Junior Test Engineer (DEA)

Expression•Arlington, VA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Expression is seeking a Junior Test Engineer to support the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Investigative Case and Data Ecosystem (ICDE) modernization effort. The program is focused on delivering a modern, secure, user-friendly investigative and case management ecosystem for DEA's law enforcement, investigative, forensic, and intelligence communities. This early-career role supports functional testing of Pega applications and related system capabilities in collaboration with developers, business analysts, and experienced QA professionals. The engineer helps validate functionality against requirements and user stories, document defects, maintain test artifacts, and contribute to quality throughout the Agile software development lifecycle. The position is primarily onsite at DEA Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. A Top Secret clearance is required, along with willingness to pursue SCI.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field and 1 year of professional experience.
Exposure to or foundational understanding of Pega testing concepts or Pega functional testing tools through coursework, training, internships, or professional experience.
Basic understanding of Quality Assurance principles, including test-case creation, defect reporting, functional testing, and regression testing.
Ability to read and interpret requirements or user stories and translate them into clear test steps.
Familiarity with Agile development methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban through coursework, internships, or previous roles.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to clearly document issues, defects, test results, and testing outcomes.
Experience with or knowledge of common test-management or defect-tracking tools such as Jira or Azure DevOps.
Top Secret clearance and willingness to pursue SCI.

Nice To Haves

Pega certification, such as CSA, CSSA, or another applicable entry-level certification.
Exposure to automated testing tools for Pega applications, such as PegaUnit or Selenium for Pega UI.
Familiarity with Agile-focused testing methodologies, including Scrum, SAFe, or hybrid environments.
Interest in or basic exposure to test-automation or hybrid-testing frameworks.
Awareness of CI/CD concepts and how software testing integrates into automated delivery pipelines.
Exposure to testing Federal Government or other complex enterprise applications.

Responsibilities

Support the design and execution of functional test cases for Pega applications by following established testing guidelines and workflows.
Work with developers, business analysts, and senior QA team members to understand requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria.
Validate system functionality against documented requirements to confirm expected system behavior.
Execute functional and regression tests and document test results accurately.
Identify and document software defects, and collaborate with engineering teams to track issues through resolution and retesting.
Contribute to test-planning activities by providing input on test scope and helping estimate testing effort under guidance.
Maintain and update test documentation, including regression test cases, test results, testing checklists, and supporting QA artifacts.
Support User Acceptance Testing and other system validation activities as assigned.
Participate in Agile ceremonies, including stand-ups, sprint planning, sprint reviews, and retrospectives.
Support testing throughout development iterations and help align testing activities with sprint requirements.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to promote quality standards throughout the software development lifecycle.
Review and analyze test results and escalate potential risks, defects, or issues to senior QA team members.
Assist with testing system workflows, integrations, and user-facing functionality.