Main Responsibilities and Required Skills for Software QA Engineer
A Software QA (Quality Assurance) Engineer is a professional who ensures the quality of software products by testing and analyzing software applications and systems to identify any defects or errors. They develop test plans and test cases to ensure full test coverage and run manual and automated tests to identify defects and bugs. In this blog post we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Software QA Engineers.
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Main Responsibilities of Software QA Engineer
The following list describes the typical responsibilities of a Software QA Engineer:
Analyze
Analyze and validate results from test runs and create reports.
Analyze and write test standards and procedures.
Analyze test results to ensure existing functionality and recommends corrective action.
Apply
Apply verification and validation methods to improve and ensure the quality.
Arbitrate
Arbitrate the flow of feature and bug resolutions during the 'sprints'.
Assess
Assess product quality and provide feedback to management to facilitate release decisions.
Assist in
Assist deploying and operating software in the Cloud and on premises.
Assist in coordinating, preparing, and presenting software products to customers.
Assist in driving Use Case and User Story reviews, and help resolve requirements ambiguities.
Automate
Automate CUDA test cases and maintain the automation scripts.
Automate test execution wherever possible using industry or home-built tools.
Automate tests so they can be run regularly as part of continuous integration.
Build
Build and drive manual and automation test strategies.
Build and maintain test plans.
Build, manage, and maintain a distributed test network.
Build out our team of developers in-house.
Build predictive models on customer purchase behavior based on a large data set.
Catch
Catch issues before they're deployed.
Collaborate with
Collaborate with both development and product teams to build test plans and defect verification.
Collaborate with multiple cross-functional product teams.
Collaborate with other teams and disciplines.
Communicate
Communicate issues, risks, and test status in a timely and detailed manner to all stakeholders.
Communicate status and issues across various teams.
Communicate the testing status to team effectively.
Communicate well and work well in a small cross-functional team.
Complete
Complete post-release verification testing.
Complete Software Testing tasks in accordance with Software Design Control procedures.
Compose
Compose reports and make adjustments to equipment or processes that require improvement.
Conduct
Conduct enough manual testing besides the deployed test automation tests.
Conduct manual regression testing in both production and pre-production environments.
Conduct testing following provided test cases to ensure product meets requirements.
Consult
Consult with development engineers in resolution of problems.
Contribute to
Contribute to our automation framework, maintaining and writing new tests and test suites.
Contribute to overall test strategy development and test process definition / improvement.
Contribute to the optimization and improvements in our validation strategies and validation content.
Contribute to training activities related to quality and reliability.
Contribute to transforming testing team to high efficiency, automation centric testing team.
Contribute to writing test cases and executing tests.
Coordinate
Coordinate activities with other engineering disciplines, departments and contractors.
Coordinate and communicate between V& V team and other departments.
Coordinate testing activities.
Coordinate the activities of the junior member and future additional SQA members of the team.
Co-own
Co-own the QA processes and champion continuous improvement initiatives across products.
Create
Create a set of regression test cases so that we can execute them between releases.
Create a smart prediction engine for customer's insurance coverage needs.
Create clear, concise and details oriented test plans / cases.
Create detailed, comprehensive and well-structured test strategies, test plans and test cases.
Create embedded test applications and Junit tests to interact together to exercise software features.
Create management Dashboards to provide accurate status to Executive as well as Direct Reports.
Define
Define and report daily and weekly status reports & QA Metrics.
Define End to End Test Cases in SFDC including cross system integrations.
Define / implement automation tools / script for feature validation.
Define the right test strategy for testing.
Deliver
Deliver test automation code and help in driving improvements to the automation coverage.
Design
Design and build test cases, perform tests and analyze the result.
Design and develop test sequences and automated test scripts.
Design and enhance automated tests, test reporting-based test strategy, and test plan.
Design / execute / automate the test cases.
Design performance tests, execute these tests and identify the bottlenecks.
Design study and develop test plan for platform software components and bring up of new platforms.
Design test beds, identify critical equipment, build topology maps, and estimate test efforts.
Design test plans and write end to end test cases.
