QA Automation Lead Specialist (OPERAS)

Important Notice for Applicants:

At Bixal, we want to ensure a transparent and secure application process for all candidates. Official communication will come from an email address ending in @bixal.com or from talent@bixal.com. Messages from other sources may be fraudulent, and you should exercise care to avoid any links or attachments included. If you experience any challenges with your submission, please contact us at talent@bixal.com.  We're here to help!

Bixal will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. If you require any accommodation as part of our recruitment process, please contact us at Talent@bixal.com. You can expect a response from a team member within 24 hours during the regular work week and on the next operating day during the weekend or holidays.

About Us:

Bixal is a consulting company based in Fairfax, VA, working alongside governments and organizations to help them deliver better services and experiences to the communities they serve. Using evidence-based knowledge and technology, Bixal empowers clients to deliver on their missions more effectively by fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

Location

This role can work remotely from anywhere in the USA. You must be legally authorized to work in the US. Bixal does not provide visa sponsorship.  

What You Will Do 

Bixal is seeking a detail-obsessed, automation-savvy Senior QA Automation Engineer to support a high-impact federal digital services project. This role is central to ensuring the quality, resilience, and security of a mission-critical platform that serves millions of users across the country. You’ll be embedded in a high-performing Agile team leveraging modern DevSecOps practices and cloud-native architecture. 

• Develop and maintain automated test scripts for functional, regression, accessibility, performance, and security testing within CI/CD pipelines
• Collaborate with developers, designers, and DevOps to embed quality and security at every step of the SDLC
• Use tools such as Selenium, Cypress, or Appium to validate front-end UI/UX and back-end services
• Integrate and manage SAST/DAST tools within build pipelines (e.g., GitHub Actions, Drone, ArgoCD)
• Conduct peer code reviews, validate APIs, and implement smoke tests to support daily deployments
• Perform load testing and system performance monitoring for a scalable microservices-based application
• Champion best practices in quality assurance, test-driven development (TDD), and automated testing strategies
• Support 24/7 production monitoring and on-call triage as part of the Tier 1 support rotation
• Maintain traceable, audit-ready test documentation and contribute to release planning and retrospectives
• Other relevant duties as trained and qualified to perform

• Bachelor's degree in a related field and at least five years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• Professional experience in QA automation supporting CI/CD pipelines in Agile environments
• Strong experience with automation tools such as Selenium, Cypress, Appium, or similar frameworks
• Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD using tools like GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, or Jenkins
• Familiarity with SAST/DAST tools (e.g., SonarQube, Snyk, OWASP ZAP) and security testing integration
• Solid understanding of API testing using tools like Postman, REST Assured, or SoapUI
• Proficient in scripting languages (e.g., Python, JavaScript) for test automation and utilities
• Experience testing in cloud-native and Kubernetes-based environments (preferably AWS EKS)
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to performance, accessibility, and compliance testing
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance

• Prior experience on federal government contracts or compliance-focused environments. 
• Experience with accessibility testing tools(e.g., Axe, ANDI, WAVE). 
• Experience with performance and load testing tools such as JMeter, Locust, or k6. 
• Exposure to test case management tools (e.g., TestRail, Zephyr, Xray). 

Perks & Benefits:

Flex hours

401K with matching incentive

Parental Leave

Medical/dental/vision benefits

Flex Spending Account

Company provided short-term disability and life insurance

Commuter benefits

Generous PTO

11 Paid holidays

Professional development opportunities

Please note that candidates selected may undergo a background investigation and, if applicable, meet eligibility requirements for suitability.

Our company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all individuals and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs.