Director, Quality Assurance at Appian Corporation

Here at Appian, our core values of Respect, Work to Impact, Ambition, and Constructive Dissent & Resolution define who we are. In short, this means we constantly seek to understand the best for our customers, we go beyond completion in our work, we strive for excellence with intensity, and we embrace candid communication. These values guide our actions and shape our culture every day.  When you join Appian, youll be part of a passionate team thats dedicated to accomplishing hard things.

Here at Appian, our core values of Respect, Work to Impact, Ambition, and Constructive Dissent & Resolution define who we are. In short, this means we constantly seek to understand the best for our customers, we go beyond completion in our work, we strive for excellence with intensity, and we embrace candid communication. These values guide our actions and shape our culture every day.  When you join Appian, youll be part of a passionate team thats dedicated to accomplishing hard things.

In the Business Technology group, were not just a team; we are the embodiment of Appian’s vision, harnessing our own cutting-edge software to power every corner of our vibrant company. The team collaborates extensively with stakeholders across the business and is responsible for delivering applications that simplify operations. From data analysis, to stakeholder management, to creative problem solving, our teams combine their skills and leverage technology to tackle challenging business problems across the enterprise.

Join us as a Director, Quality Assurance within our Business Technology team. You will stand as a champion for engineering quality by ensuring we account for complex system interactions, delegating quality tasks, and scaling a QA team. If youre searching for an opportunity that will allow you to create meaningful software solutions while working closely with business stakeholders in a fast-paced, agile environment, join us! The Business Technology Apps team will provide you with the support and growth you need to strengthen and evolve your skills -- and your contributions will immediately impact and always make a difference.

This role is based at Appians Headquarters in McLean, VA. Employees hired for this position will have the opportunity to work in a flexible, hybrid environment. If you are not already located in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area, your willingness to relocate will be a contingency for this position.

To be successful in this role, you will:

• Own the QA strategy and establish QA best practices and standards, leveraging existing testing resources for manual and automated testing.
• Define QA charter and variations for various technology stacks, including custom development and commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions. Once established: build, maintain and improve these test artifacts for rapid and efficient reuse.
• Manage team financials, including budgeting and resource planning
• Serve as a leader responsible for management of a team of Quality Assurance Engineers, participating in attracting, retaining, and growing QA staff.
• Collaborate with developers on an agile team to review Acceptance Criteria, evolve SDLC, and implement test-driven development practices.
• Support existing features by conducting regression testing and incident postmortems, aiding in the analyses and documentation of root causes, defects, and anomalies.
• Facilitate release activities for multiple applications, ensuring timely and complete deliverables.
• Advise and champion for applying test automation design and techniques.
• Step-in when needed to manually test and troubleshoot new features.

Basic qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree, B.S. in Computer Science or related field preferred
• 12-15+ years of experience supporting Quality Assurance initiatives 
• 8+ years developing quality processes
• 5+ years managing both individuals contributors and line managers
• 5+ years experience developing test automation infrastructure and coding automated tests

Nice to Haves:

• Advanced degree in Computer Science or related field
• Previous experience establishing a quality assurance team and practice
• Previous experience using and testing a SaaS platform, preferably a low-code platform

Tools and Resources 

• Training and Development: During onboarding, we focus on equipping new hires with the skills and knowledge for success through department-specific training. Continuous learning is a central focus at Appian, with dedicated mentorship and the First-Friend program being widely utilized resources for new hires. 
• Growth Opportunities: Appian provides a diverse array of growth and development opportunities, including our leadership program tailored for new and aspiring managers, a comprehensive library of specialized department training through Appian University, skills based training, and tuition reimbursement for those aiming to advance their education. This commitment ensures that employees have access to a holistic range of development opportunities.
• Community: We’ll immerse you into our community rooted in respect starting on day one. Appian fosters inclusivity through our 8 employee-led affinity groups . These groups help employees build stronger internal and external networks by planning social, educational, and outreach activities to connect with Appianites and larger initiatives throughout the company.

About Appian

Appian is a software company that automates business processes. The Appian AI-Powered Process Platform includes everything you need to design, automate, and optimize even the most complex processes, from start to finish. The worlds most innovative organizations trust Appian to improve their workflows, unify data, and optimize operations—resulting in better growth and superior customer experiences.

Appian Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Further, Appian will not discriminate against applicants for inquiring about, discussing or disclosing their pay or, in certain circumstances, the pay of their co‐worker, Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination . Appian provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees in accordance with all applicable laws .