Direct Client: QA Test Analyst (Manual & Automation) @ Hartford, CT - Hybrid - Locals preferred

QA Test Analyst (Manual & Automation)

Hartford, CT Hybrid Locals preferred

6 months Contract

Looking for the candidates who can work without any visa sponsorship.

Remote initially. Candidates must be willing to work onsite in Hartford, CT once the State transitions to a hybrid/in-office work schedule.

candidate is required to be in the office 1 day a week.

Local Candidates Preferred
Candidates must currently reside in Connecticut or be willing to relocate before onsite work begins.

Position Overview

The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) is seeking experienced QA Test Analysts with expertise in both manual and automation testing to support mission-critical enterprise applications that deliver essential services to Connecticut residents.

This role will work closely with business stakeholders, developers, business analysts, solution architects, project managers, and technical teams to ensure applications meet business requirements, technical specifications, State policies, and federal regulations.

The ideal candidate has experience testing complex enterprise systems within State government, Human Services, Healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare, or Eligibility programs . Candidates who understand policy-driven applications and business terminology used in public sector environments will be highly successful in this role.

This position requires a combination of manual testing, automation testing, API validation, backend data verification, and end-to-end business process testing across multiple enterprise platforms, including Salesforce, Java-based applications, Mobile/PWA applications, and integrated services.

Candidates with prior experience supporting State government modernization initiatives , particularly within Department of Social Services (DSS), Human Services, Medicaid, Medicare, or Eligibility systems , are strongly preferred.

Preferred Industry Experience

Strong preference will be given to candidates with experience supporting one or more of the following:

• Connecticut DSS or other State Government agencies
• Human Services (HHS)
• Medicaid
• Medicare
• Medicaid Eligibility
• Eligibility and Benefits Management Systems
• Integrated Eligibility Systems (IES)
• SNAP
• TANF
• Child Care Programs
• Healthcare Exchange implementations
• Money Follows the Person (MFP)
• Medicaid Waiver Programs
• Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS)
• Public Sector modernization initiatives
• Policy-driven enterprise applications

Candidates with experience interpreting State and Federal policies, eligibility rules, and healthcare terminology will be highly valued.

Required Qualifications

• Five (5) or more years of Quality Assurance experience testing large enterprise applications
• Strong experience with both manual and automation testing
• Experience working throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
• Strong understanding of Quality Assurance methodologies, testing processes, and best practices
• Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Experience working directly with business stakeholders and technical teams
• Ability to interpret business requirements and convert them into detailed test scenarios and test cases
• Experience working within Agile/Scrum development environments
• Experience using Jira for defect tracking and Agile project management

Technical Qualifications

Candidates should possess experience with many of the following technologies:

• Selenium
• TestNG
• Java
• Salesforce application testing
• REST API Testing
• SOAP Web Services
• Postman
• SQL for backend data validation
• Mobile Application Testing
• Progressive Web Applications (PWA)
• JSON/XML validation
• Git (preferred)
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) concepts

Strong understanding of:

• API and Web Service Testing
• Test Automation Frameworks
• Defect Lifecycle Management
• Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)
• Test Planning
• Test Strategy
• Test Estimation

Testing Experience

Candidates should have hands-on experience performing:

• Manual Testing
• Automation Testing
• Functional Testing
• Regression Testing
• Smoke Testing
• Integration Testing
• System Integration Testing (SIT)
• End-to-End Testing
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
• API Testing
• Backend Data Validation
• Cross-browser Testing
• Mobile Testing
• Salesforce Testing
• Defect Verification and Retesting

Key Responsibilities

• Perform hands-on manual and automated testing across multiple enterprise applications.
• Develop comprehensive test scenarios, test cases, and automated test scripts based on business and technical requirements.
• Review business requirements, user stories, functional specifications, technical documentation, and design documents to identify testing needs.
• Participate in requirements walkthroughs, sprint planning, backlog refinement, release planning, and design review sessions.
• Estimate testing effort and provide input into overall project planning and release schedules.
• Execute functional, regression, integration, system, API, and end-to-end testing activities.
• Develop, maintain, and execute automated test scripts using approved automation frameworks.
• Validate interfaces and integrations between enterprise applications and external systems.
• Perform backend database validation using SQL queries.
• Execute API and web service testing using industry-standard tools.
• Document test execution results and communicate testing progress to project leadership.
• Identify, document, prioritize, and manage software defects through resolution.
• Participate in defect triage meetings and validate software fixes.
• Ensure complete traceability between business requirements, test cases, and executed tests through the Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM).
• Collaborate closely with developers, business analysts, architects, project managers, vendors, and State business stakeholders.
• Support production implementations by performing release validation and post-production verification.
• Assist in continuously improving QA standards, automation frameworks, testing processes, and quality best practices.
• Mentor junior testers and share knowledge of testing methodologies and automation best practices when appropriate.

Preferred Experience

Candidates with experience in one or more of the following will receive strong consideration:

• Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS)
• State Government modernization initiatives
• Integrated Eligibility Systems
• Healthcare payer systems
• Salesforce implementations
• Human Services applications
• Enterprise Case Management systems
• Federal compliance initiatives
• Healthcare eligibility systems

Desired Business Knowledge

Candidates with knowledge or experience in the following areas are highly preferred:

• Medicaid programs and policies
• Medicare programs
• Money Follows the Person (MFP)
• Eligibility determination processes
• Healthcare terminology
• Human Services operations
• Federal and State compliance requirements
• Benefits administration systems
• Policy-driven business rules
• Regulatory compliance testing

Soft Skills

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Exceptional analytical and critical thinking abilities
• Ability to work independently and within cross-functional teams
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Commitment to delivering high-quality software
• Strong collaboration and interpersonal skills
• Willingness to learn complex business processes and regulations