Senior QA Manager in Toronto

Our client offers systems professionals the opportunity for challenge, growth and excellence in a stimulating environment. The department has approximately 150 people working on multiple mainframe, client-server and web/eCommerce projects. They currently have an opening for an experienced Quality Assurance Manager. The QA Manager leads a team of experienced QA Leads and QA Analysts (a mix of permanent, contract and offshore staff), allocating staff to projects in a multi-platform, multi-project matrix environment. The QA Manager is the Champion/Lead person to drive change across all QA leads. The QA Manager not only leads a great QA team, but also collaborates with other IT managers to identify and implement improvements to processes for application development.

Key to this role are the following:

• Resource Management: Assigns work and helps to ensure that project deliverables are completed according to the project schedule, identifies new priorities and takes appropriate actions and if necessary, reassigns project priorities to maintain the project schedules, resolution of resource conflicts and project priorities, participates in future project resource planning meetings.
• People Management: Develops the QA team, including hiring, professional development, performance management and coaching.
• Deliverables: Review and provide input to the QA Scope of Work (Test Strategy) and Test Estimates; lead and contribute to Post Project/Release Reviews.
• Methodologies: establishment of quality standards (present and long-term strategies), development and monitoring of policies and procedures aimed at mitigating risks to systems quality, developing metrics in support of continuous improvement, tracking and reporting, providing recommendations for improvement, introducing and encouraging best practices in the area of re-use, test automation, risk management, test strategy, test plan/case creation and execution, defect tracking, etc.
• Third Party Service Provider Relationship Management: working with an offshore partner to achieve savings in cost and effort; determining how to best leverage the partner’s skills/staff, including creating/managing SLAs for performance/deliverables.

Qualifications:

• Quality Certification, demonstrated passion for Quality Methodologies.
• Experience managing direct reports and leading teams of varying sizes.
• Experience improving the QA practice within the SDLC in a multi-platform, multi-project environment.
• Experience managing third-party (preferably offshore) partner relationships (optional).
• Experience with HP (Mercury) Quality Center - Test Director/Defect Manager.
• Experience in the integration of test automation into the QA functional testing cycle.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to allocate time efficiently; handle multiple demands and competing priorities.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable when dealing with change.
• Ability to successfully influence at various levels (staff, peers, managers).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to set priorities and provide direction in ambiguous situations.
• Problem solving skills with the ability to research issues where the solution is not readily apparent.
• Self-directed and self-motivated.
• Strong conflict management skills.
• Strong planning and organizational skills.
• Enthusiastic team player with aptitude to learn and coach others based on experience.