Quality Assurance Lead

Quality Assurance (QA) Lead – Enterprise Fare Collection ModernizationLocation: Hybrid – Onsite 1 day/week in St. Paul, MNDuration: April 2026 – October 2026 (with extension potential)Job Type: Full-Time, ContractInterviews: In-personAbout the RoleWe are seeking an experienced Quality Assurance Lead to support a large-scale transformation initiative focused on modernizing fare collection and payment systems for a major public-sector transit environment. This role combines strategic QA leadership with hands-on testing execution and will oversee QA activities across multiple enterprise, cloud-based SaaS projects.The QA Lead will direct QA Analysts, collaborate with technical and business teams, validate vendor testing, and ensure delivery of reliable, fully tested solutions in a complex, multi-system integration environment. Experience working in mass transit, public sector, or similar operational infrastructure programs is highly valued.Key ResponsibilitiesServe as the primary QA Lead across multiple enterprise-level projects.Develop and implement enterprise QA strategies, standards, and test frameworks.Provide leadership and direction to QA Analysts, including assignment of workstreams and mentoring.Influence and enforce QA governance across all phases of the project lifecycle.Perform hands-on manual testing including functional, integration, regression, and end-to-end testing.Create test plans, test cases, test scripts, and defect management processes.Support configuration management and ensure full traceability throughout the QA lifecycle.Track and report QA metrics such as defect density, coverage, and release readiness.Oversee vendor-led testing and validate alignment to program standards.Coordinate defect prioritization and resolution with internal and external teams.Work closely with program managers, developers, business analysts, and multi-vendor stakeholders.Develop QA schedules and manage testing dependencies across concurrent projects.Identify risks and develop mitigation strategies related to testing and system quality.Contribute to continuous improvement activities for QA processes and team practices.Minimum Qualifications10+ years of QA or software testing experience.5+ years leading QA teams or managing QA efforts on large programs.1+ year experience with cloud-based SaaS solution implementations.2+ years leading QA in multi-vendor or multi-system integration projects.2+ years manual and automation testing experience.2+ years developing QA strategies, test plans, test cases, and quality metrics.1+ year experience with Azure DevOps, JIRA, or HP ALM.Experience applying QA processes within Agile, Iterative, and Waterfall methodologies.Ability to work onsite at least one day per week.Preferred QualificationsBachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.Experience with government, public sector, utilities, transportation, or mission-critical systems.Experience with fare collection, mass transit systems, or operational analytics platforms.Familiarity with performance testing, test data management, and vendor validation.Working knowledge of automation frameworks or tools.Certifications such as QA, PMP, CSM, SAFe, or related.Core CompetenciesStrong leadership and ability to guide cross-functional QA teams.Excellent verbal and written communication skills.Ability to translate technical QA concepts for business audiences.Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.Skilled in conflict resolution and managing multi-stakeholder teams.Ability to balance leadership responsibilities with hands-on testing.Work EnvironmentHybrid work model — onsite presence required at least once per week.Collaborative team setting involving multiple vendors and stakeholders.In-person interviews required.