Test Automation Lead

Position Summary The Test Automation Lead is responsible for designing, implementing, and continuously maturing the automated testing strategy across the Product Line. This role ensures comprehensive test coverage across all SDLC phases — from unit and functional testing through security, accessibility, performance, and UAT — in alignment with VA quality standards and DevSecOps practices. 

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain automated test scripts to improve coverage, reduce manual effort, and support consistent, repeatable validation of product functionality
• Lead integrated testing activities across all phases of the system lifecycle: unit, functional, accessibility (Section 508), system, reliability, usability, interoperability, regression, security, and performance/load testing
• Develop and maintain Test Plans within the VA Quality Manager tool; provide complete Test Strategy and Test Execution content using VA-provided templates
• Enter and maintain all test cases, test scripts (automated and manual), test data, execution results, and supporting artifacts in VA-approved tools
• Maintain and update the Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) to ensure bi-directional traceability between requirements, test cases, defects, and releases; ensure full RTM compliance
• Manage defect lifecycle: log all defects within one business day of identification, assign severity/impact levels, and support VA PM in defect prioritization and resolution
• Enforce release readiness criteria: ensure ≥95% of planned test cases are executed, all Critical/High defects are resolved, and zero open Critical/High security vulnerabilities exist prior to production deployment
• Conduct security scanning using VA-approved tools including WASA, Fortify (static code analysis), and dependency/vulnerability scanning; remediate identified vulnerabilities per VA-defined severity timelines
• Support enterprise and compliance testing activities including security assessments, Section 508 accessibility reviews, performance/load testing events, and architectural compliance reviews [61]
• Leverage VA TRM-approved automation tools: Selenium, JUnit, NUnit, Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, Cucumber, Postman, Cypress
• Demonstrate proficiency with VA Quality Manager tool for test plan management, test execution tracking, and reporting
• Continuously improve test approaches, expand automation capabilities, and improve test quality over the Period of Performance

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field and 13 years of related experience. 
• 7+ years of software testing experience, with at least 3 years focused on test automation in federal IT environments
• Demonstrated proficiency with automation frameworks: Selenium, Cypress, Cucumber, Postman, JUnit/NUnit
• Experience with CI/CD-integrated testing pipelines (Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, GitHub Actions)
• Familiarity with security testing tools: Fortify, WASA, OWASP ZAP, or equivalent VA-approved tools
• Experience with Section 508 accessibility testing and compliance
• Knowledge of performance and load testing methodologies and tools
• Demonstrated proficiency with VA Quality Manager tool and RTM compliance
• Familiarity with Jira and GitHub for test management and traceability
• Understanding of NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 security controls as they relate to testing and ATO compliance
• Must be eligible for VA background investigation; must be US-based

Preferred Certifications

• ISTQB Agile Tester Certification
• SAFe Agilist or Certified Scrum Master
• Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) or equivalent