State of Maryland

An Information Technology (IT) Quality Assurance Specialist is the full performance level of work developing, implementing and monitoring quality assurance standards for information technology systems and services.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from an IT Quality Assurance Specialist Supervisor or other information technology administrator.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The IT Quality Assurance Specialist is differentiated from the IT Quality Assurance Specialist Supervisor in that the IT Quality Assurance Specialist performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision while the IT Quality Assurance Specialist Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for IT Quality Assurance Specialists.

Develops quality assurance standards for data processing systems and services so that users receive necessary services, errors are minimized and resources and funds are efficiently and economically used;

Develops quality assurance procedures and maintains quality assurance manuals;

Advises data processing personnel and systems users on the implementation of quality assurance standards and procedures;

Reviews and approves applications systems for adherence to quality assurance standards related to system design, development, testing, implementation and maintenance and maintains systems documentation libraries;

Examines computer programs developed in third generation or other generally accepted computer programming languages for correctness, efficiency, reliability, ease of maintenance and integrity and approves programs for release to production;

Reviews data processing services including computer operations, technical services, systems and programming, data entry and related services for adherence to quality assurance standards, procedures and documentation requirements;

Monitors the adequacy of and adherence to data processing internal controls and emergency, disaster recovery and security procedures;

Develops and implements processes to measure adherence to quality assurance standards and prepares reports of the results;

Recommends changes to correct deficiencies and enhance the quality of data processing systems and services;

Coordinates responses to internal and external audit exceptions related to data processing systems and services and follows up on corrective action plans;

Reviews journals, catalogues and other technical literature and attends workshops, seminars and training classes to keep abreast of the latest developments in quality assurance theory and methods and related data processing technology;

May conduct formal audits of data processing systems and services;

Performs other related duties.

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.