Design test plans, scenarios, scripts, and procedures.
Develop
Develop and / or apply automation where it makes sense.
Develop automation scripts using open source tools.
Develop deep expertise in our product suite.
Develop, modifies, and executes software test plans, automated scripts and programs for testing.
Develop scripts and automation processes to support all of the above!.
Develop, test and document asset performance management solutions.
Discover
Discover and implement new technologies that yield competitive advantage.
Document
Document customer interactions and better enhance our knowledge base.
Document test procedures to ensure replicability and compliance with standards.
Do
Do daily triage on automation test reports.
Drive
Drive testing and test automation best-practices.
Drive the definition and implementation of software QA standards for the development teams.
Enhance
Enhance serviceability tools / write scripts to aid our team and our customers.
Ensure
Ensure automation is constantly running, analyzing, and promptly reporting on failures.
Ensure deliverables of test automation for SQA team.
Ensure test coverage for each release of the products.
Estimate
Estimate, plan and review own and others work products.
Estimate, prioritize, plan, and coordinate testing activities.
Evaluate
Evaluate existing Quality Assurance procedures, and tools to identify areas of improvement.
Execute
Execute automated regression test cases as part of regression testing.
Execute automation scripts (using Selenium WebDriver) and API testing (using REST assured).
Execute / debug existing automation tests.
Execute test cases to validate NVIDIA enterprise products, such as CUDA Toolkit, CUDA-X releases.
Execute test plan as per release timelines with good quality assurance.
Execute test protocols, test cases, test scripts and scenarios and log / follow-up on defects.
Execute tests, track and log issues and drive them till resolution with verification of bug fixes.
Exposure
Exposure on load / performance test systems like Breaking point, Spirent.
Facilitate
Facilitate the maintenance and repair to software programs when bugs arise.
Foster
Foster our end-to-end testing approach across multiple applications.
Help
Help define and refine QA process, metrics and test plans for the FICO Platform.
Help the team achieve common goals of releasing good quality software.
Identify
Identify and document program defects.
Identify program deviance from standards and suggests modifications to ensure compliance.
Identify, record, document thoroughly and track bugs.
Identify, reproduce and provide informed insight on bugs.
Improve
Improve and augment the test framework currently in use.
Inspire
Inspire and accepts performance feedback.
Interface
Interface multi-functionally at the working team level.
Investigate
Investigate and implement new testing methods to improve process efficiency.
Maintain
Maintain documentation of test results to assist in debugging and modification of software.
Manage
Manage bug lifecycle and co-work with inter-groups to drive for solutions.
Manage team of contract developers by scoping out, assigning and assess tasks.
Manage test environment needs, requirements and integration criteria.
Mentor
Mentor and support junior engineers to solve complex technical issues.
Mentor junior team members.
Monitor
Monitor, improve and raise the quality of our AI / ML data processes.
Monitor KPIs and IT budgets to assess technological performance.
Collaborate with
Collaborate with developers and product management to achieve project goals.
Participate in
Participate in all other related project work as defined by the Team Manager.
Participate in Cisco's Patent Program.
Participate in identification of project risks and timely communication to Management Team.
Participate in product requirements review and component testing.
Participate in the daily standup meeting by providing a daily update.
Participate on a project team in an agile QA role.
Perform
Perform computer system validation of software tools as required.
Perform debugging and root cause analysis of product issues or defects.
Perform test design, test case creation, and test automation in Scrum process (2-week sprints).
Perform testing in conformance with standard software engineering methodologies including.
Perform testing of our software systems including through the physical interaction with the scooter.
Plan
Plan and coordinate own work according to higher-level project schedules.
Plan and execute Test strategy and plans across multiple product teams and external partners.
Plan and prioritize testing requirements.
Plan test schedules or strategies in accordance with project scope or delivery dates.
Prepare
Prepare and maintain test cases and test data.
Prepare and maintain test documents like Test Plans, Summary Reports and Root Cause Analysis.
Prepare cost estimates and schedules for large and complex projects.
Provide
Provide feedback and recommendations to developers on software usability and functionality.
