QA Manager/Coach

Speridian Technologies is recruiting for a Software Engineering Manager, Coach for our State of California Client; the Department of Healthcare Services, Behavioral Health. This person will be part of a long-term, fully budgeted, state-of-the-art, extremely vast, IT modernization project working with a variety of cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

This is a remote role, however, there will be meetings in the Sacramento area several times a year.  Candidates are expected to work business hours, Monday-Friday pacific time zone. 

Join DHCS’s Behavioral Health Transformation: Where Purpose Meets Innovation
Location: Remote/Hybrid
Department: Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS)
Commitment: Full-Time Consultant (W2 employee of Speridian or 1099/IC for Speridian) 

Why DHCS?
At DHCS we are leading a transformative journey in Behavioral Health, reshaping systems and services to ensure better outcomes for communities across California. Our Behavioral Health transformation initiative is more than a project—it’s a movement to make California a leader in accessible, high-quality health services. We’re setting the stage for a new era of government services built on agile methodologies, cutting-edge technology, continuous improvement, and a relentless commitment to serving the public good.
At DHCS, we’re looking for innovators who are passionate about purposeful work and excited by the opportunity to drive lasting change through innovative solutions.

Our Core Values (Achieve Together, Be Curious, Elevate Yourself, and Deliver Value)

• We achieve together by championing a team-oriented workplace built on mutual respect, collaboration, and open communication.  
• We encourage individuals and teams to constantly be curious and seek a deeper understanding and fresh ideas that drive innovation and meaningful change.
• We provide a supportive workplace where you can elevate yourself and achieve personal growth through continuous learning, focused effort, and perseverance.
• We deliver value as part of every action we take to serve California’s citizens.

Overview/Description
The Manager/Coach for Quality Assurance (QA) plays a pivotal role in driving excellence in QA practices, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and enhancing the overall quality of software products. This role involves identifying opportunities for process optimization, implementing best practices, and empowering QA teams through inclusive training, collaboration, and knowledge sharing initiatives, thereby creating a positive and engaging work environment where team members feel valued and motivated.
Responsibilities:
Process Evaluation and Optimization:

• Conduct metrics-based evaluation of existing QA processes, identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks, and implement improvements to streamline workflows and enhance productivity.

• Outcome: Streamlined QA processes, reduced time-to-market, and improved product quality.

Quality Standards Compliance:

• Ensure adherence to quality standards, regulations, and industry best practices, and implement measures to enhance compliance across QA activities.

• Outcome: Enhanced compliance with quality standards, reduced defects, and improved customer satisfaction.

Training and Development:

• Provide training, coaching, and mentorship to QA teams on agile methodologies, best practices, and tools. Facilitate workshops, knowledge-sharing sessions, COE’s, and learning activities to promote skill development and knowledge transfer.

• Outcome: Improved skills and capabilities within software development teams, leading to higher productivity and quality.

Metrics and Measurement:

• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the effectiveness of continuous improvement initiatives. Analyze data and metrics to identify trends, patterns, and areas for further improvement.

• Outcome: Data-driven insights and metrics that measure the impact of continuous improvement efforts.

Performance Management:

• Conduct performance evaluations, provide regular feedback, and support individuals to meet DHCS expectations and concerns in a timely and constructive manner. Recognize and reward top performers, and support the professional development and career growth of team members.

• Outcome: Engaged and motivated team members with coaching and support to get the skills for their next goal or stage in career.

Contractor onboarding and Support:

• Facilitate interviews, send codility tests, and provide feedback to the state regarding candidate submissions for engineering resources. Champion updates to role descriptions with state leadership to help champion better clarity on expectations and roles.

• Outcome: highly skilled staff for BHT staff.

General Skills:

• Analytical Skills: Ability to analyze processes and identify areas for improvement
• Problem-Solving Skills: Capability to address challenges and devise effective solutions
• Technical Proficiency: Strong understanding of Agile, DevOps, QA process’s and tools.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication for effective collaboration
• Interpersonal Skills: Ability to build relationships and work well within cross-functional teams
• Leadership Abilities: Capacity to inspire, motivate, and drive organizational change
• Coaching and Mentoring Skills: Skill in guiding individuals and teams towards improvement
• Change Management Expertise: Ability to manage resistance and ensure successful adoption of new practices
• Data Analysis and Metrics Management: Proficiency in measuring and tracking progress using relevant metrics
• Continuous Learning Mindset: Commitment to staying updated with industry trends and best practices

Technical Skills:

• BDD, TDD, functional and non-functional testing frameworks
• Testing: Selenium/Katalon, Postman, etc
• Automations: Scripting ( Bash) , Docker, Git, CI workflows ( argo workflows/circle ci)
• Test management tools: Jira, Xray, etc
• other: Git