Karen A. Jeffries-Wells
Orange
Summary
Results-driven QA Test Manager specializing in mainframe application testing and agile methodologies. Designs and executes comprehensive test plans, mentors junior testers, and ensures compliance with industry standards. Skilled in defect identification and documentation, contributing to improved system efficiency and reduced error rates.
Overview
35
35
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Mainframe QA Tester
Department of Defense
11.2024 - Current
- Conducted thorough testing on defense software applications to ensure quality assurance standards.
- Developed and executed comprehensive test plans to confirm system functionality meets specified requirements.
- Designed, executed, and verified business test cases based on established requirements.
- Validated functional changes, ensuring traceability of business requirements to system requirements.
- Utilized defect tracking tools like Jira to document test results and report identified issues effectively.
- Documented testing processes and results to comply with military standards.
- Trained junior testers on methodologies and procedures, improving team competency and knowledge retention.
- Collaborated with project managers to align testing schedules with development timelines.
Business Analyst, QA Lead/Tester
Deloitte Inc
09.2023 - 02.2024
- Clarified ambiguity in business requirements, ensuring clear understanding among stakeholders.
- Translate business requirements into system (functional/non-functional) requirements.
- Establish traceability of business requirements to the functional requirements so that code is developed, evaluated, and deployed to meet each business requirement.
- Validate that the proposed functional changes/solution meet the business requirements.
- Identified business trends by utilizing real data, compiling reports, and following up on results
- Collaborated with other Project Managers to implement a comprehensive plan for each project
- Utilized Jazz Team Server, HP ALM VERA, JIRA, SharePoint, MyAccess, Mainframe(Cobol), PowerPoint, Visio, Notepad
- Managed case files in DCF system in Florida, ensuring accurate data handling and compliance with protocols.
Project Manager, QA -Identity Management System
Bristol Myers Squibb
04.2021 - 06.2022
- Bridged gap between technology and business as effective communicator to senior management
- Collected insights from executives and stakeholders on current and future project needs
- Partnered with IT directors to make sure each project was attainable given their current workload
- Evaluated, tested, and recommended new opportunities for enhancing software, hardware, and/or processes
- Designed + executed A/B testing procedures via direct channels of communication between business and IT teams
- Analyzed real data to identify business trends, compiled reports, and tracked results
- Collaborated with other Project managers to implement a comprehensive plan for each project
- Utilized HP ALM VERA, JIRA, SharePoint
- (NJ)
Business Analyst/QA Test Manager, Visitor Management System
NBC Universal
NYC
04.2019 - 10.2020
- Led End to End Testing + Releases of 3rd Party Employee/Visitor Management System in Agile Environment
- Created and managed test cases, overseeing development, testing, releases, and defect management
- Developed UAT test plans for stakeholders and facilitated daily Scrum standups and reviews
- Cultivated end-to-end User Test Cases for review and executed pre-production testing
- Conducted smoke tests across all production environments
- Utilized HP ALM, JIRA, Azure, Visio, SharePoint
- (NYC)
Business Analyst/QA Test Manager, EMV Compliance
The Children's Place
NJ
04.2015 - 01.2018
- Executed business development and QA manual testing efforts utilizing my payment industry knowledge
- Utilized expertise to guide the process of building a 'new' platform for processing credit cards
- Built new platform for clearing & dispute reconciling w/ Visa, MC, AmEx, Discover, Total Systems + Merlin
- Managed testing, development releases, and defect management process with offshore developers in India to ensure timely delivery of quality software.
- Produced and presented UAT test plans and approach to stakeholders in an Agile environment, facilitating clear communication of testing strategy and objectives.
- Developed test execution plans and successfully coordinated UAT efforts across business teams
- Prepared comprehensive MIS reporting out of Agile/ALM for stakeholders and project team members
- Led scrum and defect review calls, ensuring accurate reporting, documentation, prioritization, and resolution of defects to maintain project momentum.
- Ensured the team followed agile values and principles and coordinated end-to-end test efforts
- Met all business and functional requirements to prepare for pilot testing with Fiserv.
- (NJ)
QA Analyst, Business Analyst - Cosentyx Patient Journey
Novartis
New Jersey
07.2014 - 12.2014
- Led 9-member test team in testing of Novartis electronic record (EMR) workflow testing and unit integration
- Oversaw functional/system testing, patient journey integration testing + exploratory testing for capital projects
- Managed Unit, Functional App, System Integration, Manual Regression, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
- Coordinated UAT cycles, led daily status calls, and developed comprehensive UAT scripts to ensure thorough testing coverage
- Assigned work to UAT testers and ensured timely execution and evidence capturing across the entire dept.
