testing (SAT) procedures by: 
  • Acting as a resource person in SAT training sessions. 
  • Reviewing test data prepared by users in conjunction with a walkthrough of user operations and documentation to ensure adequacy concerning depth and of test data set. 
  • Participating in user acceptance testing and assisting users in preparing error reports. 
• Observes the conduct of post-implementation audits of systems to verify that user requirements are fully satisfied and that the client is using method stem according to the established procedures. 
• Maintains early involvement in software development and facilities upgrade and expansion projects by: 
  • Attending project milestone review meetings. 
  • Obtaining and reading minutes of other project-related meetings. 
  • Obtaining and reviewing project-related documentation. 
  • Clarify any issue relevant to project(s) with the Manager, Application Development, Delivery & Support 
  • Providing reports, status updates and other documents and feedback as required by the manager. 

Management/Administrative Responsibilities 

• Lead new ways of testing through a partnership with internal and external strategic partners. 
• Ability to triage issues, react well to changes, work with teams and ability to influence changes on multiple products and projects. 
• Responsible for User Acceptance Testing, Regression Testing, and ensuring stabilisation of the end-to-end product. 
• Ability to support Agile projects based on the type of testing that is needed (front-end/back-end, manual/ automated). 
• Collaborate with IT and System Integrator to develop test automation capability. 
• Accountable for monitoring and reporting test progress and quality throughout the development process. 
• Accountable for acquiring knowledge the of latest tools, trends, technologies, and methodologies fostering continuous improvement and guidance towards a continuous testing environment. 
• Participate in the development of departmental policies. 
• Prepare reports as required by management. 
• Escalate unresolved problems to the appropriate levels. 
• Ensures that all required processes, systems, and controls are in place within the Section to enable the achievement of its objectives effectively and efficiently and ensure the effective and efficient use of resources.? 
• Ensures that appropriate communication and knowledge management systems are in place within the Section and with other internal or external Units and Divisions/Branches to facilitate the sharing of relevant information in an accurate and timely manner.? 
• Ensures that the work of the Section is adequately documented to facilitate the development of operational manuals, outlining applicable policies and procedures for the operational activities, with the view to amalgamating them into a single Operations Handbook for Jamaica Customs.? 
• Establish and maintain a culture that fosters teamwork, employee empowerment and commitment to the Sections and organisations’ goals.? 
• Prepares reports and project documents as?required.???? 
• Develops, monitors, and coordinates budget preparation and monitoring and signs off on related requisitions for the Section/Branch.? 

Human Resources Responsibilities? 

• Provides day-to-day guidance and manages the section activities and operations.?? 
• Monitor and evaluate the performance of direct reports, prepare performance appraisals, and recommend and indicate corrective actions where necessary to improve performance and attain established personal and organisational goals.?? 
• Undertaking human resource management-related functions, including staff selection, training, and discipline by the Agency’s policies and procedures,??? 
• Participates in the recruitment of staff for the section and recommends transfer, promotions, terminations, and leave according to established human resource policies and procedures.?? 
• Provide leadership and guidance to direct reports through effective planning, delegation, communication, training, monitoring, and coaching.?? 
• Ensure the welfare and development needs of skills in the unit are identified and addressed.?? 
• Recommend disciplinary action where necessary in respect of direct reports.?? 
• Convenes regular staff meetings to discuss issues and matters/challenges that impact the Section’s performance to determine appropriate solutions, discuss the work of the unit and try to solve any problem that may surface and reviews the progress towards achieving the objectives.? 
• Provides guidance to the staff of the Unit, in the interpretation of the policies and procedures to determine proper courses of action.?? 
• Ensures that the staff is provided with the necessary tools and equipment to carry out their functions effectively and efficiently.?? 
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with all internal divisions.?? 
• Communicate KPIs from the strategic annual plan so that each employee is aware.?? 

Customer Service Responsibilities? 

• Maintains customer service principles, standards, and measurements.? 
• Identifies and incorporates the interests and needs of customers in business process design.??? 
• Ensures critical success factors are identified and meet expectations.?? 

Other Responsibilities? 

Performs all other duties and functions as may be required from time to time.?? 

May be required to provide witness statements, attend court proceedings, and give evidence.? 

Enforces Health & Safety Policies & Procedures and mitigates and minimises workplace hazards.?? 

Required Competencies

Core  

• Excellent coaching and staff management skills, particularly in managing ICT /technical persons. 
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and customer service skills? 
• Excellent planning, organisation, and time management skills.? 
• Strong analytical, judgement, decision-making and problem-solving skills? 
• Excellent coaching and staff management skills, particularly in managing ICT /technical persons. 
• Ability to think strategically.? 
• Keen attention to detail.? 
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.? 
• Ability to work in a team environment.??? 
• Ability to be adaptable, especially under pressure.? 
• Ability to display high levels of confidentiality, integrity, and professionalism.? 
• Ability to communicate, interact and work effectively and cooperatively with all people, including those from diverse ethnic and educational backgrounds. 
• Effective oral and written communication skills, especially with professional colleagues and non-technical users. 
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of Business Analytics 
• Provide appropriate professional advice, assistance, and liaison to ISD colleagues and clients when necessary. 
• Good negotiating skills. 
• Keen commitment to providing superb customer service and quality focus. 
• Compliance 

Technical?? 

• Strong troubleshooting skills. 
• Advanced IT skills in relation to the Microsoft Office Suite Applications, QA applications and databases 
• Knowledge of tools, concepts and methodologies of QA 
• Solid experience in effective usage of data analysis tools and statistical analysis 

Minimum Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Management or similar ICT related disciplines. 
• Software Application Quality Assurance training or equivalent experience 
• 5 years’ experience in systems development, design and implementation. 
• Experience in the development of SAT Plans and in conducting SAT. 
• Experience in Agile/Scrum methodology 
• Supervisory management experience/training. 

Desired: 

• ISTQB Certification 
• experience with testing techniques such as UI Testing, Automated Testing, Test Driven Development Strategies 

Special Conditions Associated with The Job

• Work will be conducted in an office equipped with standard equipment and specialised software.  
• The environment is fast-paced, with ongoing interactions with critical stakeholders and meeting tight deadlines, which will result in high degrees of pressure on occasion.  
• Physically able to participate in training sessions, presentations, and meetings. 
• May be required to travel locally and overseas to attend conferences, seminars and meetings. 
• Expected to demonstrate a high level of integrity and professionalism.