Mainframe Testing Lead

Job Description:

• As a Lead Quality Engineer with a focus on Mainframe Testing, you will play a critical role in ensuring the reliability, stability, and performance of essential enterprise systems.
• Your responsibilities will involve guiding teams throughout the testing lifecycle, advocating for best practices, and assisting in the modernization of quality processes through Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Deployment (CD), and automation techniques.
• You will work collaboratively with developers, architects, and business stakeholders to convert intricate requirements into effective test strategies that protect high-volume, high-impact applications.
• This position is perfect for professionals who take pleasure in merging extensive mainframe knowledge with leadership and mentorship opportunities.
• You will have the opportunity to shape testing standards, introduce creative methodologies, and promote continuous improvement within a supportive and collaborative environment.
• If you are passionate about quality, eager to tackle complex challenges, and driven to foster growth in others, this role provides a platform to make a significant impact on mission-critical systems and the teams that develop them.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead comprehensive mainframe testing initiatives across various projects, encompassing test planning, design, execution, and closure for applications developed in COBOL, JCL, VSAM, and DB2.
• Develop and execute thorough test strategies for functional, regression, integration, and system testing within mainframe environments, ensuring that business-critical scenarios are adequately covered.
• Examine and validate complex data structures in VSAM files and DB2 databases, designing test data and queries to maintain data integrity and ensure accurate processing.
• Review and enhance JCL utilized in test environments, collaborating with development and operations teams to schedule, execute, and troubleshoot batch jobs.
• Promote CI/CD-based quality practices by incorporating test suites into pipelines, facilitating early defect identification and continuous feedback for development teams.
• Work alongside cross-functional teams, including developers, business analysts, and product owners, to comprehend requirements, clarify test scenarios, and agree on acceptance criteria.
• Oversee defect management processes, including triage, root cause analysis, prioritization, and coordination of fixes with development teams.
• Mentor and support junior testers on mainframe testing methodologies, standards, and tools, nurturing a culture of quality and knowledge sharing.
• Compile and present test reports and metrics to stakeholders, emphasizing test coverage, defect trends, risks, and improvement recommendations.
• Ensure compliance with quality standards and adherence to organizational processes, documentation norms, and audit requirements for mainframe systems.

Technical Requirements:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 5 to 20 years of hands-on experience in software testing, with substantial exposure to mainframe environments.
• Extensive expertise in Mainframe Testing, including test case design, execution, and defect management for COBOL and JCL applications.
• Strong knowledge of VSAM file structures, utilities, and validation techniques for creating and verifying test data.
• Proficient in JCL for executing, monitoring, and troubleshooting batch jobs within test environments.
• Practical experience with DB2 for writing queries, validating data, and supporting end-to-end test scenarios.
• Familiarity with CI/CD practices and tools, with the capability to integrate and execute tests within automated pipelines.
• Strong analytical and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with both technical and business stakeholders.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Desirable skills include:
• Agile methodologies, test automation frameworks, performance testing tools, service virtualization, and release management.

Preferred Skills:

• Technology->Functional Testing->Mainframe Testing
• Technology->Mainframe Technologies->COBOL->accuCOBOL
• Technology->Database Administration->DB2 on Mainframe->DB2