Functional QA Analyst at ApplaudoStudios

About You You are a Functional QA Analyst with strong experience ensuring the quality, reliability, and usability of software applications through structured testing and quality assurance practices. You take ownership of testing activities, proactively identify risks, and help drive high-quality delivery across client projects. You bring a detail-oriented, analytical, and autonomous mindset, capable of designing and executing comprehensive testing strategies, validating business requirements, and identifying defects throughout the software development lifecycle. You are comfortable collaborating with cross-functional teams, communicating testing progress and risks, and contributing to a strong quality culture within Agile environments. You thrive in collaborative environments where continuous improvement, accountability, and quality excellence are highly valued. You are proactive, adaptable, and committed to delivering reliable solutions aligned with business and client expectations. • This position is open to candidates based in El Salvador and Central America.You bring to Applaudo the following competencies: • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field. • 5+ years of experience in QA or software testing roles, with a strong focus on functional testing and defect management. • Strong experience designing, implementing, and executing test cases and test strategies. • Experience planning and coordinating testing activities based on project scope, objectives, and risks. • Experience executing manual test cases across functional, regression, integration, and UAT testing. • Strong experience with API testing using tools such as Postman or SoapUI (fundamental requirement). • Familiarity with automation concepts and ability to execute automated test scripts. • Strong understanding of SDLC, QA methodologies, and testing best practices. • Experience working in Agile environments (Scrum, Kanban, DevOps). • Experience with test management and defect tracking tools (e.g., JIRA, Azure DevOps, TestRail, Zephyr). • Familiarity with SQL for data validation and basic queries. • Understanding of cross-browser and cross-platform testing. • Familiarity with version control and collaboration tools (e.g., Git, Confluence). • Awareness of CI/CD pipelines and QA integration processes. • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and attention-to-detail skills. • Strong communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management abilities. • Highly proactive, autonomous, and self-driven approach to work. • Experience mentoring or coaching team members is a plus. • English proficiency (B2 or higher).You will be accountable for the following responsibilities: • Design, implement, and execute test cases for assigned client projects. • Define, develop, and review test policies, standards, and testing strategies. • Plan testing activities based on project objectives, scope, and identified risks. • Coordinate test plans and execution with project managers, development managers, and Agile teams. • Lead the analysis, design, implementation, and execution of testing efforts. • Execute manual tests across functional, regression, integration, and UAT scenarios. • Execute automated test scripts and analyze results. • Perform API testing and validate integrations across systems and services. • Monitor test progress, results, and compliance with exit criteria or definition of done. • Prepare and deliver test progress reports, test summary reports, and quality metrics. • Define and track metrics to measure testing progress and evaluate testing quality. • Identify, document, track, and support prioritization of defects, findings, and ambiguities. • Collaborate with business analysts, developers, product owners, and stakeholders to clarify requirements and quality expectations. • Provide feedback on quality risks throughout the software development lifecycle. • Ensure traceability between requirements, test cases, and defects. • Support exploratory testing to identify usability and workflow issues. • Support the selection, evaluation, and implementation of testing tools and frameworks. • Promote QA best practices and advocate for quality across the organization. • Coach and mentor team members to strengthen technical and testing skills. • Participate actively in Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives. • Contribute to the continuous improvement of QA processes and methodologies.