Document · Hiring Exercise JDs
Two paired JDs: Test Technician and Test Lead.The entry-level role and the role that grows them.
Paired job descriptions for Test Technician (entry-level) and Test Lead (experienced). Useful as hiring-panel reference material, as exercise material in interview training, and as a reminder of what ladder progression looks like inside a test team.
- Roles
- 2
- Career stage
- Entry / Mid-senior
- Use for
- Hiring, calibration
Key takeaways
Four things to remember.
01
The technician role is a career entry point
Organized, responsible, follows direction, eager to learn. Do not gate it on credentials you do not need.
02
The lead role is experienced, not just senior
Four-plus years, including lead roles. Leading test work is a demonstrable skill, not a title transition.
03
Domain knowledge is named explicitly
Windows, Internet technologies, e-commerce. When domain matters, name it. When it does not, say "domain is teachable".
04
Non-core expectations belong in "Other"
Shift work, travel, on-call, surface these up front in their own section so they do not ambush anyone late in the funnel.
Overview
These two JDs are intentionally short. They were written as interview-training exercises ("here is the role, write the phone-screen questions") and that brevity makes them useful reference points when you need to calibrate an open req quickly.
Use them as a sanity check: if your real JD for the same title is more than twice this long, look hard at what is in the extra weight.
01
Test Technician, Roles and Responsibilities
- Participate in test case development and execution in a Windows/Web environment.
- Assist the lead test engineer in gathering and formatting information for test results reporting.
02
Test Technician, Education
Degree or technical certification desirable but not required.
03
Test Technician, Experience
- Previous experience in test engineering, developing and executing test cases, test tools, and test suites is a plus.
- Windows test experience or knowledge of Windows technology required.
- Familiarity with Internet technologies like HTML, streaming audio/video, browsers, etc., required.
- Internet test experience highly desirable.
- Experience with e-commerce highly desirable.
04
Test Technician, Expertise Required
Ideal position for new-career or second-career person looking to enter the software business. Be organized, responsible, able to take and follow directions, and eager to learn.
05
Test Technician, Other
- Dress is business-casual.
- Position may require some evening or graveyard test shift work.
06
Test Lead, Roles and Responsibilities
- Lead test case development and execution by less-experienced test engineers and technicians in a Windows/Web environment.
- Assist the test manager in reporting test results to management and technical staff.
07
Test Lead, Education
B.Sc. in computer science, computer engineering, or electrical engineering, or two additional years experience, or tester certification.
08
Test Lead, Experience
- Four+ years experience in test engineering, developing and executing test cases, test tools, and test suites, including lead roles.
- Windows test experience and knowledge of Windows technology required.
- Familiarity with Internet technologies like HTML, streaming audio/video, browsers, etc., required.
- Internet test experience highly desirable.
- Experience with e-commerce highly desirable.
09
Test Lead, Expertise Required
A demonstrated career commitment to testing and/or quality assurance is preferred. The candidate should show a familiarity with state-of-the-art testing theory and practice, and be able to discuss how she applied the ideas in her previous positions.
10
Test Lead, Other
Dress is business-casual and hours are flexible. Some weekends and evenings will be required. Lead may need to provide direction to evening or graveyard test shift.
Take it with you
Download the piece you just read.
The library is free. Tell us who you are so we can send you updated versions. One form; this browser remembers you after that.
In the library
Pair this with.
Process · Team Building
Hire deliberately. Grow people continuously.
The test team is the product. This process structures hiring as a reversible, repeatable loop and pairs it with an always-on skills and career-path program.
Read →Document · Job Description
A test manager JD that names the real job.
A concise Software Test Manager job description that names the four things the role is actually responsible for: hands-on leadership, credible quality assessment, cross-functional coordination, and staffing.
Read →Document · Job Description
A job description for the test automation engineer you actually need.
A detailed job description for an Automated Test Engineer, structured around the four dimensions that make the role succeed: technical skill, results tracking, team contribution, and career growth.
Read →
Keep reading
Related reading
- Primer
Careers in Software Quality: Roles, Skills, and First Steps
What testers, test automation engineers, quality engineers, and test managers actually do, the skills each role uses, and practical first steps for students and career changers, including the ISTQB Foundation certification.
Read → - Primer
Errors, Defects, and Failures: What a Bug Really Is
Everyone says 'bug', but testers use three precise words: error, defect, and failure. Learn the difference, why it matters, and how severity and priority decide which problems get fixed first.
Read → - Primer
How Software Gets Attacked: Common Vulnerabilities in Plain English
The most common ways attackers break into software, explained without jargon: trusting input, broken access control, weak sign-in, misconfiguration, and outdated components. Each one comes with the defense that stops it.
Read → - Primer
How to Report a Bug So It Actually Gets Fixed
Finding a bug is half the job. Learn how to write a bug report a developer can act on: a clear summary, exact steps to reproduce, expected versus actual results, and the habits professional testers use to make every report count.
Read → - Primer
Security Testing Basics: Finding Weaknesses Before Attackers Do
An introduction to security testing for new testers and developers: thinking in threats, designing abuse cases, testing access control, the role of automated scanners and penetration tests, and the rules that keep security testing legal and ethical.
Read → - Primer
Staying Safe Online: Passwords, Sign-In, Phishing, and Updates
The everyday security habits that stop most attacks: strong unique passwords, multi-factor sign-in, spotting phishing, keeping devices updated, and sharing carefully. Written for students, families, and anyone starting out.
Read →
Practices
Where this leads
- QA & testingSoftware testing
Software quality consulting since 1994: we test the releases that matter, coach your team on the method, and measure how its testing matures.
Book a call → - TrainingQA and AI training
ISTQB certification and hands-on courses for testers, engineers, and leaders, from one of the first ASTQB-accredited training providers in the United States.
Book a call →