Accessibility QA Analyst

Business Need The Minnesota Judicial Branch requires a Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst with strong accessibility expertise to support ongoing testing efforts. This position is critical to ensuring continuity of both accessibility and general QA activities with minimal ramp-up time. The selected candidate will be expected to contribute immediately, supporting both accessibility-focused testing and broader QA functions based on project priorities. Accessibility is a key area of focus due to upcoming compliance timelines, requiring a resource with demonstrated experience in accessibility standards and the ability to work independently without extensive direction. In addition to accessibility responsibilities, the QA Analyst will support day-to-day quality assurance activities, including test execution, identification of testing gaps, and overall quality validation as applications continue to evolve. The selected candidate(s) will be required to sign a confidentiality, participation, and assignment of rights agreement in a form acceptable to the State. Project Deliverables This role will be responsible for: - Performing accessibility testing using WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA standards - Using screen readers (NVDA/JAWS) and keyboard navigation to validate user experience - Logging clear, actionable defects, including guidance for developers on how to fix - Retesting and validation of fixes to make sure issues are fully resolved - Supporting functional, regression, and exploratory testing as needed - Jumping between accessibility focused work and general QA tasks based on priorities - Work should be completed accurately and independently, without the need for ongoing direction. Project Milestones and Schedule - Start as soon as possible and begin contributing right away - Ongoing support as application continues to evolve and new features are developed and/or released - Continued accessibility validation as part of regular testing cycles - Contribute toward overall WCAG compliance goals Responsibilities Expected of the Selected Vendor - The vendor will provide project activity plan(s) and schedule(s) agreeable to the ITD Manager. - The vendor will assign a primary contact responsible for all formal communications between the vendor and the ITD manager regarding the contract. - The vendor must initiate and provide a criminal background check for submitted contractors. - The vendor and contractor will act in a professional manner and abide by all rules set forth by the Minnesota Judicial Branch. - The contractor will report to the ITD manager and will be expected to communicate regularly with all project stakeholders as determined by the ITD manager. - The selected contractor will follow State discipline standards, including use of State templates, methods, and forms. Qualifications and Skills Master Service Contract Resource Category: Quality Assurance - Solid QA experience, including functional and regression testing - Strong hands-on experience with accessibility testing (WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA) - Experience using screen readers, both NVDA and JAWS - Understanding of how accessibility issues show up in code (HTML, ARIA, etc.) - Ability to clearly explain issues and provide directions on how to fix them - Comfortable working independently and staying on track without close supervision Preferred Qualifications - Experience working in Agile environments - Familiarity with tools like axe DevTools or similar - Experience working with teams that are still building their accessibility knowledge - Ability to switch between different types of testing without losing momentum All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.