Senior QA Engineer - Financial market - job 2 of 2

As a Senior QA Engineer at Capco Poland, your responsibilities will encompass leading QA processes across financial market applications, ensuring their functionality, security, and performance. You will design and execute test plans and scripts specifically for stress testing and market risk systems, actively collaborating with development, business analysts, and product teams. Additionally, you will conduct performance, stress, and regression testing, as well as mentor junior QA engineers, promoting best practices in the field.

To qualify for the Senior QA Engineer role at Capco Poland, candidates should possess over 5 years of hands-on QA experience in financial or capital markets domains. You need proven expertise in both automated and manual testing of complex financial systems and familiarity with agile methodologies and DevOps practices. Strong analytical skills and excellent communication abilities are essential for effective collaboration with stakeholders and team members.

The Senior QA Engineer at Capco Poland will work with a versatile tech stack including programming languages like Java, automation tools such as Selenium, Cucumber, and JMeter, as well as additional tools such as JIRA, Git, and Jenkins. Experience with performance testing using JMeter and its plug-ins, along with knowledge of cloud platforms like AWS and databases like SQL and NoSQL, are also crucial for success in this role.

Capco Poland is committed to the professional growth of its employees. As a Senior QA Engineer, you will have access to premium resources like Udemy for ongoing learning and skill enhancement. The company also fosters a collaborative environment that encourages innovation and workplace inclusivity, ensuring that you have ample opportunity to advance your career.

The recruitment process for the Senior QA Engineer position at Capco Poland includes several stages. It begins with a screening call with a recruiter, followed by a technical interview with the hiring manager to assess your skills and fit for the role. After these discussions, feedback will be communicated, and if all goes well, an offer will be extended. The process is designed to ensure we find the best candidate for our team.

When it comes to testing financial applications, I focus on implementing a mix of functional, regression, performance, and stress testing strategies. Functional testing ensures that all features work as intended, while regression testing validates that new changes do not break existing functionality. Performance and stress testing are crucial for financial applications due to their high transaction loads and the need for reliability. Using tools like JMeter for performance testing, I can accurately assess both response times and system behavior under load.

To guarantee quality and performance in testing, I start by thoroughly understanding the project requirements and user expectations. I then design detailed test plans that include various scenarios covering edge cases and typical user behavior. Incorporating automation through tools like Selenium is vital for efficiency, allowing us to execute tests rapidly and frequently. Regular collaboration with development teams further enhances quality assurance, ensuring early identification of defects.

My experience in automated testing in financial services includes developing and executing test scripts using tools such as Selenium and Cucumber. I've worked on projects that implemented automated regression testing for critical financial applications, which significantly reduced our testing cycle time while increasing test coverage. Ensuring high-quality deliverables is paramount in financial services, and automation has been essential in achieving that goal.

In QA for financial systems, challenges often include the complexity of regulatory compliance and the necessity for real-time data validation. One significant challenge I've faced was ensuring that newly implemented features were compliant with ever-changing regulations, which required constant collaboration with legal and compliance teams. This necessitated a proactive approach to testing strategies and frequent communication to adapt our processes accordingly.

Handling tight deadlines while ensuring quality involves prioritizing tasks and focusing on critical areas of the application. I utilize risk-based testing to identify the most important features that require thorough validation. Additionally, effective communication within the team helps distribute workload efficiently, allowing us to meet deadlines without compromising our quality standards. I advocate for a balance between speed and accuracy by maintaining a strong focus on the testing process.

To stay current with the latest trends and technologies in QA testing, I actively participate in webinars, online courses, and industry conventions. Engaging with communities and professional networks, along with reading articles and case studies, keeps me informed about new tools and best practices. I also encourage knowledge sharing within my team to foster an environment of continuous learning and improvement, benefiting both my professional growth and our overall team's skill set.

My approach to mentoring junior QA engineers is centered on fostering an open and inclusive environment where they feel comfortable asking questions and seeking guidance. I prioritize hands-on training, providing them with practical experiences on current projects while also discussing best practices in QA methodologies. Regular feedback sessions are crucial; it helps them identify areas for improvement and celebrates their successes. By cultivating their skills, I aim to help them grow into confident and competent QA professionals.

In a previous project, we were under tight deadlines to release a new feature, but I observed several unfinished functional tests. I advocated for a brief pause to address these concerns, emphasizing the potential risks of releasing a product that wasn't fully tested. By presenting facts about our existing issue tracking and risk impacts, I successfully convinced the team to allocate time for critical testing, ultimately leading to a high-quality release and positive feedback from stakeholders.

I consider metrics such as test coverage, defect density, and the rate of open vs. closed bugs as essential for measuring testing effectiveness. Test coverage indicates how much of the application has been tested and helps identify untested areas. Defect density gives insights into the quality of the software being released. Meanwhile, analyzing the open versus closed bugs provides a clear picture of our progress and helps prioritize our testing efforts more effectively.

My experience with regulatory requirements in financial QA includes thorough understanding of key regulations like MiFID II and GDPR. I ensure compliance through risk-based testing strategies that align with these regulations. Conducting regular audits and collaborating with compliance teams has been essential for maintaining updated knowledge and executing test cases that verify adherence to these legal requirements. This knowledge not only aids in testing but also shapes our overall QA practices.