Senior Test Lead / QA Test Lead

Senior Test Lead / QA Test Lead

Client:   Land & Resources Cluster, Government of Ontario

Ministry:   Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement

Location:   Toronto, Ontario – 40 St. Clair Ave W, 14th Floor

Work Arrangement:   Hybrid – Mandatory 3 days onsite per week

Start Date:   December 10, 2026

End Date:   March 31, 2027

Contract Type:   Full-Time Contract

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced   Senior Test Lead   to lead and coordinate quality assurance and testing activities for complex, large-scale application development and modernization initiatives. The successful candidate will work closely with product managers, product owners, business analysts, developers, and other technical stakeholders to develop and execute comprehensive testing strategies across front-end, back-end, cloud-based, and integrated application environments.

The Test Lead will be responsible for planning, organizing, and managing the complete testing lifecycle, including manual and automated testing, functional and non-functional testing, defect management, data validation, accessibility testing, performance testing, and post-implementation validation.

Please note:   The resource must work onsite  3 days per week , subject to change based on management discretion or Ontario Public Service policy.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with product managers, product owners, business stakeholders, and technical teams to develop comprehensive test strategies and test plans.
  
• Plan, organize, and lead testing activities across both large and small application systems.
  
• Develop and maintain manual test scripts, test cases, test scenarios, test data, and automated test cases.
  
• Plan and execute functional, integration, regression, system, unit, smoke, performance, load, stress, accessibility, and other non-functional testing activities.
  
• Develop end-to-end testing strategies for data migration and ETL processes, including functional scenarios, integration workflows, and data validation.
  
• Plan and create test data appropriate to each phase of testing.
  
• Coordinate testing across front-end and back-end application components and environments.
  
• Evaluate test results against defined acceptance criteria and determine the successful completion of sprint increments.
  
• Define, document, and measure acceptance criteria for test cases and testing deliverables.
  
• Test integration points, interfaces, and non-functional requirements, including failover, response times, data integrity, security, and system performance.
  
• Execute hands-on testing and manage the complete defect lifecycle.
  
• Identify, trace, isolate, replicate, prioritize, investigate, and perform root cause analysis for defects and system issues.
  
• Record, document, track, escalate, and report defects using   Azure DevOps or equivalent tools , including detailed descriptions, screenshots, and steps to reproduce.
  
• Develop regular test status reports summarizing test execution, completion, defects, risks, and overall quality.
  
• Support User Acceptance Testing (UAT) activities and work with business users and project stakeholders throughout the testing process.
  
• Participate in requirements elicitation sessions, business requirement workshops, sprint reviews, walkthroughs, and Agile ceremonies.
  
• Review requirements, user stories, workflows, data models, and business processes to identify testing requirements and potential quality risks.
  
• Create and maintain business and testing artifacts within an Agile project environment.
  
• Conduct post-release and post-implementation testing to validate solution quality.
  
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams throughout the Agile and iterative software development lifecycle.
  
• Support the implementation and continuous improvement of testing methodologies, tools, standards, and best practices.
  

Requirements

Mandatory Skills and Qualifications

Candidates   must demonstrate experience and knowledge in all of the following areas :

• Knowledge and hands-on experience with   at least one programming language .
  
• Experience using   information retrieval packages .
  
• Knowledge and understanding of testing methods within an   object-oriented environment .
  
• Knowledge and understanding of   Information Management principles, concepts, policies, and practices .
  
• Knowledge and understanding of the   Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) , including related regulations and accessibility standards.
  
• Experience planning and organizing testing efforts for both   large and small systems .
  
• Experience coding automated test scripts to produce and maintain sets of automated test cases.
  
• Experience testing   Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) applications .
  

QA and Testing Experience

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience with:

• Large and complex application development projects, preferably web-based applications.
  
• Developing testing strategies, test plans, test cases, test scripts, and test data for multiple phases of testing.
  
• Manual testing practices and hands-on test execution.
  
