WIC UAT Tester / QA Analyst

The Panther Group is seeking a Remote (EST or CST Required) W2 Contract (1 year with potential to extend) WIC UAT Tester / QA Analyst with one of our partners in state government. 

Kind Note: This role is not available for Visas (OPT, H1B, etc.) and does not permit C2C or third party recruiters to apply. 

Top Skills Required: 

• WIC program and USDA FNS Federal Regulation knowledge
• Familiarity with SAM MIS systems such as Crossroads, Mountain Plains, MOSAIC, and Spirit
• Experience using Issue Reporting Systems like Azure DevOps
• Bachelor’s degree in nutrition is required

Quick Job Summary Requirements:

• Lead UAT efforts
• Create test plans and test scripts
• Perform regression and interface testing
• Work directly with business users and vendors
• Analyze requirements and releases
• Support help desk issues
• Maintain user documentation and training materials
• Act as an SME for the WIC/SPIRIT application

Job Description:

• The Project Management Office is seeking an experienced Tester to help support our WIC program. Our state's WIC program is part of a global network of 88 WIC programs and participates in a consortium using the SPIRIT MIS system under the State Agency Model (SAM), alongside 11 tribes and 6 other states.
• As the contract holder and a voting member, our state has key testing responsibilities for the system. Operationally, WIC services include conducting nutrition risk assessments, assigning food packages, making referrals, providing education, entering data, and issuing benefits via EBT cards, with optional in-store shopping assistance for participants.
• SPIRIT operates on a structured release cycle with two major releases per year, sometimes followed by corrective releases or hotfixes.

Responsibilities:

• The Tester is a member of a small team that plans, constructs, and executes User Acceptance Tests (UAT) based on CDP-generated major, minor, and hotfix functional repairs included in the release document and other software products.
• The test cycle includes interface testing with the EBT Processor and regression testing to confirm no harm or unintended consequences from release to release.
• The preferred candidate will be a Tester who is self-directed and independent, recognizes scenarios that may require data setup by technical application staff, and is confident in requesting the data to support successful pass/fail testing.
• The Tester manages their time precisely to complete UAT based on the published schedule.
• The Tester will report results using established tools and user group processes.
• The Tester plans and executes tests, reports results, and may uncover additional issues or bugs through rigorous cycle-to-cycle application regression testing.
• Testers have or gain significant knowledge of business applications.

Program Management and Coordination:

• Leads all efforts relating to testing and/or coordination of application testing tasks with the WIC Technology Manager.
• Plans and reviews test models for product test, project, and release control (plans, data, and scripts).
• Plans product test with Functional Spirit users, the WIC Director, Technical IT Resources, team members, WIC Technical Manager, the support Maintenance and Enhancement Provider (CDP), other software providers, and the Spirit User Group (SUG).
• Coordinates the development, updating, documentation, and maintenance of testing standards and procedures that exceed reproduction steps in DevOps.
• Develop options, recommendations, and documentation to assist WIC Helpdesk Team members in resolving user-reported Spirit application issues received by the helpdesk.
• Communicate effectively with customers and software/hardware suppliers supporting the State and Local Agency users as appropriate.
• Develop and publish an accurate estimate of time and resources needed to complete UAT objectives and report results.
• Anticipates, identifies, tracks, and resolves issues and risks affecting own work and work of the Test and/or Application Teams.
• Develop contingency plans as necessary.
• Research problems before approaching the application group resources or the Test Team Lead for assistance.
• Assist and guide other business testers and functional users as needed
• Update application user guides as applicable and prepare user-friendly communication pieces that inform users of verified functional changes in the Spirit application and other technical initiatives.
• Acts as primary point of contact for issue reporting and testing requests submitted by WIC State and Local Agency users, CDP support, the Spirit User Group, and EBT Provider.
• Attend mandatory weekly scheduled Spirit application calls, such as the Change Control Work Group, Spirit Tester Call, and Morning Call sessions, to be informed of activities and testing requirements.
• Assists in managing and directing technical tasks such as set up data requests, table updates or requesting scheduled processes be run on or out of schedule to support testing initiatives and drive results.
• Develops understanding of system business requirements supported by the Test team.
• Develops, updates, and maintains testing standards, procedures, and WIC Spirit Application user training guides as needed
• Request additional Team support as needed to complete tasks and processes by balancing team capacity and schedule.
• Communicates accurate and useful status updates.
• Ability to work in a team environment.
• Completes assigned tasks with a high degree of quality and in a self-directed manner
• Strong communication skills, both written and spoken.
• Assist in resolving incoming Helpdesk issues from Clinic users as the SME to the WIC SA team

Testing:

• Develop understanding of system business requirements supported by the Test team
• Defines testing quality standards.
• Ensure that defined, documented, repeatable processes are in place and followed.
• Reviews and understands the Release schedule testing work plan provided by the software provider.
• Creates and completes test plans and identifies any additional criteria for acceptance not specifically stated in DevOps for each resolved item and/or change request delivered in the release, as published in the Release Manual and Issue repository in DevOps. Any questions regarding the approach should be directed to the CDP Product Owner during the designated Tester Calls.
• Ensure that test design remains within project scope, which includes User Acceptance Testing, Interface testing with the EBT Processors' live test environment, and Regression testing as needed. Results will be provided in DevOps and Test sheets, with pass/fail and Go/No-Go status, to the Technology Manager for release deployment.
• Reviews Entry/Exit criteria in Azure DevOps to determine pass/fail status and testing method to use.
• Participate in post-UAT reviews and quality assessments and new release demonstrations (Participant Portal, eWIC EBT conversion, and other WIC technology initiatives as needed).
• Assist Application Teams to plan and execute functional tests related to changes in the software functionality due to changing regulations, such as food package changes, FMNP season start/finish cycles, and other USDA-mandated updates as requested.
• Defines product test plans and criteria for software acceptance.
• Resolves testing process questions/issues.
• Provides estimated-to-complete (ETC) and actuals for assigned tasks to the WIC Director and the WIC Technical Manager.
• Creates test scripts for UAT testing, Interface Testing, and Regression testing, which include pre- and post-condition details and any data setup requirements.

Pay Rate: $56.00 an hour

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