QA Analyst, UI and Front End

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: QA Analyst, UI and Front End Company: IXL Learning Location: San Mateo, CA Job Type: Full-time Category: Quality Assurance / Operations Date Posted: December 17, 2025 Experience Level: 2-5 Years Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is critical for ensuring the quality and user experience of IXL Learning's front-end web applications, with a specialized focus on UI testing and validation.
• The QA Analyst will be responsible for developing comprehensive test plans, executing diverse testing methodologies, and collaborating closely with product and engineering teams to identify and resolve defects.
• This position offers an opportunity to contribute to educational technology products used by millions of students and educators globally, impacting the future of learning.
• The role involves iterative improvement of existing testing processes and standards to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and overall product quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the provided job title is "QA Analyst, UI and Front End," the responsibilities and required skills strongly align with a Quality Assurance role focused on the user-facing aspects of software development. Given the emphasis on UI/UX and front-end elements within an EdTech company, this role can be viewed as a specialized operations function within the product development lifecycle, focusing on user experience and functional integrity.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and execute detailed test plans, test cases, and test estimations for front-end web applications, ensuring thorough coverage of UI and UX requirements.
• Conduct comprehensive testing, including functionality, regression, integration, UI, smoke, exploratory, stress, and performance testing, to identify and document defects.
• Collaborate effectively with product managers and engineers to understand business requirements, review specifications, and facilitate the timely resolution of identified issues throughout the development lifecycle.
• Manage and communicate QA status, risks, and progress on a daily basis to stakeholders, ensuring transparency and proactive problem-solving.
• Analyze test results, generate detailed test execution reports, and provide insights to drive continuous improvement in product quality and testing methodologies.
• Contribute to the refinement and optimization of existing testing processes, tools, and standards to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and scalability within the QA function.
• Validate user interface elements and user experience flows across various browsers and devices to ensure a consistent and intuitive user journey.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a proactive and analytical approach to quality assurance, emphasizing not just execution but also strategic planning and process improvement. For a QA Analyst in this context, demonstrating an understanding of the software development lifecycle (SDLC) and agile methodologies would be crucial.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 2-5 years of dedicated experience in Quality Assurance, with a strong emphasis on front-end web application testing, UI/UX validation, and web design principles.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in Quality Assurance methodologies and best practices for front-end applications.
• Deep understanding of UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) principles and their importance in web application quality.
• Proficiency in developing and executing comprehensive test plans, test cases, and test scenarios.
• Experience with various testing types, including functional, regression, integration, smoke, exploratory, stress, and performance testing.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a keen eye for detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate technical issues clearly and concisely to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment, managing multiple tasks and priorities effectively.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and detail-oriented approach to quality assurance.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with bug tracking and project management tools such as JIRA.
• Experience with Unix/Linux operating systems.
• Basic knowledge of SQL for data validation and backend testing.
• Understanding of JavaScript, CSS, and HTML for front-end element analysis.
• Experience with source control systems (e.g., Git).
• Exposure to mobile device development and testing environments.
• A passion for education technology and improving learning outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The preferred skills list, including JIRA, Unix, SQL, JavaScript, and CSS, indicates that while the primary focus is UI/front-end QA, a foundational understanding of the underlying technologies and development tools is highly valued. This suggests that candidates with a broader technical acumen will be more competitive. The "passion for education" is a key cultural fit indicator.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrations of well-structured test plans and test cases, showcasing thoroughness and alignment with functional and UI requirements.
• Case studies detailing specific UI testing challenges encountered and the methodologies used to resolve them, highlighting attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
• Examples of bug reports, emphasizing clarity, reproducibility steps, and impact assessment for front-end defects.
• Documentation showcasing experience with testing across different browsers and devices, illustrating cross-platform compatibility validation.
• Evidence of contributions to process improvement initiatives within previous QA roles, such as refining test case design or defect reporting procedures.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of how test estimations were developed and refined based on project scope and complexity.
• Documentation of how test results were analyzed and communicated, including the types of metrics and reports generated.
• Evidence of participation in root cause analysis for critical defects, demonstrating an ability to identify underlying issues beyond surface-level bugs.
• Examples of exploratory testing strategies employed, highlighting adaptability and the ability to uncover unexpected issues.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UI and Front End QA Analyst, a portfolio should clearly illustrate their ability to translate requirements into actionable test scenarios and meticulously document findings. It should showcase their understanding of the end-user perspective and their skill in identifying usability and visual defects.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $68,700 - $90,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Retirement savings plan with company match (e.g., 401(k)).
• Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
• Opportunities for professional development and continuous learning.
• Access to IXL's innovative educational products and resources.
• Potential for performance-based bonuses or incentives.
• Commuter benefits or other location-specific perks.

Working Hours: Standard full-time, approximately 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday. The role operates within the Pacific Time Zone (PT).

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific to the San Mateo, CA location. This range is competitive for a QA Analyst with 2-5 years of experience in the San Francisco Bay Area, a region with a high cost of living and a robust tech industry. The benefits package is typical for a full-time position in the US tech sector.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Education Technology (EdTech), Software Development. IXL Learning is a leading company in the EdTech sector, providing personalized learning products that reach millions of users globally. Their product suite includes IXL.com, Rosetta Stone, Wyzant, and Teachers Pay Teachers, indicating a broad impact across different learning segments.

Company Size: Large (over 1,000 employees, based on typical industry classifications for companies with such a broad product portfolio and reach). This size suggests a structured environment with established processes but also opportunities for specialization and impact.

Founded: The founding date is not explicitly provided, but the company's established presence and diverse product offerings imply a history of innovation and growth over several years.

Team Structure:

• The QA Analyst will likely be part of a dedicated QA team, potentially segmented by product area (e.g., Mobile Apps, IXL Web, Business Tools) as mentioned in the job description.
• This team will report to a QA Manager or Lead, with direct collaboration with Product Managers and Software Engineers within specific product squads or feature teams.
• Cross-functional collaboration is a key aspect, requiring close interaction with design, product, and development teams to ensure cohesive product quality.

Methodology:

• IXL Learning likely employs Agile or a hybrid Agile development methodology, common in fast-paced tech environments, requiring iterative testing and continuous feedback loops.
• Data-driven decision-making is implied, with a focus on analyzing test results to improve product quality and user experience.
• Emphasis on process optimization suggests a culture that values efficiency and continuous improvement in development and QA practices.

Company Website: https://www.ixl.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to "make a real, positive difference for learners and educators" is a significant cultural driver. Candidates passionate about education and technology will find this mission-driven environment appealing. The diversified product portfolio suggests potential for varied and interesting testing challenges.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an individual contributor with 2-5 years of experience, focusing on specialized QA functions. It represents a mid-level position within the QA discipline, offering opportunities to deepen expertise in UI and front-end testing.

Reporting Structure: The QA Analyst will report to a QA Manager or Lead and work closely with cross-functional teams, including Product Managers and Software Engineers. This structure allows for direct influence on product quality and feature development from a QA perspective.

Operations Impact: The QA Analyst's work directly impacts the user experience and reliability of IXL Learning's educational products. Ensuring high-quality UI and front-end functionality is crucial for user adoption, satisfaction, and the overall success of the company's mission to improve education through technology. Their role is vital in preventing negative user experiences that could hinder learning or lead to product abandonment.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of front-end testing, UI/UX validation, automation testing, or performance testing.
• Leadership: Progress to a Senior QA Analyst role, taking on more complex projects, mentoring junior testers, and contributing to strategic QA planning.
• Cross-functional Transition: With a strong understanding of product development, potential career paths could lead into Product Management, Technical Program Management, or even roles within the operations teams focused on product success metrics.
• Skill Development: Opportunities to learn new testing tools, automation frameworks, and gain exposure to different product lines within IXL Learning (e.g., mobile, specific educational platforms).

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth opportunities highlight a clear path for career advancement within the QA discipline and potentially into broader technology roles, leveraging the foundational understanding of product development and user experience gained in this position.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The position is based in IXL Learning's San Mateo, CA headquarters. The company emphasizes a collaborative work environment, suggesting an office designed to facilitate team interaction and knowledge sharing.

Office Location(s): San Mateo, CA. This location is within the San Francisco Bay Area, offering access to a vibrant tech ecosystem and numerous amenities.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment is described as fostering collaboration and the open exchange of ideas, crucial for effective QA work that requires close communication with development and product teams.
• Access to necessary tools and technology for testing, development, and communication is expected.
• Opportunities for direct interaction with QA colleagues, engineers, and product managers will be frequent, supporting a dynamic and communicative work atmosphere.

