mainframe tester

Senior Mainframe QA engineer

The candidate is responsible for testing and validating software applications that run on mainframe systems. The role involves executing test plans, identifying defects, and collaborating with development teams to ensure software quality and reliability. In addition to manual testing, the position increasingly requires skills in test automation and environment management.

Roles and responsibilities

• Create and execute test plans: Design, develop, and execute test cases and test scenarios for mainframe applications based on business requirements and user stories.
• Perform various types of testing: Conduct a range of testing activities, including functional, integration, regression, system, and user-acceptance testing (UAT).
• Identify and manage defects: Detect, document, and track software defects and inconsistencies, working closely with developers to ensure timely resolution.
• Manage test environments: Perform setup and maintenance activities for mainframe test environments, including refreshing data, executing batch jobs, and resolving environment-related issues.
• Automate test processes: Develop and maintain automated testing scripts and frameworks for repetitive testing tasks.
• Collaborate with teams: Work with cross-functional teams, including developers, business analysts to ensure comprehensive test coverage and resolve issues.
• Perform backend testing: Conduct extensive backend testing of databases to verify data integrity and using tools like File-Aid or QMF for data manipulation.
• Support production releases: Participate in pre and post release testing and support, ensuring that changes are validated and approved for production migration.
• Report and document results: Provide regular updates and reporting on test execution status, metrics, and defect trends to project managers and other stakeholders.
• Maintain process improvements: Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives for QA processes and methodologies.
• Working with Business System Analyst to fast track adapting Quality control best practices, effective testing leveraging Test Automation Suite for regression Testing.

Required skills and experience

• Mainframe technical skills: Strong working knowledge of mainframe technologies and tools, including:
• Languages: COBOL, JCL, CICS and REXX
• Databases: VSAM
• Utilities: TSO/ISPF, File-Aid
• Schedulers: CA-7
• Testing methodologies: Expertise in the software development lifecycle (SDLC) and various testing techniques, such as black-box and white-box testing.
• Automation experience: Test automation tools like Ruby, Cucumber, Gherkin, Mainframe emulator plugin and Selenium and experience in developing automated test scripts.
• Problem-solving: Excellent analytical, debugging, and problem-solving skills to resolve complex application and environment issues.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills for collaborating with various technical and business teams.
  Collaboration tools: Experience with test management tools like Jira, Zephyr.