Quality Assurance Specialist

The Office of Strategic Communications’ Digital Experience team seeks a Quality Assurance Specialist who will be responsible for ensuring compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA requirements prior to the website and digital product launch. This person will conduct final checks of code and content using approved tools, including screen readers and manual testing, to verify websites meet university accessibility standards. This individual will also evaluate branding, UI, content, and analytics to flag any issues so they can be corrected by supporting Strategic Communications staff.

The Quality Assurance Specialist will also plan and conduct usability testing to provide insights on behaviors and operability of University of Maryland’s websites. The Specialist will also have hands-on development experience with the ability to jump into the code and provide support to the frontend development team.

Education (include licenses, certifications, etc.):
Bachelor’s degree required, with a preference in Information Systems, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field.

Experience:
Minimum of 5 years of technical experience in CSS, HTML5, JavaScript and prototyping tools, and at least 2 years experience performing accessibility audits.

The successful candidate must also have experience with screen reader software (JAWS, NVDA, TalkBack, VoiceOver, etc.), experience with troubleshooting web accessibility issues within client-side UI code, and practical experience utilizing latest web standards and design practices. Further, candidates must have experience with responsive design principles and testing methodologies.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Astute critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Willingness to expand and learn new techniques, tools, and skills as the industry evolves
• Knowledgeable about the guidelines defined by WCAG 2.1, Section 508 and other accessibility standards
• Knowledge of current best practices in usability and accessibility
• Demonstrated knowledge of web application performance best practices for high traffic websites
• Effective communicator both orally and in writing
• Proven ability to train others
• Ability to create and maintain technical and training documentation