- Led scrum/defect review calls to ensure proper reporting, documentation, prioritization, and defect resolution
- Provided SDLC Standard Testing + Environment Management architecture to Chief Medical Info Officer
- Presented goals and objectives to Health Services Information Resources (HAIR) Department to align testing strategy with project vision
- Ensured that team followed agile values + principles while maintaining product backlog lists for all features
- Compiled Product Backlog lists for all functions, requirements, enhancements + fixes that comprised changes
- Conducted end-to-end test efforts ensuring all business and functional recs were met in prep for Pilot testing
- Tracked project materials in HL7 and ALM, ensuring accurate documentation of test cases, executions, requirements, defects, and traceability
QA Lead/Business Analyst, NASCO ICD10 Migration
BCBS
New Jersey
06.2013 - 12.2013
- Coordinated NASCO Migration Program ICD10 (NMP) User Acceptance Testing (UAT) for functionality
- Evaluated enrollment and billing functionality to NASCO platforms, including associated local app changes
- Led defect resolution efforts in collaboration with development and testing teams to ensure timely resolution of outstanding defects
- Resolved issues during UAT and production, collaborating closely with program group project members to maintain project integrity
- Conducted system testing and user acceptance testing, coordinating with team members.
- Monitored workflow and document updates across business stakeholder areas to facilitate claim processing migration
- Participated in Environment meetings to manage data issues + set up test beds to have a stable test environment
- Utilized HP ALM, Excel, SharePoint, Visio, Mainframe utilities (COBOL, JCL, FILE, Procs, CICS, DB2)
- Worked in New Jersey
QA Lead - POS Claims Legacy System Integration
Medco/Escripts
NJ
04.2013 - 06.2013
- Planned and presented project plans and user acceptance testing scenarios (UAT) to stakeholders, ensuring alignment with project goals
- Designed formal project plans and UAT test plans based on diverse user acceptance criteria
- Led system test cases incorporating system severity levels as final veracity of required system business function
- Designed and implemented test suites based upon Subject Matter Expert (SME) requirements
- Conducted regression testing efforts for all tests during each release
- Secured confirmation of system compliance with mutually agreed-upon requirements from program project leaders
- Accelerated payment time and improved cash flow resulting in lower overhead costs for pharmacies
- Utilized HP ALM, Excel, SharePoint, Mainframe utilities (COBOL, JCL, FILE, Procs, DB2)
- (NJ)
QA Test Manager, Wealth Management System
BoA/Merrill Lynch
NJ
07.2011 - 05.2012
- Defined project scopes and communicated project impact to stakeholders, ensuring alignment with organizational goals
- Led a QA team to define test plans and test cases while performing testing to ensure adherence to requirements
- Developed pre-production and post-production (UAT) User Acceptance Testing with business stakeholders
- Managed defect clarifications and resolved issues between Development and QA teams, facilitating smooth project progress
- Defined and evaluated problems and planned and implemented cost effective solutions
- Utilized HP ALM, Excel, SharePoint, Mainframe utilities (COBOL, JCL, FILE, Procs, CICS, DB2)
- (NJ)
Lead QA Tester, "Desire to Learn"
Department of Education
NYC
01.2011 - 04.2011
- Interfaced with management and stakeholders, collaborating closely with project managers to align testing efforts with project goals
- Executed white/black/unit/system/user/risk/regression/stress/UAT testing procedures, contributing to thorough validation of software functionality and performance
- Coordinated testing activities with third-party vendors and user community, ensuring comprehensive feedback and quality assurance across platforms
- Defined and documented the Business Requirements Document, Test and Evaluation Strategy and Test Cases
- Assisted clients in NYC
Senior QA Lead Tester
Department of Sanitation
NYC
07.2010 - 11.2010
- Designed UAT test cases based on user acceptance, integration, and system test cases to ensure comprehensive coverage of business requirements
- Incorporated system severity levels for final verification of business functions, enhancing accuracy in testing outcomes
- Utilized HP ALM, Excel, SharePoint, and mainframe utilities (COBOL, JCL, FILE, Procs, CICS, DB2) to streamline testing processes and manage test documentation
- Performed tasks in New York City
QA Lead Tester/BA, Global Securities Processing
Merrill Lynch
NYC
05.2006 - 07.2009
- Conducted business analysis to produce business requirements and critical design documents that guided project development
- Developed use cases, user stories, and conceptual solution documentation, including screen and interface designs to enhance user experience
- Interfaced directly with management and stakeholders regarding functional specifications
- Performed programming specifications, testing scripts and implementation plans for new and existing systems
- Forecasted workloads and created prototyping screens for management review, facilitating informed decision-making
- Utilized HP ALM, Excel, SharePoint, Mainframe utilities (COBOL, JCL, FILE, Procs, CICS, DB2)
- (NYC)
Programmer, QA Lead Software Engineer, Global Securities Processing
Bank of NY
NYC
03.1993 - 02.2006
- Supervised staff performing development; maintenance for Global + Domestic Securities Processing System
- Designed, tested, and implemented new functionality for Domestic Security Trading System to meet evolving user needs.
