Functional (Manual & Automation) Tester / Lead with Strong Payroll Systems, AI/ML Exp. || U.S.C & Public Trust Clearance Mandatory
3+Months
Remote
Overview:
Seeking a detail-oriented **Quality Assurance Analyst/Lead** to validate and enhance payroll software solutions. This role centers on testing payroll functionalities covering cycles, tax, deductions, and benefits. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams ensuring reliable, compliant, and user-friendly payroll processes.
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#### Required Qualifications & Experience:
- **Education:**
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business, or related field preferred.
If no degree, applicant must demonstrate at least 2 additional years of relevant industry experience.
- **Work Experience:**
- 2–5 years of experience in IT, software testing, software quality assurance, or related roles.
- Minimum 2 years in both manual and automated software testing.
- Experience working with payroll domains, including exposure to payroll laws, calculations, and full cycle payroll processes.
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#### Must-Have Skills:
- Thorough understanding of software QA best practices and life cycle, including different testing methodologies (unit, system, UAT, regression, etc.).
- Proficient in creating, executing, and maintaining manual test cases; familiarity with test automation is highly desirable.
- Strong background in payroll processes (e.g.: onboarding, gross-to-net calculation, benefits, deductions, compliance, garnishments, terminations, back pay adjustments).
- Familiarity with federal and state payroll regulations.
- Hands-on experience with defect tracking and test management tools.
- Analytical mindset to investigate and resolve payroll calculation discrepancies or software anomalies.
- Strong documentation abilities for test plans, scripts, and final reports.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills for stakeholder engagement.
- Demonstrated time management abilities to support timely payroll operations.
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#### Technology & Tools (Preferred):
- Familiarity with Agile Scrum, DevSecOps environments, or related project methodologies.
- Exposure to payroll processing systems, HR integration, or relevant commercial payroll suites.
- Experience using automation frameworks or AI-powered testing platforms (e.g., script generation tools, WatsonX, Copilot, etc.).
- Basic SQL or PLSQL skills for backend test data validation.
- Experience or knowledge related to mainframe platforms is highly advantageous.
- Practical experience with project management/tracking software (such as Jira, VersionOne, etc.).
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#### Key Responsibilities:
- Collaborate with business analysts, developers, and stakeholders for requirement analysis and test case development.
- Design comprehensive test plans covering all payroll aspects, including simulation and full cycle testing.
- Generate and manage test data for various payroll scenarios.
- Conduct smoke, regression, and end-to-end testing ensuring application reliability and integrity.
- Identify, log, and track defects; perform root-cause analysis and assist in troubleshooting.
- Deliver clear documentation and comprehensive reporting on test results.
- Validate compliance with technical and regulatory standards throughout testing.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of QA processes and automation adoption.
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#### Desired Attributes:
- Strong attention to detail and problem-solving capacity, especially around payroll-specific calculations and workflows.
- Adaptability to work in a dynamic, deadline-driven environment.
- Previous experience with major payroll/financial software vendors or large enterprise environments is a significant plus.
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#### Deliverables:
- Detailed test plans, scripts, and data sets.
- Documented results, defect logs, and compliance reports.
- Recommendations to enhance software quality and reduce errors.