QA / QC Testing Lead — Utility Software Implementation
Contract (W2) · 6–12 months · Principals Only · Sacramento, California · Hybrid, 1–3 days on-site · Immediate start
Accent Gold Solutions is looking for a QA/QC Testing Lead to own the test function on an enterprise implementation for a large public power utility in the Sacramento area.
You would be joining at the sharp end. The program is roughly three quarters of the way through delivery. The work ahead is the work that decides whether this goes live cleanly, and the thing that will decide it is defect management. You will own that pipeline end to end.
There is also runway beyond it. A follow-on program with the same client is anticipated, covering the rollout of customer-facing portals, so the right person has a path well past go-live.
You report to the project manager, you lead the testers, and you make the quality call. When someone asks whether the software is ready, the answer is yours to give and to defend.
DEFECT MANAGEMENT — THE CORE OF THIS ROLE
This is the part of the job we care about most, so we are being specific about it.
- Own the defect lifecycle end to end: intake, triage, severity and priority assignment, routing, retest, verification and closure
- Run triage as a working discipline, not a status meeting. Decide what gets fixed, what gets deferred, and what blocks go-live — and make those calls stick
- Hold the quality bar on defect records themselves. A defect that a developer cannot reproduce is not a defect report, it is a round trip. You will set that standard for the team and enforce it
- Report the defect position honestly and in numbers: open by severity, ageing, reopen rate, fix velocity, and what the trend means for the go-live date
- Identify the clusters. When the same module keeps producing defects, say so early and loudly rather than processing tickets one at a time
- Own the exit criteria. Define what “done” means per phase in terms the client agrees to in advance, then report against it without softening
ALSO YOURS
- Own the test strategy and plan across functional, integration, regression and user acceptance testing
- Maintain the test case library and the requirements traceability matrix so coverage can be reported accurately at any moment
- Lead the testing team: assign coverage, review test cases, and raise the standard of the work
- Facilitate client user acceptance testing — prepare scripts and data, train the client’s testers, and drive their findings to resolution
- Validate data migration and integration outcomes with SQL, not just what the user interface displays
- Deliver the go/no-go readiness recommendation to the project manager and the client
REQUIRED
- Demonstrated ownership of a defect management process on an enterprise implementation. You have run triage, set severity standards, and reported a defect position to a client who did not want to hear it
- Substantial hands-on experience leading software testing on enterprise implementations through to production
- Based in the Sacramento area and able to work on-site at the client’s offices 1–3 days per week
- Demonstrated ownership of a test strategy and traceability across a full delivery lifecycle
- Deep working knowledge of a test management toolset — Azure DevOps, Jira or qTest — including configuring workflows and reporting rather than only using them
- SQL strong enough to validate data independently of the application
- Comfortable presenting quality status and a go/no-go recommendation to a utility client and defending it
- Able to join a project already in motion and be useful inside the first week
- Authorized to work in the United States
STRONGLY PREFERRED
- Experience testing Microsoft Dynamics 365, Power Platform or Dataverse implementations. This is the platform the program is built on, and knowing how it behaves is worth more to us than anything else on this page.
ALSO VALUABLE
In roughly this order:
- Data migration testing and validation leadership
- API and integration testing (Postman, ReadyAPI or similar)
- Utility sector experience, particularly demand-side management or energy-efficiency programs
- Test automation strategy
- ISTQB Advanced Level or equivalent certification
ABOUT ACCENT GOLD SOLUTIONS
Accent Gold Solutions builds and implements the software that runs energy-efficiency and demand-side management programs for regulated utilities across the United States. Our work sits where utility program design meets enterprise technology: program tracking systems, CRM and Dataverse implementations, data migration, and systems integration.
We are a small, senior team that works directly with client stakeholders, and the people we bring on are expected to operate at that level from the start.
ENGAGEMENT
This is a W2 contract engagement on an Accent Gold client program, running approximately six to twelve months. The initial phase carries through go-live and stabilization, with a follow-on portal rollout anticipated thereafter.
Rate and engagement terms are discussed with shortlisted candidates. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Accent Gold Solutions does not provide visa sponsorship for this role.
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Accent Gold Solutions is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
