QA Test Analyst (Manual & Automation)
Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS)
Location: Hartford, CT
Remote initially. Candidates must be willing to work onsite in Hartford, CT once the State transitions to a hybrid/in-office work schedule.
Employment Eligibility:
H1-B Transfer, Green Card, GC EAD, or U.S. Citizens only.
Local Candidates Preferred
Candidates must currently reside in Connecticut or be willing to relocate before onsite work begins.
Position Overview
The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) is seeking experienced QA Test Analysts with expertise in both manual and automation testing to support mission-critical enterprise applications that deliver essential services to Connecticut residents.
This role will work closely with business stakeholders, developers, business analysts, solution architects, project managers, and technical teams to ensure applications meet business requirements, technical specifications, State policies, and federal regulations.
The ideal candidate has experience testing complex enterprise systems within State government, Human Services, Healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare, or Eligibility programs. Candidates who understand policy-driven applications and business terminology used in public sector environments will be highly successful in this role.
This position requires a combination of manual testing, automation testing, API validation, backend data verification, and end-to-end business process testing across multiple enterprise platforms, including Salesforce, Java-based applications, Mobile/PWA applications, and integrated services.
Candidates with prior experience supporting State government modernization initiatives, particularly within Department of Social Services (DSS), Human Services, Medicaid, Medicare, or Eligibility systems, are strongly preferred.
Preferred Industry Experience
Strong preference will be given to candidates with experience supporting one or more of the following:
Connecticut DSS or other State Government agencies
Human Services (HHS)
Medicaid
Medicare
Medicaid Eligibility
Eligibility and Benefits Management Systems
Integrated Eligibility Systems (IES)
SNAP
TANF
Child Care Programs
Healthcare Exchange implementations
Money Follows the Person (MFP)
Medicaid Waiver Programs
Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS)
Public Sector modernization initiatives
Policy-driven enterprise applications
Candidates with experience interpreting State and Federal policies, eligibility rules, and healthcare terminology will be highly valued.
Required Qualifications
Five (5) or more years of Quality Assurance experience testing large enterprise applications
Strong experience with both manual and automation testing
Experience working throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
Strong understanding of Quality Assurance methodologies, testing processes, and best practices
Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Experience working directly with business stakeholders and technical teams
Ability to interpret business requirements and convert them into detailed test scenarios and test cases
Experience working within Agile/Scrum development environments
Experience using Jira for defect tracking and Agile project management
Technical Qualifications
Candidates should possess experience with many of the following technologies:
Selenium
TestNG
Java
Salesforce application testing
REST API Testing
SOAP Web Services
Postman
SQL for backend data validation
Mobile Application Testing
Progressive Web Applications (PWA)
JSON/XML validation
Git (preferred)
Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) concepts
Strong understanding of:
API and Web Service Testing
Test Automation Frameworks
Defect Lifecycle Management
Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)
Test Planning
Test Strategy
Test Estimation
Testing Experience
Candidates should have hands-on experience performing:
Manual Testing
Automation Testing
Functional Testing
Regression Testing
Smoke Testing
Integration Testing
System Integration Testing (SIT)
End-to-End Testing
User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
API Testing
Backend Data Validation
Cross-browser Testing
Mobile Testing
Salesforce Testing
Defect Verification and Retesting
Key Responsibilities
Perform hands-on manual and automated testing across multiple enterprise applications.
Develop comprehensive test scenarios, test cases, and automated test scripts based on business and technical requirements.
Review business requirements, user stories, functional specifications, technical documentation, and design documents to identify testing needs.
Participate in requirements walkthroughs, sprint planning, backlog refinement, release planning, and design review sessions.
Estimate testing effort and provide input into overall project planning and release schedules.
Execute functional, regression, integration, system, API, and end-to-end testing activities.
Develop, maintain, and execute automated test scripts using approved automation frameworks.
Validate interfaces and integrations between enterprise applications and external systems.
Perform backend database validation using SQL queries.
Execute API and web service testing using industry-standard tools.
Document test execution results and communicate testing progress to project leadership.
Identify, document, prioritize, and manage software defects through resolution.
Participate in defect triage meetings and validate software fixes.
Ensure complete traceability between business requirements, test cases, and executed tests through the Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM).
Collaborate closely with developers, business analysts, architects, project managers, vendors, and State business stakeholders.
Support production implementations by performing release validation and post-production verification.
Assist in continuously improving QA standards, automation frameworks, testing processes, and quality best practices.
Mentor junior testers and share knowledge of testing methodologies and automation best practices when appropriate.
Preferred Experience
Candidates with experience in one or more of the following will receive strong consideration:
Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS)
State Government modernization initiatives
Integrated Eligibility Systems
Healthcare payer systems
Salesforce implementations
Human Services applications
Enterprise Case Management systems
Federal compliance initiatives
Healthcare eligibility systems
Desired Business Knowledge
Candidates with knowledge or experience in the following areas are highly preferred:
Medicaid programs and policies
Medicare programs
Money Follows the Person (MFP)
Eligibility determination processes
Healthcare terminology
Human Services operations
Federal and State compliance requirements
Benefits administration systems
Policy-driven business rules
Regulatory compliance testing
Soft Skills
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Strong attention to detail
Exceptional analytical and critical thinking abilities
Ability to work independently and within cross-functional teams
Strong organizational and time management skills
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
Commitment to delivering high-quality software
Strong collaboration and interpersonal skills
Willingness to learn complex business processes and regulations