- Developed functional and business requirements along with AS-IS business process workflow documentation and analysis to support system enhancements.
- Conducted UAT testing to ensure compliance with legal and contractual requirements, contributing to system stability in production.
- Designed formal UAT test cases drawn from wide range of user acceptance, integration, and system test cases
- Incorporated system severity levels as a final verification of the required business function of the system
- Emulated real-world usage conditions on behalf of the client ensuring that the software worked as intended
- Utilized HP ALM, Excel, SharePoint, Mainframe utilities (COBOL, JCL, FILE, Procs, TSO, DB2)
- Worked in New York City.
Programmer, Systems Analyst, Global Securities Processing
Smith Barney/Travelers/Citibank
NYC
01.1991 - 02.1993
- Built requirements, analysis, design, program, testing and implementation of Global Security Trading System
- Documented current and future business processes to streamline operations
- Defined business requirements and supervised a team of seven to ensure project alignment
- Implemented unit, functional, system, and UAT manual test scripts to enhance software reliability
- Managed workload forecasting and directed interface with management and key project stakeholders
- Utilized HP ALM, Excel, SharePoint, Mainframe utilities (COBOL, JCL, FILE, Procs, TSO, File, CICS, DB2)
- Worked in New York City
Education
Courses - Strategic Design and Management
The New School
New York, NY04-2026
Certificate - Mainframe Computer Process
Dover Business College
Clifton, NJ12-1984
3 years - Philosophy
Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT05-1974
Skills
- Mainframe Testing
- QTP
- HP ALM
- JIRA
- SoapUI
- Regression Testing
- System Testing
- Agile/Scrum Methodology
- Scrum Methodology
- DevOps
- CICS
- DB2
- VSAM
- JCL
- TSO
- Z/OS
- MVS/OS-390
- Waterfall
- Software lifecycle
- CMMI
- FTP
- Activity Diagram
- Class Analysis Diagram
- COBOL2
- HTML
- Microsoft Team Foundation Server
- Azure
- SharePoint
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Google Suite
- CompareX
- View Direct
- Infopac
- PageCenter
- IBM Utilities
- Xpeditor
- File Aid
- ISPF Editor
- Panvalet
- Easytrieve
- Librarian
- ALM VERA
- Integrify
- SoapUI
- DevOps
- System Testing
- Regression Testing
- Integrify
Certification
- CIW Web Foundations Specialist, 744212, 480 Hrs. Intensive Study
- Certified CIW Business Associate, 1D0-61A
- Certified CIW Site Development Associate, 1D0-61B
- Certified CIW Network Technology Associate, 1D0-61C
- Certified CIW Web Foundations Associate, 1D0-610
- Licensed Real Estate Agent, NJ
Timeline
Mainframe QA Tester
Department of Defense
11.2024 - Current
Business Analyst, QA Lead/Tester
Deloitte Inc
09.2023 - 02.2024
Project Manager, QA -Identity Management System
Bristol Myers Squibb
04.2021 - 06.2022
Business Analyst/QA Test Manager, Visitor Management System
NBC Universal
04.2019 - 10.2020
Business Analyst/QA Test Manager, EMV Compliance
The Children's Place
04.2015 - 01.2018
QA Analyst, Business Analyst - Cosentyx Patient Journey
Novartis
07.2014 - 12.2014
QA Lead/Business Analyst, NASCO ICD10 Migration
BCBS
06.2013 - 12.2013
QA Lead - POS Claims Legacy System Integration
Medco/Escripts
04.2013 - 06.2013
QA Test Manager, Wealth Management System
BoA/Merrill Lynch
07.2011 - 05.2012
Lead QA Tester, "Desire to Learn"
Department of Education
01.2011 - 04.2011
Senior QA Lead Tester
Department of Sanitation
07.2010 - 11.2010
QA Lead Tester/BA, Global Securities Processing
Merrill Lynch
05.2006 - 07.2009
Programmer, QA Lead Software Engineer, Global Securities Processing
Bank of NY
03.1993 - 02.2006
Programmer, Systems Analyst, Global Securities Processing
Smith Barney/Travelers/Citibank
01.1991 - 02.1993
Courses - Strategic Design and Management
The New School
Certificate - Mainframe Computer Process
Dover Business College
3 years - Philosophy
Fairfield University