Quality Assurance Analyst

About the Role: 

We are seeking an experienced Quality Assurance analyst to join a collaborative product team supporting key initiatives within Baird’s Capital Markets and Asset Management businesses.  In this role, you will work side-by-side with business analysts, developers, project managers, and product owners to identify risks, design effective test strategies, and ensure high-quality solutions that meet business needs with minimal rework. The ideal candidate brings strong QA judgment, a pragmatic, risk-based approach to testing, and a focus on delivering quality without slowing team velocity.   

We have one role available supporting our Global Investment Banking team and another supporting our Baird Advisors Asset Management team. In this role, you will work across a modern technology ecosystem that includes Salesforce platforms and integrations, API and middleware layers (e.g., MuleSoft), cloud and enterprise tools (Azure, Microsoft 365), and data-intensive environments leveraging SQL and Snowflake, along with .NET and JavaScript-based applications. 

This IT QA role requires a hybrid work environment. Baird is not currently hiring individuals for this position who now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status.

The Impact You’ll Make: 

Quality Strategy & Collaboration: 

• Collaborate with the delivery team in solution design and story refinement to identify risks early and embed quality throughout delivery 

• Analyze business and technical requirements to ensure clarity, testability, and shared understanding  

• Partner with cross-functional teams to identify risks, dependencies, and appropriate test coverage  

• Apply risk-based testing to balance speed, quality, and business impact  

• Design pragmatic test strategies aligned to system complexity and data sensitivity  

• Contribute to continuous improvement of QA practices, tools, and automation  

Test Execution & Validation: 

• Design and execute manual and automated tests coverage across functional, integration, regression, and data scenarios. 

• Perform exploratory testing to identify edge cases and high-risk defects  

• Validate end-to-end workflows, including system integrations and third-party dependencies  

• Support UAT and release readiness providing clear go/no-go recommendations  

Defect Management & Improvement: 

• Own defect lifecycle from identification through resolution  

• Communicate defects and risks with clear business impact  

• Perform root cause analysis and use insights to improve future delivery  

What You’ll Bring to Baird: 

• 5+ years of Quality Assurance experience in Agile/Lean delivery environments 

• Strong knowledge of testing principles, techniques, and best practices, including risk-based testing 

• Experience testing complex applications across UI, API, integration, and data layers 

• Understanding of database concepts and leveraging SQL to validate data 

• Solid understanding of system integrations, data flows, and end-to-end workflows 

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and influence quality outcomes 

• Strong analytical, prioritization, and communication skills 

• Strong systems-thinking and problem-solving mindset in complex environments 

• Experience with test automation and familiarity with CI/CD practices 

• Ability to adapt testing approaches to balance speed, risk, and quality in fast-paced environments 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience testing Salesforce-based solutions and integrations  

• Familiarity with web and mobile testing  

• Working knowledge of languages/tools such as JavaScript/TypeScript, or C#/Java  

• Financial services or fintech experience