Software Quality Analyst Lead

The  Software Quality Analyst Lead will oversee quality assurance activities for a large-scale ERP modernization program replacing legacy systems across multiple entities. The SQA Lead will provide leadership, strategy, and coordination for testing efforts, with a strong focus on User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and multi-agency ERP integrations. This role requires experience in establishing QA governance, managing complex multi-system testing, and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations.

• Lead QA strategy, planning, and execution across multiple agencies and third-party systems integrating with a central ERP platform.
• Establish and enforce QA processes, standards, and best practices in alignment with State project management governance structures.
• Oversee test planning, execution, and defect management for functional, integration, regression, performance, and user acceptance testing.
• Direct automation strategy, working with automation engineers to design, prioritize, and implement test automation across ERP integrations.
• Define and oversee the UAT strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives, statutory requirements, and ERP project goals.
• Partner with business stakeholders and agency representatives to develop UAT scope, acceptance criteria, and success measures.
• Coordinate UAT planning, scheduling, and execution across multiple agencies and business systems.
• Guide agencies in test case development and scenario design, ensuring adequate coverage of mission-critical and statutory functions.
• Provide training and support to business users participating in UAT, ensuring readiness and effective execution.
• Lead defect triage sessions during UAT, ensuring timely communication and resolution between business users, developers, and project leadership.
• Facilitate UAT sign-off and readiness reporting, providing clear, objective assessments of ERP deployment readiness.
• Track, measure, and report on UAT progress, coverage, and defect trends to leadership and stakeholders.
• Evaluate separate agency business systems to confirm ERP integrations support core business and statutory functions.
• Coordinate centralized testing across all entities to eliminate redundant testing efforts and improve efficiency.
• Oversee testing of third-party/agency business system integrations to confirm readiness for ERP deployment.
• Provide QA leadership and reporting to project directors, PMO, technical staff, business stakeholders, and agency leadership.
• Ensure compliance with state and federal financial regulations, including agency-specific requirements.
• Act as a liaison between functional, technical, and business stakeholders to ensure testing outcomes align with project goals.
• Mentor QA analysts, automation engineers, and testers to build a high-performing team.
• Other responsibilities as identified by the SQA Manager or equivalent

Qualified candidates will meet the expectations as identified in the Skills section of the Senior SQA Analyst Roles and Responsibilities document, as well as the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, or related field (or 8+ equivalent experience).
• Proven experience as an SQA Lead, Test Manager, or QA Lead on large ERP implementation or modernization projects for state, local, or federal government entities.
• Strong background in ERP testing, UAT management, integration testing, and test automation; Oracle PeopleSoft experience preferred.
• Experience leading QA across multi-agency ERP integrations involving multiple legacy system replacements.
• Hands-on knowledge of QA tools such as qTest, ALM, JIRA, UFT, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with State governance structures and financial regulatory compliance.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with executives, project directors, technical teams, and external stakeholders.
• Strong leadership skills with experience mentoring and managing QA teams.