The QA Analyst is responsible for planning coordinating and executing quality assurance activities across the software development lifecycle. This role requires strong hands-on testing experience solid understanding of QA processes and the ability to work closely with Product Owners Business Analysts Developers and other stakeholders. The ideal candidate should have an experience with Azure DevOps (ADO) Azure Test Plans test case management defect tracking requirements traceability and Agile/Scrum delivery processes. The QA Analyst will also support junior QA team members and help ensure consistent testing standards and high-quality software releases. Key Responsibilities Understand business requirements functional requirements user stories and acceptance criteria. Review requirements and identify gaps ambiguities dependencies and potential testing risks. Develop comprehensive test plans test scenarios and detailed test cases. Create organize maintain and execute test cases using Azure DevOps / Azure Test Plans. Understand the overall Azure DevOps lifecycle including Epics Features User Stories Tasks Test Cases Bugs Releases and related work items. Establish and maintain traceability between requirements user stories acceptance criteria test cases and defects within Azure DevOps. Create and maintain test suites test plans test configurations and test execution cycles in Azure Test Plans. Execute functional regression integration system integration (SIT) end-to-end (E2E) and user acceptance testing (UAT). Record test execution results and maintain appropriate supporting evidence screenshots and documentation. Identify document log track retest and close defects using Azure DevOps. Ensure defects include clear reproduction steps expected results actual results severity priority supporting evidence and appropriate links to requirements and test cases. Participate in and facilitate defect triage meetings with business and technical teams. Work closely with Developers to analyze defects reproduce issues validate fixes and support root-cause analysis. Perform regression testing following application changes enhancements defect fixes and releases. Validate UI functionality business rules integrations workflows and system behavior. Perform data validation and reconciliation using SQL or other available tools when required. Assist with preparation and validation of test data and test environments. Coordinate testing activities across multiple applications interfaces and dependent systems. Monitor testing progress defect trends testing risks and overall release readiness. Prepare and communicate QA status reports test execution metrics defect metrics and testing risks to project stakeholders. Participate actively in Agile ceremonies including daily stand-ups sprint planning backlog refinement retrospectives and release planning. Work closely with Product Owners and Business Analysts to ensure user stories have clear and testable acceptance criteria. Support UAT planning and execution with business users when required. Ensure proper documentation and testing evidence is maintained for governance audit and compliance requirements. Identify opportunities to improve testing processes test coverage defect prevention and overall software quality. Support automation testing initiatives and coordinate with automation engineers where applicable. Review automated test results and help identify suitable candidates for future automation. Mentor and provide guidance to junior and mid-level QA Analysts. Help establish and maintain consistent QA standards templates processes and best practices across the team. Support release validation and provide input regarding application readiness for production deployment. Required Skills & Qualifications Strong hands-on experience as a QA Analyst or Senior QA Analyst. Strong understanding of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC). Strong knowledge of QA methodologies and testing best practices. Experience working in Agile Scrum and/or SAFe environments. Strong hands-on experience with Azure DevOps (ADO) and Azure Test Plans. Strong experience creating maintaining and executing manual test cases. Experience with functional regression integration SIT E2E and UAT testing. Strong defect management and defect lifecycle experience. Understanding of requirements traceability and Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) concepts. Ability to understand complex business requirements and translate them into effective test scenarios and test cases. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Strong attention to detail and documentation skills. Good written and verbal communication skills. Ability to communicate effectively with business and technical stakeholders. Ability to work independently as well as within a collaborative QA and project team. Ability to manage multiple testing priorities and deadlines. Experience working in large enterprise application environments. Preferred / Nice-to-Have Skills Experience with automation tools such as Selenium Tosca UiPath Playwright or similar tools. Basic understanding of automation frameworks and automated regression testing. SQL knowledge for backend and data validation. API testing experience using tools such as Postman. Experience with Jira or other test/project management tools. Experience working with onshore/offshore development and QA teams. Experience coordinating with third-party vendors. Experience with large-scale enterprise systems such as SAP / S4HANA. Experience with utility energy financial government or other highly regulated enterprise environments is a plus. Key Competencies Strong analytical thinking Attention to detail Quality-focused mindset Problem-solving ability Effective communication Stakeholder coordination Team collaboration Ownership and accountability Ability to mentor junior team members Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced Agile environment Pay $60000.00 - $70000.00 per year Experience Azure Dev Ops 1 year (Preferred) QA/QC 2 years (Required) Willingness to travel 25% (Preferred) Work Location Remote