QE Mainframe Tester

Saxon Global•Denver, CO

About The Position

Seeking a vendor to develop and implement a scalable QA automation framework to support the modernization of its Order Management System ecosystem, which includes both legacy mainframe and modern cloud-based platforms. The engagement involves automating critical end-to-end business workflows across order entry, routing, execution, and trade processing, integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines, and delivering comprehensive documentation and knowledge transfer. The objective is to reduce regression testing cycle times, enhance test coverage and reliability, and improve overall platform stability to support ongoing OMS modernization efforts. The OMS ecosystem includes a legacy mainframe-based Order Management System utilizing COBOL, CICS, and DB2, with a SOAP service layer. It also includes a modern cloud-based platform built on microservices and REST APIs, supporting retail equities and options trading. The critical business workflows that need to be automated include order entry and submission across channels, order lifecycle processing (routing, execution, status updates, amendments, cancellations, corrections), trade processing and validation, and cross-platform interactions between legacy and modern OMS. The existing tools and technologies used for QA automation include a Java-based automation framework, Cucumber for behavior-driven development (BDD), and Selenium for UI automation. While these are the current tools, there is openness to recommendations for enhancements or alternative tools that offer stability, reliability, ease of maintenance, and integration with the existing ecosystem. Automated tests should be integrated into the CI/CD pipelines to enable automated regression execution and on-demand testing. This integration will involve incorporating the automation framework into build and deployment pipelines, ensuring that test execution is automated and results are reported effectively. The current challenges in regression testing cycles include a lack of comprehensive, well-documented regression test coverage across both legacy and modern platforms, and the absence of end-to-end automation that spans these systems. The current level of test coverage is insufficient to support the modernization efforts effectively. The target level is to establish end-to-end regression coverage across key Order Management System (OMS) workflows, ensuring a unified automation framework that supports both legacy and modern OMS, integrated with CI/CD pipelines. The automation framework is expected to improve reliability by reducing regression testing cycle times, enhancing test coverage across critical workflows, and improving the stability and reliability of automated tests. It aims to reduce defect leakage to production, ensure low test flakiness, and provide consistent execution results. Additionally, robust test data management and minimal dependency on static datasets are key aspects of the reliability improvements. The QA automation framework requires comprehensive documentation standards, including framework design documentation, runbooks, operational guides, maintenance and extensibility guidelines, and a complete documentation package covering architecture, codebase, and execution processes. Additionally, structured knowledge transfer sessions and transition support to internal teams are essential to ensure the sustainability and extensibility of the automation capabilities. The automation framework for the Order Management System modernization must adhere to compliance and regulatory requirements typical for financial systems. This includes ensuring data protection, secure data handling, and maintaining audit trails to comply with financial regulations and security best practices. Post-implementation support is expected to focus on enabling internal teams to sustain and extend the automation capabilities. This includes conducting structured training sessions on framework usage, test development standards, execution, and reporting. Comprehensive documentation will be provided, covering architecture, codebase, and runbooks, to ensure a smooth transition and handover to the internal QA team.

Requirements

Experience with legacy mainframe-based Order Management Systems (COBOL, CICS, DB2).
Experience with modern cloud-based platforms (microservices, REST APIs).
Experience automating critical business workflows (order entry, lifecycle processing, trade processing).
Experience with Java-based automation frameworks.
Experience with Cucumber for behavior-driven development (BDD).
Experience with Selenium for UI automation.
Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines.
Knowledge of financial systems compliance and regulatory requirements.
Ability to ensure data protection, secure data handling, and maintain audit trails.
Experience with test data management.
Ability to reduce test flakiness and provide consistent execution results.

Nice To Haves

Recommendations for enhancements or alternative tools that offer stability, reliability, ease of maintenance, and integration with the existing ecosystem.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a scalable QA automation framework.
Automate critical end-to-end business workflows across order entry, routing, execution, and trade processing.
Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines.
Deliver comprehensive documentation and knowledge transfer.
Reduce regression testing cycle times.
Enhance test coverage and reliability.
Improve overall platform stability.
Review and assess existing test suites.
Ensure automated tests are integrated into CI/CD pipelines.
Provide post-implementation support for internal teams.
Conduct structured training sessions on framework usage, test development standards, execution, and reporting.
Ensure adherence to compliance and regulatory requirements for financial systems.