Qa engineer - hourly contract

Stevens is a strategic advisory and technology firm that partners with companies on high-impact transformation and technology initiatives. We work closely with executive and technology leaders to solve complex problems, identify opportunities, and turn strategy into working solutions.

We’re looking for an experienced QA Engineer to join Stevens on a part-time, hourly contract basis and take ownership of software testing across our delivery work.

Our teams build production systems that need to perform reliably inside real businesses. We need someone who can understand how an application is supposed to work, identify where it could fail, and give the team a clear, evidence-based assessment of whether a release is ready.

You’ll work alongside Stevens engineers and technical delivery leadership to test changes, verify fixes, and establish repeatable QA practices. This is a hands-on role with room to shape how we work: from acceptance criteria and regression coverage to release checklists and test documentation. We use Linear to manage delivery and defects, and GitHub for code review and automated checks.

The engagement is expected to begin at approximately 5–10 hours per week, with agreed working blocks and scheduled availability around releases.

Depending on the engagement, you will:

• Review requirements and help define clear, testable acceptance criteria before development begins.
• Create and maintain practical test plans covering critical workflows, integrations, permissions, and failure scenarios.
• Perform functional, exploratory, regression, integration, and API testing.
• Validate relevant browser behavior, responsive layouts, and user workflows.
• Run smoke tests in test environments and complete approved production checks after deployment.
• Document defects in Linear with reproducible steps, expected and actual results, severity, and supporting evidence.
• Retest fixes and check for unintended effects on related functionality.
• Maintain test execution records identifying the environment, version tested, results, and outstanding issues.
• Provide clear release recommendations, flag blocking defects, and communicate coverage gaps to engineering and delivery leadership.
• Help establish consistent QA procedures, release checklists, and defect management practices.
• Identify valuable opportunities for test automation and work with engineers to implement and maintain them.
• Prioritize testing based on customer impact, technical risk, and available time.

This role is limited to contractors residing and performing the work in the United States or Canada.

Strong professional software QA experience, including independent responsibility for testing production applications and assessing release readiness.

Demonstrated ability to create test plans and regression suites, including in environments where QA practices are still being established.

Hands-on experience with manual, exploratory, functional, regression, and integration testing.

Experience testing APIs using Postman or comparable tools.

Understanding of authentication, authorization, data validation, and common application failure scenarios.

Ability to investigate issues using browser developer tools, logs, and API responses.

Experience writing clear test cases, defect reports, and release testing summaries.

Familiarity with GitHub pull requests, automated test results, and CI/CD workflows.

Experience with Linear, Jira, or a comparable issue-tracking system.

Sound judgment about defect severity, test coverage, and release risk.

Strong written and verbal communication skills, including explaining findings to non-technical stakeholders.

Ability to work independently, manage a part-time workload, and follow issues through verified resolution.

Availability for agreed working blocks and team discussions during U.S. Eastern business hours, including scheduled release testing.

Must reside and perform the work in the United States or Canada and be legally authorized to work in the country where based.

Experience in one or more of the following is a plus:

• Playwright, Cypress, Selenium, or comparable test automation frameworks.
• JavaScript, TypeScript, or Python for test automation.
• GitHub Actions and integrating automated tests into delivery workflows.
• SQL and database validation.
• Enterprise integrations, identity providers, and single sign-on.
• Testing AI or LLM-powered applications and evaluating variable outputs.
• Accessibility or performance testing.
• Familiarity with ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 or other structured software testing practices.
• Consulting, professional services, or other customer-facing delivery environments.

We place significant weight on testing judgment, clear communication, and demonstrated ownership of software quality. You should be comfortable deciding what needs testing, explaining why it matters, and producing results the team can act on.

Candidates may be asked to complete a short paid practical assessment and additional technical screening as part of the selection process. Depending on the engagement, client interviews may also be required.

This is a part-time, hourly independent contractor engagement.

Compensation: $40–$65 USD per hour, based on relevant experience and qualifications.

Initial commitment: Approximately 10–15 hours per week, beginning with a four-week paid engagement to assess fit and establish the initial QA workflow.

Remote work within the United States or Canada.

Agreed working blocks, with release testing scheduled in coordination with the delivery team.

Direct ownership of meaningful testing work and the opportunity to shape Stevens’ QA practices.

Collaboration with experienced engineers and technical delivery leaders.

Exposure to enterprise applications, integrations, and technology initiatives.

Contractors are paid bi-weekly through Deel.

Hours are logged through Harvest.

Hours may vary based on client and project requirements. Continued work will depend on project needs and mutual fit.

Engagements are subject to a background check conducted in accordance with applicable law. Any criminal history will be considered in relation to the responsibilities of the engagement and applicable legal requirements.