AMERICAN SYSTEMS, a 100% employee-owned contractor, is seeking a Software Quality Assurance (QA) Lead with a strong background in software engineering and quality assurance to join a critical national defense program.
This role is essential for ensuring the reliability, security, and overall quality of software products developed for government use. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who can drive quality initiatives across multiple development teams and ensure the integrity of every software release.
ResponsibilitiesRole Overview
As the Software QA Lead, you will own the end‑to‑end quality strategy for the program’s portfolio of software products. Directly supporting the Government Software Lead for the program, you will coordinate all testing activities, drive consistency in test processes, and partner with consulting engineers to craft robust test plans and modern DevOps pipelines.
As a Software QA Lead with AMERICAN SYSTEMS, you will have the opportunity to:
- Lead and mentor a team of QA engineers and testers, providing guidance on best practices, test methodologies, and quality standards.
- Coordinate all QA and testing activities for a suite of software products developed by multiple defense contractors, ensuring a cohesive and standardized approach to quality.
- Collaborate directly with the Government Software Leads to define, develop, and execute comprehensive test plans and strategies.
- Work with consulting engineers to implement DevOps strategies, including continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, to automate testing and improve release - efficiency.
- Analyze software requirements and design detailed test cases to identify defects and ensure software meets all functional and non-functional requirements.
- Report on key quality metrics to program leadership, highlighting areas of risk and recommending improvements to the software development lifecycle.
- Lead periodic QA retrospectives, capture lessons learned and implement process enhancements across the contractor ecosystem.
- Stay current on emerging testing standards and introduce best‑practice innovations.
Required Qualifications
- Active Top Secret/SCI clearance with ability to obtain SAP eligibility.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
- 4+ years of experience in software engineering or a related technical field, with a focus on quality assurance and software testing.
- 2+ years of experience in a leadership role, specifically managing or leading software testing and QA teams for multiple software products.
- Demonstrated experience with a wide range of testing methodologies, including functional, integration, regression, and performance testing.
- Strong grasp of SDLC models (e.g., V‑Model, Agile, DevSecOps).
- Hands-on experience with at least one test automation framework (e.g., Python/pytest, C++/GoogleTest, Selenium).
- Solid understanding of CI/CD principles and DevOps tools.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to effectively coordinate with multiple teams and stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience on defense or aerospace programs, especially in a multi-contractor environment.
- Experience with security-focused testing (SAST, DAST, vulnerability scanning).
- Exposure to Model‑Based Testing (MBT) or formal verification methods.
#LI-PRK1
Pay Transparency StatementAMERICAN SYSTEMS is committed to pay transparency for our applicants and employee-owners. The salary range for this position is USD $125,000.00/Yr. - USD $150,000/Yr. Actual compensation will be determined based on several factors permitted by law. AMERICAN SYSTEMS provides for the welfare of its employees and their dependents through a comprehensive benefits program by offering healthcare benefits, paid leave, retirement plans, insurance programs, and education and training assistance. EEO StatementEEO Race/Sex/Disability Status/Veteran StatusSkills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience
- 4+ years of experience in software engineering or a related technical field, focused on quality assurance and software testing
- 2+ years of experience leading or managing software testing and QA teams for multiple software products
- Experience with functional, integration, regression, and performance testing methodologies
- Understanding of SDLC models, including V-Model, Agile, and DevSecOps
- Hands-on experience with at least one test automation framework, such as Python/pytest, C++/GoogleTest, or Selenium
- Understanding of CI/CD principles and DevOps tools
- Strong communication and multi-team stakeholder coordination skills
- Current and active Top Secret/SCI clearance with ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI
- SAP eligibility
- U.S. citizenship for obtaining or holding a security clearance
- Prior experience on defense or aerospace programs, particularly in a multi-contractor environment
- Experience with security-focused testing, including SAST, DAST, or vulnerability scanning
- Exposure to Model-Based Testing or formal verification methods
AMERICAN SYSTEMS Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about AMERICAN SYSTEMS and has not been reviewed or approved by AMERICAN SYSTEMS.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — The ESOP provides an ownership stake that adds long-term financial value and complements base pay. This employee-ownership structure stands out within the overall package.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with automatic enrollment and broad investment options, alongside the ESOP, strengthens retirement pathways beyond salary. These features are presented as competitive within the defense contracting space.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Base pay is considered fair or comparable to industry peers, particularly for technical roles. Starting compensation is described as solid for areas like cybersecurity, systems administration, and IT engineering.
AMERICAN SYSTEMS Insights
What We Do
AMERICAN SYSTEMS is an employee-owned government services contractor that delivers professional, technical, information technology, engineering, analysis, testing, evaluation, and training solutions for complex national-priority programs. Based in McLean, Virginia, the company supports federal customers—particularly defense and other Department of Defense missions—with mission-essential and information engineering, digital engineering, systems integration, cybersecurity, cloud, data, and lifecycle IT services across critical public-sector environments.
