Description

Description

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Quality Assurance Lead

Department Technology & Innovation

(Delivery)

Number of Positions: 1

(Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $97,836

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59 pm CDT on 06/017/202 6

The Department of Technology & Innovation (DTI) is seeking an experienced and strategic Quality Assurance (QA) Lead to support enterprise application delivery and digital transformation initiatives across the City of Chicago. This role will lead quality assurance strategy, testing governance, release validation, and continuous improvement efforts for enterprise platforms, custom applications, cloud solutions, integrations, and digital services supporting city operations and public-facing services.

The QA Lead will work closely with Delivery leadership, Project Managers, Business Analysts, Service Owners, Application Development teams, Infrastructure & Operations, Data Services, Security, vendors, and departmental stakeholders to ensure solutions are delivered with high quality, reliability, accessibility, security, and operational readiness.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Manages and directs the work of Quality Assurance Analysts responsible for testing and ensuring quality expectations are met and ensuring high-quality software delivery by planning, implementing, and automating quality assurance testing

• Completes performance appraisals for subordinate staff, administers disciplinary functions, and approves staff time off requests

• Sets goals and objectives for team members for the achievement of operational results

• Reviews QA and Testing plans for vendors/contractors

• Maintains records and prepares reports on legal procedures for department management

• Reviews and interprets various documents (e.g., legal documents, requests for information, contractual requirements, legislation, performance bonds) for department management

• Defines the quality assurance and product testing program, discipline, and culture

• Governs and manages activities related to QA and testing using industry best practices

• Develops a quality assurance and product testing team

• Owns the development of QA governance and embedding the management of these activities within the full application and service lifecycle, including developing performance metrics and execution of review processes to ensure compliance

NOTE : The list of essential duties is not intended to be inclusive; there may be other duties that are essential to particular positions within the class.

Additional duties may be required for this position

Location: 121 N LaSalle,

Days: Monday - Friday

Hours: 8:30 - 4:30

THIS POSITION IS NOT IN CAREER SERVICE

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Training, and Experience

• Six (6) years of work experience in quality assurance testing, OR

• Graduation from an accredited college with an Associate's degree, plus four (4) years of work experience in quality assurance testing, OR

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree or higher, plus two (2) years of work experience in quality assurance testing

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

• Preference may be given to applicants who possess professional software testing or quality assurance certifications/credentials.

Educational & Employment Verification:

Please be advised that if you are selected to be hired, you must provide, upon request, adequate information regarding your education and employment history as it relates to the qualifications of the position for which you are applying. If you received your degree internationally, all international transcripts/diplomas must be accompanied by a Foreign Credential Evaluation. If the City of Chicago cannot verify this information, any offer extended to you will be withdrawn and you will not be hired.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to successfully complete an interview which will include a universal assessment.

The interviewed candidate(s) who possess the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected.

Desired Skills

• Experience in government, public sector, or highly regulated environments.
• Experience supporting ERP implementations and enterprise system integrations.
• Experience with cloud-based platforms and API testing.
• Knowledge of accessibility testing and WCAG 2.1 AA compliance standards.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps practices.
• Certifications preferred:
  • ISTQB
  • Certified Software Quality Analyst (CSQA)
  • PMP
  • Scrum Master Certification
  • SAFe Certification
  • Microsoft, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Oracle, or Workday certifications

Core Competencies

• Enterprise Quality Assurance Leadership
• Strategic Thinking
• Test Governance & Standards
• Enterprise Release Management
• Defect & Risk Management
• Process Improvement
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Vendor Coordination
• Executive Communication
• Customer Service Orientation
• Continuous Improvement Mindset

Key Responsibilities

Quality Assurance Leadership

• Lead enterprise QA strategy, standards, methodologies, and governance across DTI delivery initiatives.
• Develop and maintain QA frameworks, testing policies, procedures, templates, and best practices.
• Establish enterprise testing lifecycle processes for planning, execution, defect management, regression testing, and release validation.
• Provide leadership and oversight for QA Analysts, testing vendors, and project-based testing resources.
• Collaborate with Delivery leadership to improve delivery quality, release readiness, and operational stability.

Enterprise Application Testing

• Lead testing activities for enterprise applications including:
  • ERP systems
  • Financial systems
  • HR and payroll systems
  • CRM platforms
  • Permitting and licensing systems
  • Workflow and case management platforms
  • Web and digital services
  • Custom application development
• Validate application functionality, integrations, workflows, reporting, and data accuracy.
• Ensure solutions meet business, operational, and technical requirements.

Test Planning & Execution

• Develop comprehensive test strategies, test plans, test cases, and testing schedules.
• Coordinate:
  • Functional testing
  • System integration testing (SIT)
  • User acceptance testing (UAT)
  • Regression testing
  • End-to-end testing
  • Performance testing
  • Accessibility testing
  • Security validation support
• Ensure traceability between business requirements, technical specifications, and testing outcomes.

Defect & Release Management

• Manage enterprise defect tracking, prioritization, escalation, and resolution processes.
• Coordinate with development teams and vendors to resolve defects and validate fixes.
• Support release readiness assessments and go-live validation activities.
• Provide quality metrics, testing dashboards, and executive-level reporting.

Automation & Continuous Improvement

• Lead implementation and expansion of automated testing capabilities.
• Evaluate and implement QA tools, automation frameworks, and CI/CD quality controls.
• Improve testing efficiency, repeatability, and quality maturity across DTI.
• Recommend process improvements aligned with enterprise modernization initiatives.

Compliance, Accessibility & Security

• Ensure compliance with:
  • ADA/WCAG accessibility requirements
  • City technology standards
  • Security and privacy requirements
  • Data governance standards
  • Audit and compliance controls
• Partner with security and infrastructure teams to support vulnerability remediation and secure release practices.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Collaborate with:
  • Project Managers
  • Business Analysts
  • Service Owners
  • Business Relationship Managers (BRMs)
  • Application Development teams
  • Infrastructure & Operations teams
  • Vendors and System Integrators
  • Departmental stakeholders

Facilitate testing workshops, release reviews, and quality governance meetings

For Information on our employees' benefits, please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure, visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resources staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state, and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview or employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience, the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA), and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates, to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices, click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor