Software Tester / QA Engineer - Junior 1

Summary

Dice is seeking a Junior Software Tester / QA Engineer to support software quality assurance activities. This role focuses on executing test plans, validating application functionality, and collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure software meets quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Execute functional, regression, integration, system, and basic performance tests based on requirements, user stories, and established QA methodologies
• Design, write, and maintain structured test cases, test scripts, and traceability matrices to ensure full coverage of functional and non-functional requirements
• Identify, document, and track defects using industry-standard issue-tracking tools, providing clear reproduction steps, expected versus actual results, and severity assessments
• Contribute to automated test frameworks and scripts for web and API testing using tools such as Selenium or similar, with basic scripting in Java, Python, or JavaScript
• Prepare test data sets, support test environment setup, and verify environment readiness prior to execution of test cycles
• Perform basic performance and security testing activities, including executing predefined scenarios and supporting use of scanning tools to validate resilience and controls
• Use SQL queries and other tools to validate database contents, support root-cause analysis, and confirm end-to-end data integrity
• Produce test reports, metrics, and dashboards that communicate test progress, defect trends, and quality status to project stakeholders, and participate in defect triage and confirmation testing
• Collaborate with developers and other team members to improve code testability, clarify requirements for testability, and contribute to continuous improvement of QA processes and practices

Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field; equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
• 0-3 years of professional, internship, or project-based experience in software or system testing and QA
• Demonstrated ability to design and execute structured test cases and document clear, reproducible defects
• Foundational experience with test management and defect-tracking tools (for example, Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar)
• Basic familiarity with automated testing frameworks and scripting languages (such as Java, Python, or JavaScript) for web or API testing
• Ability to obtain and maintain an active Secret clearance; current Secret clearance required at time of hire per program needs
• ISTQB Foundation Level or equivalent software testing certification
• Experience working in Agile or DevOps environments, including participation in ceremonies such as sprint planning, stand-ups, and retrospectives
• Exposure to security testing concepts and tools for scanning vulnerabilities or validating security controls in regulated environments
• Prior experience testing mission-critical or government systems where reliability, security, and compliance are emphasized

Qualifications

Must Haves

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field; equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
• 0-3 years of professional, internship, or project-based experience in software or system testing and QA
• Demonstrated ability to design and execute structured test cases and document clear, reproducible defects
• Foundational experience with test management and defect-tracking tools (for example, Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar)
• Basic familiarity with automated testing frameworks and scripting languages (such as Java, Python, or JavaScript) for web or API testing
• Ability to obtain and maintain an active Secret clearance; current Secret clearance required at time of hire per program needs

Nice to Haves

• ISTQB Foundation Level or equivalent software testing certification
• Experience working in Agile or DevOps environments, including participation in ceremonies such as sprint planning, stand-ups, and retrospectives
• Exposure to security testing concepts and tools for scanning vulnerabilities or validating security controls in regulated environments
• Prior experience testing mission-critical or government systems where reliability, security, and compliance are emphasized