Lead Automation QA Engineer (REI HQ)

As the Lead QA Automation Engineer at REI, you will contribute to REI’s success by ensuring that all retail and back end systems accurately process retail orders, purchase orders, returns, replenishment, and inventory management across all application families within the CO-OP.

The Lead QA Automation Engineer is responsible for developing methods and processes for automating all testing activities within the Quality Assurance Department. Automation covers a wide variety of enterprise applications, including but not limited to: SAP, Warehouse Management (WM), REI.com, Procurement (Procure-IT), Replenishment Systems (ASR, VTSS), and a wide variety of Membership, POS, Retail and related applications.

Another key aspect of this role revolves around automation of middleware (SOAP, XML, Web Services), ETL (Enter Transform and Load) and databases.

When off the shelf software such as QTP and LoadRunner are unable to properly test the system under test, it is expected that the engineer will build test harnesses, test stubs and other components in order to ensure that the application can be fully tested to ensure the success of our thriving retail enterprise that is the cornerstone of REI’s success in the outdoor recreation industry.

The successful candidate will have several years of progressively advanced applications development experience which demonstrates: efficient coding practices, architectural and design ingenuity, attention to framework design, and holistic understanding of how testing can be applied in both Agile and Waterfall streams alike.

In addition, it is expected that the engineer have several years of coding background in one or more of the following languages: C, C++, VB, and JAVA. It is also expected that the successful candidate will have a working knowledge of MS SQL, T-SQL, and/or MySQL.

A strong background in Web technologies is a plus, with an emphasis on: Load Balancers, DNS, TCP/IP, Application Servers, Web Servers is highly desired.

YOUR DELIVERABLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Leads junior and senior staff on all automation, manual, Agile and Waterfall projects
• Works on highly complex enterprise engineering solutions
• Develops, supports, and approves architecture for Performance Testing
• Develops, supports, and approves the architecture for Automation Testing
• Tests new products and services for incorporation in the performance and automation testing environments; including vendor selection and approval
• Prepares Initial and Full Business Case to justify technology adoption case
• Manages resource allocation and task management for the QA Automation and Manual Team as required
• Sets overall IT Strategy with Business Directors, Business Managers, Program Managers, and QA Management for the overall execution and development of the automation and performance test suites
• Develops overall dashboards and business reporting metrics for presentation to IT and business management
• Writes overall testing strategy for all: manual, performance and automation testing efforts
• When necessary, creates manual test cases and loads them into Quality Center as a part of the Agile SCRUM Process
• Develops Agile Test Cases using QTP BPT, Selenium or other tools as needed and integrates them into Quality Center
• Develops test harnesses to talk to specific application APIs as necessary in the service of executing test cases against an application
• Develops test stubs to simulate system responses to enable testing of message responses within a system
• Develops code techniques and processes to test middleware, including: ETL, ESB, Web Services, SOAP, and XML
• Adheres to defined automation, coding and system syntax and style guides when delivering finished product
• Writes Automation test scripts from scratch in QTP, BPT, and Selenium
• Writes Performance test scripts using LoadRunner or other applicable tools

Qualifications:

• BA Degree in computer science, math, engineering or equivalent work experience
• Proven experience working on highly complex enterprise engineering projects
• Proven experience developing, supporting and approving architecture for Performance Testing
• Proven experience developing, supporting and approving the architecture for Automation Testing
• Experience testing/recommending new products and services for incorporation in the performance and automation testing environments
• Experience in a leadership role focused on setting overall IT Strategy with Business Directors, Business Managers, Program Managers, and QA Management for the overall execution and development of the automation and performance test suites
• Experience preparing initial and full Business Case to justify technology adoption case
• Experience in resource allocation and task management for the QA Automation Team and QA Manual Team as required
• 5+ years coding experience in one or more of the following disciplines: C, C++, VB, Java or other object oriented programming language
• 5+ years developing applications in: VB.net, ASP, .net, C++, Java or other object oriented programming language
• 5+ years of experience writing SQL queries against one of more of the following: MS SQL, T-SQL, MySQL
• 5+ years of developmental experience with QTP, WinRunner or other QA automation tool
• 3+ years of developmental experience with an Agile Testing Tool, such as Selenium
• 5+ years of developmental experience with a load testing tool such as LoadRunner
• 2+ years of experience testing database migrations
• 2+ years of experience testing complex data transformations of SQL procedures and/or ETL transformations
• 1+ year of experience testing Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) Technology
• Experience writing Test Cases, Test Plans, and Test Strategies either in excel or in HP Quality Center
• Experience as a strong contributor to developmental framework; devises best practices and champions them within the team
• 5+ years of experience with defect management technology such as Bugzilla or HP Quality Center
• Proven success in mentoring, managing junior Engineers and coaching Senior QA Automation and QA Manual Staff within Agile and Waterfall Projects as necessary