Apptad - Specialized IT Consultant - Senior

General Skills:

Acts as the technical advisor/expert on all aspects of a specific deliverable

Provide the quality assurance/quality control of specific deliverables

Anticipates and resolves problems to ensure that the deliverables are completed within budget, to the highest quality, meeting or exceeding expectations

Develops processes and procedures for implementing deliverables

Prepares reports and presentations including options, recommendations, implementation plans, etc.

Works with clients to define the scope of a project and to determine requirements

Defines software, hardware and network requirements

Analyzes I&IT requirements giving independent and objective advice on the use of I&IT

Designs, tests, installs and monitors new systems and develops solutions and implementation of new systems

Familiar with change-management principles and methodology

Knowledge and understanding of Information Management principles, concepts, policies and practices

Required Knowledge / Skills:

The key responsibilities and deliverables to be performed by the senior (level 3) Specialized IT Consultant include, but are not limited to, the following:

Leadership:

Establish and evolve formal QA processes and test tools for the branch based on industry best practices

Ensure that all teams are aligned and adhere to the principles, guidelines and best practices of the QA strategy as defined

Provide expertise to the branch on test processes and test tools

Provide guidance on non-functional testing including performance, stress, and AODA

Develop, establish, and baseline approaches and templates that will be leveraged by all teams, for:

All test documentation including test strategies, test plans, test cases, test scripts, and metrics

Defect management and metrics

AODA testing

Ensure all project teams are informed of changes in branch test approaches, tools, and processes

Lead and mentor QA team members and provide guidance to project QA team members

Keep up-to-date with the latest QA tools, trends and technologies and provide demos to the branch

Define scope of regression activities for both patch and full releases

Identify impacts and ensure traceability between defects/new requirements and test coverage is documented

Ensure quality data testing, including validating new test data and changes in test data

Establish well-defined entry and exit criteria for QA testing

Collaboration:

Work with all project QA teams to ensure alignment and adherence to best practices, methodologies and common approaches to all forms of testing

Collaborate with the project QA team and business team to review SIT and UAT test cases to identify gaps/duplication of test coverage

Providing recommendations to Project Leads/Sr. Project Managers as to the acceptance or rejection of any new or changed system components that may impact other applications within the platform

Support the project BA/team leads in understanding defects to ensure appropriate prioritization with the business team

Participate in discussions with the business regarding any changes to business and/or system requirements, with the purpose of understanding potential changes in test scope and impacts to other applications within the platform

Support the analysis of existing business processes, design and recommend process improvements to effectively harness the benefits of using the application(s).

Provide input and complete architectural artifacts as required;

Support project BAs in analyzing systems requirements, screen design, workflow design, gap analysis, testing, and change management in support of any application changes;

Work with designers, developers, and testers at various stages of SDLC to ensure that any changes or enhancements are fully regression tested and validated;

Work collaboratively with other project groups to ensure optimal integration as required;

Participate in discussions with Infrastructure Technology Services (ITS), Cyber Security Division (CSD), I&IT Accessibility Centre of Excellence (ACOE), and Information Privacy and Archives (IPA) Division to ensure the application remains compliant with all applicable GO-ITS standards;

General:

Understanding existing Data Collection application functionality and specifications;

Complete work and achieve milestones within the assigned deadlines;

Notify the Cluster/Ministry Project Manager in writing of any issues or other material concerns related to the assigned deliverables, as soon as the he/she becomes aware of them;

Submit deliverables for the Cluster/Ministry approval as they are completed;

Provide knowledge and skills transfer to a designated Cluster/Ministry staff

Compliance:

Comply with the Ontario Government and the Cluster/Ministry security procedures and practices;

Comply with the Ontario Government and the Cluster/Ministry architecture/technology standards and best practices;

Comply with the Ontario Government and the Cluster/Ministry Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Guidelines;

Comply with the Ontario Government I&IT Directive, Operational Policy on the I&IT Project Gateway Process, and other applicable Guidelines, Standards and Procedures

Other Experience and Skills:

A minimum of 5 years of experience in a test lead capacity

A minimum of 10 years of experience as an IT system tester

Demonstrated working experience in structured methodologies for the development, design, testing, implementation, and maintenance of applications.

Extensive test experience involving IAM solutions, including Microsoft Entra ID & Oracle IAM solutions

Demonstrated working experience to understand and analyze business requirements, non-functional requirements, and systems response documents in order to design and execute test plans and test suites (including test cases) to ensure system is properly functioning and that business requirements are met.

Demonstrated working experience to write test plans and test cases that are well-structured, easy to maintain, and easily understood by developers, business analysts, and clients.

Demonstrated understanding and experience with validating the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)requirements in web-based applications

Demonstrated ability to use AODA testing tools and interpreting the results, including being able to explain the business impacts

Extensive experience testing web-based applications and reporting defects as required;

Demonstrated leading all regression and specialized testing (e.g. performance, load, security)

Demonstrated working experience supporting business users working on projects or programs involving multiple highly inter-dependent applications and/or data sources;

Participate in the resolution of problems/issues with business clients and other teams in order to ensure systems are maintained as per service level agreements;

Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills; verbal and written communication skills; interpersonal and negotiation skills;

A team player with the ability to lead and coordinate multiple projects with competing priorities and strict deadlines; and

Demonstrated working experience in dealing with system solutions related to funding calculations, financial information management, and web-based n-tier technology implementation.

Proficient with tools (e.g. PL/SQL, UFT), analyzing and logging test results, documenting and monitoring resolution of system variances using an automated problem management system

Knowledge Transfer

Transfer From Solution Development /

Specialized IT Consultant

/ Level 3 to Project Manager

When Knowledge Will Be Transferred:

Knowledge transfer must be completed one week prior to the end of the project or one week prior to the consultant leaving the ministry.

What Knowledge Will Be Transferred:

All deliverables, including design/supporting/release/training documents must be checked into designated version control repositories (for example, SharePoint). All final documents and working drafts related to project requirements or solution design must be stored on designated project repositories (for example, SharePoint site, HPQC, TFS)

Project manager and designated ministry staff must be regularly informed in writing (by email) of where documentation has been stored and must be provided a minimum of one walk-through of all documentation as part of the final knowledge transfer activities.

Selection Criteria