• Functional, regression, integration, system, unit, smoke, performance, load, and stress testing.
  
• End-to-end data migration and ETL testing, including functional scenarios and integration workflows.
  
• Web-based UI testing and front-end and back-end application testing.
  
• Developing and executing   AODA accessibility test plans .
  
• Accessibility testing using tools such as   JAWS, NVDA, or equivalent tools .
  
• Automated testing within a DevOps environment, including developing automation strategies and managing the testing lifecycle.
  
• Coding, modifying, and executing automated test scripts using   Katalon Studio or equivalent tools .
  
• Java-based UI and back-end testing .
  
• Vulnerability testing and performance/load testing tools.
  
• Testing integration points, interfaces, data integrity, security, failover, and system response times.
  
• Testing cloud-based enterprise applications, preferably within   Microsoft Azure or equivalent cloud platforms .
  
• Structured testing methodologies, quality assurance principles, and best practices.
  
• All phases of the   Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) .
  
• Automated testing tools, version control systems, CASE tools, and data query tools.
  

SQL, Data, and Technical Skills

Candidates should possess strong experience in:

• Using   SQL/PLSQL tools   to review, extract, validate, and analyze data.
  
• Data extraction, data analysis, and report writing.
  
• Data modeling and data analysis.
  
• Validating ETL processes, data migration activities, integration workflows, and database-level functionality.
  
• Developing complex test cases and performing hands-on test execution.
  
• Information retrieval and data query tools.
  
• Testing applications within object-oriented and enterprise technology environments.
  

Azure DevOps and Agile Experience

Candidates must have demonstrated experience with:

• Azure DevOps or equivalent tools   for test management, test script development, execution, approval processes, defect tracking, and testing lifecycle management.
  
• Creating and managing testing scripts within Azure DevOps.
  
• Defect management, Agile sprint management, and complete testing lifecycle management.
  
• Agile and Scrum methodologies.
  
• Working within distributed Agile development environments using virtual collaboration tools such as   Microsoft Teams or equivalent .
  
• Requirements gathering and the development of user stories.
  
• Creating requirements and project artifacts within an Agile environment using DevOps tools.
  
• Participating in sprint planning, sprint reviews, walkthroughs, and other Agile ceremonies.
  

Business Analysis Experience

The successful candidate should also demonstrate:

• Experience in business and systems analysis within a cloud environment.
  
• Experience gathering and documenting business and technical requirements.
  
• Experience developing user stories and requirements artifacts in Agile projects.
  
• Strong understanding of data modeling, data analysis, and report writing.
  
• Experience supporting business modernization initiatives and new workflows.
  
• Experience conducting gap analysis and developing business analysis deliverables to support solution modernization and improved business efficiencies.
  

Defect Management and Problem-Solving Skills

Candidates must demonstrate strong experience in:

• Managing the complete defect lifecycle using   Azure DevOps or equivalent tools .
  
• Documenting, tracking, prioritizing, escalating, and reporting defects and issues.
  
• Identifying, tracing, isolating, and replicating technical problems.
  
• Conducting root cause analysis and troubleshooting complex application and integration issues.
  
• Investigating and prioritizing problems in a structured and effective manner.
  
• Providing clear defect reports with detailed descriptions, screenshots, reproduction steps, and supporting evidence.
  

Communication and Interpersonal Skills

The successful candidate will possess:

• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.
  
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, research, and decision-making abilities.
  
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
  
• Strong collaboration, stakeholder management, and negotiation skills.
  
• The ability to work effectively under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
  
• A proactive, detail-oriented, hardworking, and adaptable approach.
  
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively as part of a cross-functional team.
  
• The ability to learn new business processes quickly, technologies, tools, and application environments.
  

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a hands-on Senior Test Lead who can combine   test leadership, manual and automated testing, technical testing, data validation, accessibility testing, business analysis, Agile delivery, and defect management . The ideal candidate will be comfortable working independently while collaborating closely with business and technical teams to ensure high-quality delivery across complex enterprise and cloud-based applications.