QA/Test Automation Engineer w/Top Secret Clearance

A3 Consulting is seeking a highly technical and meticulous QA/Test Automation Engineer to become the guardian of quality for the Defense\-based modernization program. Your mission is to ensure the applications are reliable, performant, and bug\-free across all security domains. If you enjoy designing and executing a comprehensive testing strategy, enforcing strict Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs) and ensuring that every feature directly supports the defense industrial base (DIB) mission, this role is for you! **In this Job You Will**: * Own the testing process from start to finish within our Agile software factory ecosystem. * Test Strategy \& Automation Engineering * Design, develop, and maintain a comprehensive test automation framework integrated directly into the CI/CD pipeline. * Ensure all newly developed software code achieves a minimum of 80% automated test coverage. * Develop and execute automated regression testing suites, ensuring a minimum of 100% of Government\-approved regression tests are successful prior to any production release. * Develop and perform rigorous testing on REST/SOAP APIs to validate data integrity and system integrations with external DoD platforms (e.g., DISS, eMASS). * Design and execute system performance and load testing to ensure new software code meets or exceeds Government\-approved test objectives. * Provide robust User Acceptance Testing (UAT) support by developing acceptance test criteria, performing hands\-on execution of test cases, and sharing test results and trends with stakeholders. * Develop and maintain critical documentation, including the Software Test Plan and the Test Design and Assessment Report. * Perform advanced troubleshooting and root cause analysis for complex software issues, working directly with developers to ensure swift resolution within Government\-approved timelines. * Champion best practices for software quality throughout the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) lifecycle, including sprint planning, system demonstrations, and retrospectives. **Qualifications**: * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field. * 5\+ years of dedicated experience in a Software Quality Assurance and Test Automation role, with a proven track record of testing enterprise applications. * Hands\-on experience developing and maintaining automated test scripts using modern frameworks (e.g., Selenium, Cypress, JUnit, TestNG). * Proven experience testing REST/SOAP APIs using tools like Postman or SoapUI to validate endpoints, payloads, and data integrity. * Deep expertise operating in Agile/Scrum development environments and managing defects using tools like Jira and GitLab. **Desired Qualifications**: * A relevant QA certification (e.g., ISTQB Certified Tester). * Familiarity with Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Real\-User Monitoring (RUM) tools. * Experience testing applications deployed across varying DoD security enclaves (IL5, IL6, JWICS). **Clearance L