IT QA Analyst

About The Company Reed Smith US is a leading international law firm renowned for delivering innovative legal solutions and exceptional client service. With a strong global presence, the firm specializes in a wide range of practice areas including corporate, litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory law. Reed Smith is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes professional growth, collaboration, and excellence. The firm values integrity, respect, and innovation, striving to provide a supportive culture where employees can thrive and contribute to impactful legal work. About The Role The Lead IT QA Analyst at Reed Smith US plays a pivotal role in ensuring the quality and reliability of the firm's technological solutions. This position is responsible for leading comprehensive quality assurance testing activities across multiple technology projects, system changes, upgrades, enhancements, and integrations. The role requires exercising sound judgment in defining testing scope, analyzing complex business and technical requirements, developing detailed test plans, and executing both manual and automated tests to verify functionality, usability, performance, and security standards. The Lead QA Analyst collaborates closely with developers, vendors, IT teams, project managers, and business stakeholders to coordinate testing efforts, identify and document defects, monitor defect trends, and support release readiness. Additionally, this role provides project-level guidance and mentorship to QA analysts and other team members, promoting best practices in testing methodologies, documentation, and continuous improvement of QA processes and tools. The Lead QA Analyst is instrumental in maintaining high standards of quality assurance, supporting user acceptance testing (UAT), and ensuring that all releases meet the firm’s rigorous quality standards and client expectations. Qualifications The ideal candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree in a computer-related or technical field. Additional certifications such as ISTQB or similar quality assurance certifications are preferred. A minimum of six years of hands-on experience in IT quality assurance, software testing, or application testing is required, with demonstrated expertise in developing, executing, and leading comprehensive QA test plans, test cases, and scripts throughout the software development lifecycle. Practical experience in manual and automated testing, defect management, regression testing, and release validation is essential. Familiarity with testing tools such as Selenium, TestComplete, or comparable automation platforms, as well as defect tracking systems, is highly desirable. Candidates should have strong knowledge of QA methodologies, testing practices, and lifecycle processes. Excellent communication, collaboration, and organizational skills are necessary to effectively coordinate across technical and non-technical teams. Experience working in a law firm, professional services, or similar service-oriented environment is preferred but not mandatory. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint, Power BI, and collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom is expected. Responsibilities The Lead IT QA Analyst is tasked with overseeing all QA testing activities for assigned projects, ensuring comprehensive coverage and high-quality outcomes. Responsibilities include developing detailed QA test plans, test cases, and scripts aligned with business requirements and acceptance criteria. The role involves executing manual and automated tests to validate application functionality, performance, security, and usability, as well as leading regression testing to safeguard existing functionalities. The analyst must identify, document, and prioritize defects, collaborating with developers and stakeholders to facilitate timely resolution and retesting. Analyzing test results, defect trends, and quality metrics to assess release readiness and provide actionable insights to project teams is critical. The position also entails coordinating testing activities across multiple teams, managing test environment setups, and supporting user acceptance testing (UAT) by working closely with business stakeholders to ensure testing completion and acceptance criteria satisfaction. The Lead QA Analyst reviews vendor testing deliverables, supports QA tool and process improvements, and contributes to the enhancement of testing automation and documentation standards. Additionally, the role involves coordinating non-functional testing such as performance, security, and accessibility assessments, and maintaining awareness of emerging QA methodologies and tools to recommend process enhancements. The analyst may also participate in special projects, committees, or workgroups related to firm-wide IT initiatives, supporting continuous improvement and innovation in QA practices. Benefits Reed Smith US offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the well-being and professional development of its employees. Benefits include a 401(k) retirement plan with company matching, extensive medical insurance options, dental and vision coverage, and health savings accounts (HSA). The firm provides access to virtual health services, accident, hospital indemnity, critical illness, and life insurance plans, along with short-term and long-term disability coverage. Employees benefit from flexible spending accounts (FSA), employee assistance programs (EAP), paid family leave, and backup child care services. The firm also offers tuition assistance, paid time off, and paid sick leave, fostering a healthy work-life balance. Additional perks include transportation benefits, pet insurance, and wellness programs. Reed Smith emphasizes a challenging yet supportive work environment, with a business casual dress code and opportunities for career growth and development. The firm is committed to fostering diversity, inclusion, and employee engagement, making it a rewarding place to build a long-term career. Equal Opportunity Reed Smith US is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. The firm prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic. Reed Smith values diversity and strives to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates and employees. The firm is dedicated to fostering a workplace where everyone can contribute their unique perspectives and talents, ensuring a respectful, fair, and equitable environment for all.