Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Quality Assurance Developer

💰 $60,000 - $120,000

Quality AssuranceSoftware TestingSoftware Development

🎯 Role Definition

A Quality Assurance (QA) Developer is responsible for designing, developing, and executing automated and manual tests to ensure the quality, reliability, and performance of software applications. This role involves collaborating with developers, product managers, and business stakeholders to identify defects, improve processes, and ensure software meets functional and non-functional requirements. The QA Developer ensures high-quality deliverables by implementing testing best practices, maintaining test scripts, and supporting continuous integration and deployment processes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Junior QA Tester
  • Software Developer Intern
  • Manual Test Engineer

Advancement To:

  • Senior QA Developer
  • QA Lead / Test Lead
  • QA Automation Architect

Lateral Moves:

  • DevOps Engineer
  • Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  1. Develop and maintain automated test scripts for functional, regression, and performance testing.
  2. Execute manual test cases and document results for complex software systems.
  3. Design and implement test plans, test strategies, and test cases.
  4. Collaborate with development teams to identify and resolve software defects.
  5. Conduct code reviews and provide feedback related to testability and quality standards.
  6. Perform integration, system, and acceptance testing for applications.
  7. Ensure test environments are properly configured and maintained.
  8. Monitor and report software quality metrics, including defect density and test coverage.
  9. Implement and maintain continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) test pipelines.
  10. Validate data integrity and security for applications handling sensitive information.
  11. Perform performance, load, and stress testing to ensure software scalability.
  12. Maintain test documentation, test artifacts, and knowledge repositories.
  13. Collaborate with product managers to clarify acceptance criteria and feature requirements.
  14. Assist in root cause analysis for recurring software defects.
  15. Participate in agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives.
  16. Conduct exploratory testing to identify edge cases and potential software issues.
  17. Evaluate and recommend new testing tools, frameworks, and technologies.
  18. Mentor junior QA team members on best practices and testing standards.
  19. Ensure compliance with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and internal QA policies.
  20. Continuously improve QA processes to enhance efficiency, coverage, and software quality.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis related to software performance.
  • Contribute to the organization's QA strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate product requirements into test cases.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the QA and development teams.
  • Assist in creating user guides and testing documentation for internal and external stakeholders.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficiency in automated testing tools (Selenium, Cypress, JUnit, TestNG)
  • Strong knowledge of manual testing methodologies
  • Experience with programming languages such as Java, Python, or C#
  • Familiarity with CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, Azure DevOps)
  • Understanding of performance, load, and stress testing tools
  • Knowledge of SQL and database validation for test data
  • Experience with defect tracking tools (JIRA, Bugzilla, TestRail)
  • Familiarity with API testing using Postman, SoapUI, or RestAssured
  • Knowledge of software development lifecycle (SDLC) and Agile methodologies
  • Understanding of security and compliance requirements in software testing

Soft Skills

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Excellent communication and collaboration abilities
  • Attention to detail and commitment to software quality
  • Ability to prioritize tasks and manage time effectively
  • Critical thinking to identify potential risks and defects
  • Proactive learning mindset to adopt new testing tools and techniques
  • Mentorship and team leadership skills

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or Software Engineering

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Software Engineering, Quality Assurance, or related field

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Information Technology
  • Software Engineering
  • Quality Assurance

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2-5 years in QA or software testing roles

Preferred:

  • Hands-on experience with both automated and manual testing of enterprise-level applications
  • Experience mentoring junior QA engineers or developers in test automation
  • Proven track record of improving software quality and test coverage
Explore More Careers