Senior Software Test Analyst (QA Automation - Java/Playwright)

Location: Lansing, Michigan, United States

Workplace: hybrid

Employment Type: contract

Description

Stafford Gray is seeking a Senior Software Test Analyst to join a public-sector project team supporting an accounts receivable and collections system. You'll design and execute manual and automated tests, build out test plans and strategies, and help drive quality across the team's Agile delivery cycle. The role combines hands-on Java test automation with API, database, accessibility, and performance testing.

What You'll Do

• Analyze requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria to design reusable test cases, including positive, negative, and boundary scenarios.
• Build and maintain automated web tests in a Java framework using Playwright, Cucumber/Gherkin step definitions, and TestNG.
• Create test plans, strategies, reports, and metrics.
• Perform API testing with Postman, REST Assured, or similar tools.
• Write SQL queries for test data setup and validation against Oracle and SQL Server.
• Conduct accessibility (ADA), regression, integration, performance, and post-deployment validation testing.
• Log and track defects in Azure DevOps, and communicate results and risks to developers, BAs, and stakeholders.
• Take an active part in Scrum ceremonies.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years designing and executing manual and automated test cases.
• 5+ years writing test plans and strategies from user stories and acceptance criteria.
• 5+ years of API testing with tools like Postman or REST clients.
• Demonstrable experience automating web applications with Playwright, Selenium, Cypress, or similar.
• Bachelor's degree or higher in an IT-related field.
• Ability to work onsite in downtown Lansing 2 days per week.
• Must reside within 90 miles of Lansing, MI (48933) at time of submission.

Highly Preferred

• Playwright for Java experience.
• A strong Selenium WebDriver background.
• Financial or government domain experience.

Nice to Have

• Object-oriented Java for test automation, plus Gherkin scenarios and Java step definitions.
• TestNG, Eclipse, and Git (branching, merging, pull requests).
• The Azure DevOps Test Plans module.
• JMeter or LoadRunner performance and load testing.
• Accessibility tools such as JAWS or AccVerify.
• iOS and Android mobile app testing.
• Knowledge of the secure application development lifecycle (SADLC).