QA Analyst

Discover

The Opportunity

PLATO is one of Canada's leading software testing services firms, driven by the mission of building a stronger, more inclusive technology workforce. While we are proudly Indigenous-led and committed to creating opportunities for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, our team reflects the rich diversity of Canada. We welcome talented individuals from all backgrounds who share our passion for quality and excellence in software testing.

At PLATO, we believe that better software leads to a better world. Our software testing specialists come together with a shared commitment to delivering exceptional results for our clients while building strong, resilient communities. We have established offices in Fredericton, Ottawa/Gatineau, Sault Ste. Marie, Regina, Calgary, Vancouver, and Victoria, including locations near Indigenous communities.

By bringing together people from diverse perspectives, experiences, and communities, we ensure innovation, collaboration, and the highest standards in software quality assurance.

The Associate Consultant / Consultant will execute functional and integration testing activities and engage directly with clients to ensure high-quality deliverables; the ideal candidate is a hands-on tester with strong communication skills, API testing experience, and the ability to work independently in an onsite test lab environment.
This role requires someone comfortable representing PLATO to clients while executing test efforts in downtown Sault Ste. Marie (SSM) five days per week.

What you'll do

Responsibilities

Working under the guidance of a Test Lead or Project Manager, the QA Analyst will support a broad range of testing and client-facing functions, including:

Functional & Integration Testing

- Plan, design, and execute functional test cases based on requirements and acceptance criteria.

- Perform integration testing across system components and validate data flows between systems.

- Conduct API testing (including request/response validation, error handling, and boundary conditions).

- Log, track, and retest defects; ensure issues are clearly documented with steps to reproduce and impact analysis.

Client Engagement & Documentation

- Establish and maintain a positive rapport with clients while representing PLATO in all interactions.

- Communicate testing status, risks, and results through written reports and verbal updates to clients and internal stakeholders.

- Prepare and maintain test artifacts (test plans, test cases, test scripts, defect reports, and sign-off documentation).

- Collaborate with business analysts, developers, and system integrators to clarify requirements and resolve issues.

Other Duties

- Work onsite from the downtown SSM test lab five days per week; coordinate lab access and environment usage as needed.

- Use Excel to organize test data, produce traceability matrices, and summarize test metrics.

- Contribute to continuous improvement of testing processes and best practices within the team.

- Support ad-hoc project needs such as smoke testing, release validation, and participation in sprint ceremonies when required.

What you'll need

Qualifications

Required:

- Minimum 2 years of hands-on functional testing experience.

- Demonstrated experience in API testing (REST/HTTP, JSON/XML, status codes, payload validation).

- Knowledge of integration testing concepts and practices.

- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel for test data management and reporting.

- Strong written and oral communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills; ability to work independently.

Nice to Have:

- Experience working with multiple stakeholders in a decentralized or matrixed environment.

- Business Analyst experience or training (, IBAA certification) or equivalent exposure to BA activities.

- Familiarity with test automation tools or scripting for regression testing.

- Previous consulting experience or demonstrated ability to establish client trust and manage client interactions.

We're looking for

Core Skills

A little bit about us

PLATO

Who We Are
PLATO is a software testing and technology services company trusted by clients around the world.

In addition to providing our clients the highest quality software testing services, PLATO is creating careers in technology for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people from coast to coast to coast through our innovative train-and-employ model. Since 1997, we have been helping organizations all over the world reach their quality objectives by delivering scalable, proven, quality-centric managed services. Companies such as Apple, Suncor, TD Bank, Medavie, BCLC, Linked In, Boeing, and many others have gained…