American Institutes for Research

AIR is seeking a Software Quality Assurance (QA) Specialist to join the FEWS NET team. The Software QA Specialist will play a critical role in ensuring the reliability, functionality, and performance of software tools and platforms that support FEWS NET’s mission. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is a USAID-funded initiative and a leading provider of early warning and analysis on acute food insecurity globally. Established in 1985 in response to famines in East and West Africa, FEWS NET delivers unbiased, evidence-based insights to governments, humanitarian agencies, and development partners. The network supports both emergency response and long-term resilience programming by monitoring food security conditions in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.

This position will be located at AIR's office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

About AIR:

Established in 1946, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world. We advance evidence in the areas of education, health, the workforce, human services, and international development to create a better, more equitable world.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive QA strategies, test plans, and test cases.
• Conduct manual and automated testing of web-based applications, data systems, and analytical tools.
• Identify, document, and track software defects and inconsistencies.
• Collaborate with developers and analysts to resolve issues and improve software quality.
• Ensure compliance with software development standards and best practices.
• Participate in requirements reviews and design discussions to provide QA insights.
• Support user acceptance testing (UAT) and training efforts.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of QA processes and tools.

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in software quality assurance or software testing.
• Solid understanding of QA methodologies, software development life cycles (SDLC), and testing best practices.
• Experience with automated testing frameworks and tools (e.g., Selenium, JUnit, TestNG). Familiarity with issue tracking and project management tools (e.g., JIRA, Bugzilla).
• Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments.
• Preferred: Experience supporting international development, humanitarian, or USAID-funded projects.
• Preferred: Exposure to data visualization, geospatial tools, or cloud-based platforms.

Skills:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
• Proficiency in writing clear, concise, and comprehensive test plans and test cases.
• Ability to identify, document, and track software defects effectively.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Adaptability to evolving project needs and emerging technologies.
• Preferred: Skills in scripting or programming languages used in test automation (e.g., Python, JavaScript).

Disclosures:

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.

AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks.

AIR maintains a drug-free work environment.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at tboone@air.org or call 202.403.5000.

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer:

AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out to recruitment@air.org.

If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find out more about how to avoid scams at ftc.gov/scams.

#LI-DNP