NLM QA Specialist

Ripple Effect • Bethesda, MD

5h • Onsite

About The Position

Ripple Effect is seeking an experienced QA Specialist to support mission-critical applications and systems that advance our client’s objectives. The QA Specialist will play a key role in ensuring that applications are reliable, secure, and compliant with industry best practices by leading testing efforts across platforms and environments and partnering closely with IT system administrators and engineering teams. Serving as a senior contributor within the QA function, this role is responsible for executing and reviewing complex quality assurance activities, supporting application planning, and developing clear instructions and documentation for end users. Through a strong focus on quality, collaboration, and continuous improvement, this position helps ensure high standards for software development while supporting data-driven decision-making and effective client engagement. The role requires passion for solving technical challenges, driving quality, and thriving in collaborative, cross-functional teams.

Requirements

• High School Diploma
• 3 years of relevant professional experience
• Demonstrated experience testing applications across multiple environments and platforms (e.g. browsers, operating systems, staging vs. production)
• Working knowledge of software development lifcycle (SDLC) best practices and quality assurance methodologies
• Experience collaborating with IT system administrators, developers, or infrastructure teams to support application reliability and performance.
• Intermediate experience with Microsoft Office productivity software and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams and SharePoint.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and documentation skills.
• Ability to pay attention to details
• Ability to clearly communicate
• Ability to work independently
• Eagerness to learn

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency with structured QA approaches such as risk-based testing, regression testing and exploratory testing to improve coverage and efficiency
• Experience introducing or improving test automation, QA tools, or repeatable testing processes that increase consistency and reduce manual effort.
• Strong understanding of Section 508 compliance and accessibility standards.
• Previous experience with NIH, especially NLM
• Additional Years of Experience and/or advanced degree
• Intermediate experience with AI tools, including their limitations and risks, and how they can be applied to support database management tasks.

Responsibilities

• Partner with IT Systems Administrators to ensure applications are thoroughly tested, perform reliably across environments and platforms, and align with software development and web development best practices.
• Applies analytical methods to interpret technical and operational data, contributing to the development of meaningful, data-driven insights while supporting the creation of reports and presentations by ensuring analytical accuracy, clarity of findings, and alignment with project objectives, enabling stakeholders and clients to make informed decisions.
• Supports project planning by setting objectives, executing assigned tasks independently, and monitoring progress against timelines. This position tracks resource utilization, documents deliverable status, and provides realistic estimates for task completion to support efficient, cost-effective execution of work while helping teams stay on schedule.
• Proactively identifies workflow, integration, and quality challenges and recommends improvements to streamline processes, reduce redundancies, and enhance overall efficiency. You will support continuous improvement efforts by contributing insights that strengthen delivery models and improve the quality and consistency of outcomes.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: High school or GED