Quality Assurance Specialist (Fed Gov)

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RESPEC is hiring an experienced Quality Assurance / Test / O&M Specialist in support of our federal government client. This position supports enterprise engineering information technology systems at Sandia National Laboratories. This role plays a critical part in ensuring the reliability, security, and operational readiness of mission-critical PLM (Product Lifecycle Management), ALM (Application Lifecycle Management), and Digital Thread systems supporting national security engineering initiatives.

The successful candidate will lead quality assurance initiatives, establish comprehensive test frameworks, and oversee operational support activities for complex, enterprise-scale engineering systems. This role requires a meticulous attention to detail, strong technical acumen, and the ability to operate effectively within the stringent compliance and security requirements of a Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratory environment.

Primary Scope

Lead quality assurance, interface testing, regression testing, and operational support for enterprise engineering systems and interface pipelines.

This position is responsible for the end-to-end quality assurance lifecycle for enterprise engineering IT systems, ensuring that all software releases, system upgrades, and interface integrations meet established quality standards and operational requirements. The specialist will coordinate cross-functional testing activities, maintain operational readiness, and serve as a trusted authority on quality protocols and testing methodologies within the engineering systems domain.

Key Responsibilities

The Quality Assurance / Test / O&M Specialist will perform the following duties in support of Sandia National Laboratories' enterprise engineering systems:

· Establish test plans, validation protocols, and quality assurance frameworks for enterprise system upgrades and software integrations.

· Coordinate functional, performance, and regression testing across engineering application releases.

· Oversee operations & maintenance (O&M) readiness, deployment checklists, cutover execution, and continuous integration pipelines.

· Ensure application interfaces and data transfers comply with baseline security and operational guidelines.

· Support PLM application upgrades and testing activities, including pre-release validation, user acceptance testing coordination, and post-deployment verification.

· Develop and execute test plans, diagnose issues, and validate fixes in collaboration with development teams, system integrators, and engineering stakeholders.

· Provide ongoing system monitoring, performance optimization, and support for deployed tools, identifying opportunities for efficiency improvements and proactive issue resolution.

· Handle troubleshooting, diagnostics, and resolution of software issues, serving as an escalation point for complex technical problems affecting system availability or data integrity.

· Document test results, defect reports, and quality metrics in accordance with laboratory standards and regulatory compliance requirements.

· Collaborate with DevOps and infrastructure teams to implement and refine continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines for engineering applications.

· Participate in change control boards and configuration management activities to assess the quality impact of proposed system changes.

· Maintain comprehensive knowledge of testing tools, automation frameworks, and industry best practices for enterprise software quality assurance.

Required Qualifications & Experience

Education & Years of Experience: Bachelor's degree in CS, Information Systems, or Engineering; 5–10 years (Senior) or 10–15 years (Principal) in QA, test automation, or IT O&M management. Relevant professional certifications (e.g., ISTQB, CSTE, or equivalent) are highly desirable and may be considered in lieu of some educational requirements.

Domain Exposure: Experience operating within DOE, DoD, or federal enterprise IT environments requiring formal compliance testing and controlled release management. Candidates must demonstrate familiarity with the unique operational constraints, security protocols, and quality standards applicable to national laboratory or defense contractor environments, including experience with classified or controlled unclassified information (CUI) systems.

Technical/Tooling Context: Functional exposure to testing or operating software within the PTC ecosystem (Windchill, CodeBeamer) or adjacent ALM/DevOps platforms (Azure DevOps, Jira, Jenkins). Experience with automated testing frameworks (e.g., Selenium, TestNG, JUnit, or similar), version control systems (Git, SVN), and scripting languages (Python, PowerShell, Bash) for test automation is strongly preferred.

Core Competencies: Proven ability to develop comprehensive test strategies, execute complex test scenarios, and communicate technical findings to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a demonstrated track record of identifying root causes and implementing effective corrective actions. Excellent written and verbal communication skills for documenting procedures, training materials, and status reports.

Preferred Qualifications

· Active or prior DOE Q or L security clearance, or demonstrated ability to obtain such clearance.

· Hands-on experience with PTC Windchill PLM suite, PTC CodeBeamer ALM platform, or comparable enterprise engineering systems.

· Experience with performance testing tools (e.g., JMeter, LoadRunner) and methodologies for enterprise applications.

· Familiarity with Agile/Scrum development methodologies and experience working within iterative release cycles.

· Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks (NIST 800-53, CMMC, or similar) and experience conducting security-focused testing.

· Background in engineering disciplines (mechanical, electrical, systems) providing context for engineering IT system workflows.

· Experience with database technologies (SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL) and the ability to perform data validation and integrity testing.

· Prior experience supporting National Laboratories, NNSA facilities, or nuclear weapons complex operations.

Work Environment & Clearance Requirements

This position supports work performed at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico (Kirtland Air Force Base campus). Personnel will be required to work on-site in accordance with laboratory access policies and may be expected to collaborate with distributed teams across multiple Sandia locations.

Candidates must be eligible for facility access credentials and may be required to obtain and maintain a DOE Q or L security clearance depending on task order requirements. U.S. citizenship is required for clearance eligibility. All personnel must successfully complete required background investigations, site-specific safety training, and annual security refresher courses.

The work environment is professional and collaborative, with access to state-of-the-art computing facilities and engineering laboratories. Standard business hours apply, with occasional flexibility required to support scheduled maintenance windows, system deployments, or critical issue resolution activities.

Sandia National Laboratories maintains a tobacco-free workplace policy. All subcontractor personnel are expected to comply with laboratory safety protocols, security procedures, and professional conduct standards.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.