Junior Software Quality Assurance Engineer and Tester

Junior Software Quality Assurance Engineer and Tester

Location: Remote (with potential travel to client sites)

Clearance Required: Active IRS MBI Clearance (No substitutes)

Citizenship: U.S. Citizenship required

About the Role

Trigent Solutions is seeking a Junior Software Quality Assurance Engineer and Tester to support the IRS Enterprise Systems Testing (EST) program, delivering Quality Assurance, Performance Engineering support, and Test Automation assistance for IRS-developed tax, administrative, and financial applications.

In this entry-level role, you will work closely with experienced QA engineers to execute structured testing processes, document results, and track defects to resolution. You will gain hands-on exposure to enterprise testing tools, automation frameworks, and multiple operating environments while contributing to the quality, security, and compliance of mission-critical federal systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute manual and basic automated test cases using predefined scripts and test plans.
• Document test results, track defects, and participate in follow-up verification testing.
• Assist in preparing test data, maintaining test cases, and updating documentation.
• Support defect logging and resolution tracking using designated test management tools.
• Gain experience with tools such as IBM Rational ETM , Selenium , JMeter , and Rational Performance Tester (RPT) .
• Perform basic database queries and validations using Oracle , DB2 , or SQL Server .
• Work under the guidance of senior engineers to learn and apply best practices in software quality assurance.
• Contribute to team knowledge sharing, onboarding support, and process documentation.

Required Qualifications

• Active IRS MBI Clearance (mandatory; no substitutions).
• U.S. Citizenship (mandatory).
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or related field.
• 2+ years of experience in quality assurance or quality control, including configuration management, verification and validation, software testing, or quality assessment.
• Familiarity with test execution, documentation, and defect tracking.
• Exposure to automation tools such as Selenium , JMeter , or RPT .
• Understanding of software development and testing lifecycles ( Agile , SDLC , STLC ).
• Basic experience with relational databases ( Oracle , DB2 , SQL Server ).
• Ability to follow structured testing procedures and work effectively in a team environment.

Core Competencies

• Foundational Testing Knowledge Understanding of testing principles, execution, and defect tracking.
• Test Documentation Ability to maintain accurate test records and update test artifacts.
• Tool Familiarity Exposure to enterprise testing tools and basic scripting.
• Platform Awareness Basic understanding of Windows, Linux, and mainframe environments.
• Collaboration Works effectively under supervision and contributes to team efforts.
• Learning Agility Eager to learn new tools, standards (including Section 508), and methodologies.
• Communication Skills Clear and concise in both written and verbal reporting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Section 508 accessibility testing and assistive technologies (e.g., JAWS, ZoomText).
• Experience supporting test automation to streamline manual testing processes.
• Familiarity with performance testing tools or monitoring platforms ( LoadRunner , Splunk ).
• Exposure to enterprise scheduling tools ( Control-M ).
• Experience with test data management or data masking tools.

Willingness to contribute to documentation, training materials, and knowledge