What does a Senior QA Analyst do?
Companies typically employ Senior QA Analysts to work within an IT or quality control department to develop, improve, and maintain informational system integrity. They are highly skilled professionals who work with software and internal systems to design, develop, test, and implement digital business solutions for the organization. They may also write QA reports and offer suggestions for improvements to existing systems or new systems that could be integrated into the company’s IT infrastructure.
Senior QA Analyst skills and qualifications
Successful Senior QA Analysts have a mix of exceptional computer programming skills, project management experience, and quality assurance understanding. As they are constantly ensuring quality software programs and systems, they have an acute awareness of design elements and troubleshooting ability. Top skills for Senior Quality Assurance Analysts include:
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work within a team environment and collaborate with other professionals
- Ability to develop and implement policies and procedures throughout the process of software development
- Critical thinking and analysis skills to determine security risks to data, hardware, and software
- Mastery in analyzing business, technical, and functional needs and requirements
- Strong attention to detail to identify, record, and prioritize issues as they arise
- Solid report writing skills and command of written communication
- Troubleshooting and creative thinking to present viable solutions as problems arise
Senior QA Analyst experience requirements
You should expect a strong foundation in quality assurance processes from candidates for this senior role. A Senior QA Analyst candidate will need experience working within a software development environment, automation testing practices, and creating detailed SQL queries. The position also requires candidates to understand business processes, project management practices such as Scrum, and software-specific experience, such as using JavaScript and Jira. Typically, a Senior QA Analyst candidate will have a minimum of five years of experience in quality assurance analysis.
Senior QA Analyst education and training requirements
Senior QA Analyst candidates should have a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, computer science, software engineering, or a related field. Depending on the software your company uses, you may also require the candidate to have third-party certification by the software’s vendor. As this is a senior role, you can expect a range of related QA certification and training.
Senior QA Analyst salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Senior QA Analyst in Canada is $84,488 per year, depending on factors like experience, education, location, and the hiring company.
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Senior QA Analyst job description FAQs
What qualities make for an excellent Senior QA Analyst?
A Senior QA Analyst needs to match positive interpersonal skills with technical ability. Working well within a team environment and providing leadership to junior positions is important. A successful candidate needs to ask critical questions, express complex ideas meaningfully, and problem-solve issues creatively as they arise.
Who does a Senior QA Analyst report to?
Who a Senior QA Analyst reports to will depend on the company’s organizational structure. Typically, they report directly to a QA Manager, IT Manager, Director, or another senior executive such as the Chief Technical Officer (CTO).
How can you make your Senior QA Analyst job description stand out?
In order to make your Senior QA Analyst job description stand out, include key deliverables, responsibilities, and expectations, such as a new testing initiative or updating quality processes. Be sure to include information about the company, such as the mission, values, and industry that your business serves. Explain the experience a candidate should have, such as working with specific software or project management systems. Talk about unique benefits and incentives that your company offers to employees, such as staff lunches, company training, or professional development events.