Senior Manual QA Engineer

Remote (United States)

Job Details

Employment Type: Full-Time

Annual Salary Range: $119,000 - $141,000 per year

About the Role

This opportunity is for a Senior Manual QA Engineer who will serve as a high-impact individual contributor responsible for ensuring the reliability and integrity of multiple systems within a complex software ecosystem.

This role requires a meticulous, detail-oriented quality professional with deep experience in SaaS platforms, cloud-native architectures, and large language model-augmented workflows. The Senior Manual QA Engineer will analyze complex user requirements, design comprehensive testing strategies, prepare and execute detailed test cases, and mentor junior and contract QA engineers.

The position plays an important role in a continuous integration environment while maintaining a strong manual testing foundation. The successful candidate will help improve testing methodologies, strengthen quality standards, identify technical risks, and support the transition from manual-heavy testing toward automation-integrated workflows.

What You’ll Do

Test Strategy and Design

• Analyze user requirements and design documentation to create detailed, risk-based test plans
• Design comprehensive manual test cases for a complex SaaS platform
• Translate complex product requirements into clear and effective testing scenarios
• Use risk analysis to prioritize testing efforts across critical workflows and system components

Test Execution and Reporting

• Lead the execution of functional, regression, and integration test cases
• Document software defects with a high level of precision and technical detail
• Prepare detailed testing summaries for technical and nontechnical stakeholders
• Communicate test results, quality risks, blockers, and release concerns clearly across the organization
• Manage high-volume testing requests and competing priorities while maintaining accuracy and consistency

Data Validation

• Use SQL queries to analyze, manipulate, and validate test data
• Perform deep data validation to confirm backend integrity and system accuracy
• Investigate data-related defects and provide the technical context needed for efficient resolution

Impact Analysis and Issue Investigation

• Evaluate proposed software changes to determine their potential impact on platform performance, scalability, reliability, and user experience
• Perform root cause analysis rather than limiting testing activities to defect identification
• Provide technical context that supports rapid investigation and resolution of complex issues
• Monitor and triage issues identified throughout the software development lifecycle
• Closely monitor high-priority bugs reported by end users
• Identify and escalate blockers immediately to reduce delivery and release risk

Mentorship and Quality Leadership

• Provide technical guidance and best-practice mentoring to QA engineers
• Help junior and contract engineers improve testing depth, consistency, and efficiency
• Promote a culture of quality across engineering and product teams
• Support cooperation, alignment, and cohesiveness across cross-functional teams

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate the flow of information between QA, Developers, Product Owners, and DevOps
• Maintain close communication with technical and product stakeholders throughout the development lifecycle
• Participate actively in design reviews, sprint planning sessions, and daily stand-up meetings
• Translate technical defects into clear business-level impact for stakeholders
• Maintain proactive alignment with supervisors and cross-functional teams
• Work effectively across different time zones

Process Improvement

• Apply innovative thinking to improve existing QA methodologies and testing practices
• Confirm that approved development and quality standards are consistently followed
• Identify opportunities to strengthen test coverage, reduce risk, and improve delivery efficiency
• Support shift-left quality practices by introducing testing earlier in the software development lifecycle
• Support the transition from manual-heavy testing toward automation-integrated workflows

AI-Augmented Testing

• Use Generative AI and large language model tools to improve the efficiency and depth of manual testing
• Use AI tools to synthesize complex product requirements into comprehensive test cases
• Use AI-assisted methods to identify edge cases that may be missed through traditional testing approaches
• Apply AI tools to improve test coverage and testing productivity
• Evaluate AI-generated testing output critically and apply independent quality judgment

Qualifications

Required Experience

• 8-10+ years of professional experience in Quality Assurance
• Proven success working in fast-moving, growth-oriented startup environments
• Experience supporting software products through the transition from early-stage development to scaled production environments
• Extensive experience designing and executing manual testing strategies
• Experience leading functional, regression, and integration testing activities
• Experience mentoring QA engineers and promoting testing best practices
• Experience working with minimal supervision and independently managing testing workstreams

AI and Testing Efficiency

• Proactive experience using Generative AI and large language model tools to augment manual testing
• Ability to use AI to convert complex requirements into comprehensive test cases
• Ability to use AI-assisted techniques to optimize test coverage and identify overlooked edge cases

Technical Proficiency

• Extensive experience testing cloud-native applications hosted on AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform
• Extensive experience testing modern, multi-tenant SaaS platforms
• Strong understanding of the testing challenges associated with distributed systems
• Expert-level SQL proficiency for data validation and backend integrity testing
• Strong understanding of black-box and white-box testing methodologies
• Strong understanding of nonfunctional testing principles
• Knowledge of performance testing principles
• Knowledge of accessibility testing principles
• Knowledge of security testing principles
• Strong experience with quality assurance and test management tools such as Jira and QASE
• Familiarity with shift-left testing practices
• Familiarity with automation-integrated testing workflows

Analytical and Communication Skills

• Meticulous and detail-oriented approach to quality assurance
• Ability to solve complex technical and product problems independently
• Ability to perform root cause analysis and provide technical context for rapid issue resolution
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills
• Ability to communicate technical defects in terms of business impact
• Ability to maintain proactive communication with supervisors and cross-functional stakeholders
• Ability to identify, communicate, and escalate quality risks and blockers promptly

Adaptability and Collaboration

• Ability to succeed in an environment with changing and evolving requirements
• Self-motivated and capable of working under minimal supervision
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities and high-volume requests
• Proven ability to build cooperation and cohesiveness across engineering and product teams
• Ability to collaborate effectively across different time zones
• Commitment to fostering a strong culture of quality across technical and product teams

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Basic life insurance
• Short-term disability coverage
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible vacation policy
• Paid sick leave
• Paid public holidays
• Training and professional development reimbursement
• Peer-to-peer bonus program
• Stock option plan
• Office amenities may include access to a gym, restaurant tenant discounts, and Padel Ninet