Provide guidance and mentoring to less- experienced staff members.
Provide independent and creative contributions to develop manual test cases into automated tests.
Provide technical insights around timeline and cost for our product roadmap.
Recommend
Recommend strategies and methods to improve test plans and test process.
Record
Record, report, and track defects to accurately depict the status of the product.
Report
Report on and work very closely with dev teams and project management to drive defects to closure.
Report Test Results and Test Reports for customer consumption.
Report unexpected events, issues or software bugs which occur during.
Research
Research emerging tools and methodologies to reduce manual testing effort.
Research root causes, and ensure fixes are made.
Research technologies and methodologies which will improve our test practices.
Revalidate
Revalidate post deployment.
Review
Review and test written logical database descriptions and identifiers.
Review PRD, SFS, Test plans, and customer facing documentation.
Run
Run performance tests of GPUs and other system components.
Secure
Secure, organize, and maintain the test laboratory and tools in good working order.
Seek
Seek opportunities to learn new things.
Seek problem failures on products and analyze results.
Short
Short product development cycles, you will see how your work affects our products and sales.
Stay up to date
Stay up to date with emerging QA technologies and best practices.
Submit
Submit documentation for review and approval to document management system.
Support
Support the automation frameworks that are used by both development and QA teams.
Take
Take ownership and drive customer issues from inception to resolution.
Test
Test developer tools on embedded systems under associated SQA processes.
Test execution and analysis.
Test new and existing features in terms of performance, functionality and security.
Test system modifications to prepare for implementation.
Test, validate, and document issues with data integrity, presentation, and visualization.
Test various developer tools on different platforms under associated SQA processes.
Track
Track, file new bugs and reproduce customer issues.
Train
Train and coordinate the work of junior resources.
Troubleshoot
Troubleshoot bugs and provide resolution, you will play a key role in fixing bugs.
Update
Update automated test scripts to ensure accuracy.
Use
Use telematics tracking to build customer driving risk profile.
Validate
Validate new products / Software features before releasing to customers.
Validate various features and products in the company's cloud-based architecture.
Work with
Work and interface with development teams in different time zones and cultures.
Work closely with developers in all phases of SDLC to build quality into our development process.
Work closely with development team(s) to debug problems found during the test cycle.
Work closely with engineering teams to debug and reproduce issues.
Work closely with Program Management and Product Marketing to define SW Releases.
Work closely with project teams, clients and other stakeholders to drive and execute QA Deliverables.
Work closely with tech writers to produce quality documentation.
Work closely with the customer support team to answer, reproduce and solve customer-related issues.
Work closely with the ops team to operationalize management of test tools.
Work closely with the project team, client and various partners to drive and execute QA Deliverables.
Work in complex high performance environments (VLAN, bonding, etc.).
Work independently on goals and objectives set by R&D Manager.
Work on validating the CPU, Memory, system buses, IO buses, IO interfaces.
Work outside normal business hours sometimes required.
Work with 3rd Party Partner (Citrix, VMware, etc) Level 4 support organizations.
Work with developers during board bring up, SW development and UT / IT phase.
Work with development team to debug, reproduce and resolve software defects.
Work with DevOps to understand and describe key test requirements of the Product.
Work with our ticketing system Jira.
Work with product to define and document requirements and test cases for new products and features.
Write
Write clear and concise test cases documenting the expected functionality of all applications.
Write clear, detailed, and repeatable defect reports.
Write thorough test plans / test protocols, test cases, test scripts, and test scenarios.
Most In-demand Hard Skills
The following list describes the most required technical skills of a Software QA Engineer:
Software Engineering
Software Testing
SQL
Test Automation
Automation
Perl
QA
Katalon
Tools
Agile
Automation Tools
Status Summaries
Most In-demand Soft Skills
The following list describes the most required soft skills of a Software QA Engineer:
Written and oral communication skills
Analytical ability
Interpersonal skills
Attention to detail
Organizational capacity
Problem-solving attitude
Articulate ideas clearly
Concisely
Desire
Follow-through
Personal drive
Persuasively
Understand direction and feedback
Self-motivated
Creative