Work Schedule: This is a full-time role with a standard Monday-Friday work schedule. The role offers a hybrid work arrangement, allowing for four days in the office and one day of remote work per week, providing flexibility while maintaining team cohesion and in-person collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work model (4 days in office, 1 day remote) is a common and attractive arrangement in the current tech landscape, balancing the need for in-person collaboration with employee flexibility. This setup is conducive to the iterative nature of QA work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief HR or recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, interest in the role, and cultural fit.
• Technical Interview(s): This will likely involve discussions about QA methodologies, UI/UX testing principles, experience with defect identification and reporting, and potentially a technical assessment or coding challenge related to front-end testing concepts or tools. Expect questions about testing strategies for web applications and specific scenarios.
• Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into your experience, problem-solving approach, and how you would contribute to the team. This is where your understanding of IXL's mission and products will be assessed.
• Team/Peer Interview: Interaction with potential colleagues (QA, Engineers, Product Managers) to evaluate collaboration style, communication skills, and team fit.
• Final Interview/Offer: May involve a senior leader or executive.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio to clearly showcase your QA process. Use sections for Test Planning, Test Execution, Defect Management, and Process Improvement.
• Highlight UI/UX Focus: Dedicate specific examples to your UI and front-end testing work. Detail how you identified and helped resolve visual inconsistencies, usability issues, or user experience flaws.
• Quantify Results: Wherever possible, quantify the impact of your work. For example, "Reduced critical UI defects by X% in Y release," or "Improved test case coverage by Z% through detailed requirement analysis."
• Showcase Tools: Include examples of bug reports created in JIRA, or demonstrate your familiarity with other tools mentioned (JavaScript, CSS) if applicable to your portfolio pieces.
• Tailor to IXL: Research IXL's products and mission. Frame your experience and portfolio examples to align with their focus on education and user-centric design.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for potential practical exercises or scenario-based questions related to testing a specific feature of an educational application.
• Practice articulating your thought process for testing a complex UI element or a user flow.
• Prepare examples of how you have collaborated with developers and product managers to resolve issues, focusing on clear communication and problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio for a QA role, especially one focused on UI/front-end, is significant. It indicates that IXL Learning values tangible evidence of a candidate's skills and their ability to document and communicate their testing process and findings effectively.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• JIRA: Expected for bug tracking, issue resolution, and project management. Proficiency in creating detailed bug reports and tracking tickets is essential.
• Browser Developer Tools: Essential for front-end debugging, inspecting elements, network monitoring, and console error checking.
• Cross-Browser Testing Platforms: Experience with tools like BrowserStack, Sauce Labs, or similar for ensuring compatibility across various browsers and operating systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Spreadsheets/Data Analysis Tools: For analyzing test results, creating summary reports, and identifying trends (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets).
• Reporting Dashboards: While not explicitly mentioned, experience with creating or interpreting performance dashboards related to testing efficiency or defect trends would be beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

• Basic understanding of Web Technologies: Knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is listed as a plus and is crucial for understanding front-end behavior and potential defect areas.
• Source Control (e.g., Git): Familiarity is a plus, indicating potential for deeper integration with the development workflow.
• SQL: Basic knowledge is a plus, useful for data validation and backend checks if required.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of JIRA, Unix, SQL, JavaScript, and CSS as "plus" skills indicates that while core QA skills are paramount, a foundational understanding of these technologies provides a significant advantage. This suggests the company values candidates who can bridge the gap between QA and development.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Quality First: A strong commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable, and user-friendly products that contribute positively to education.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Fostering an environment where open communication, idea sharing, and mutual respect are paramount, especially between QA, product, and engineering teams.
• Passion for Education: A shared dedication to IXL's mission of improving learning outcomes through innovative technology.
• Detail-Oriented & Proactive: Encouraging a meticulous approach to testing and problem-solving, with an emphasis on anticipating issues and taking initiative.
• Continuous Improvement: Valuing a mindset of learning and adapting, actively seeking ways to enhance processes, tools, and product quality.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: QA is deeply embedded within product teams, working hand-in-hand with developers and product managers from feature conception through release.
• Open Feedback Loops: Encouraging constructive feedback and open dialogue to resolve issues efficiently and improve development practices.
• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that supports sharing best practices, test findings, and insights across the QA team and with other departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on passion for education, collaboration, and continuous improvement are key cultural indicators. Candidates who can demonstrate these values in their past experiences will likely be a strong fit for IXL Learning's team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Speed and Quality: In a fast-paced EdTech environment, the challenge will be to ensure thorough testing and high quality without significantly slowing down development cycles.
• Complexity of Educational Content: Testing diverse and complex educational content across various subjects and age groups requires adaptability and a deep understanding of the learning objectives.
• Cross-Platform Consistency: Ensuring a seamless and consistent user experience across different browsers, operating systems, and potentially devices (web, mobile) presents ongoing technical challenges.
• Evolving Product Landscape: Staying current with new features, product updates, and the evolving EdTech landscape, while continuously refining testing strategies.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized QA Training: Opportunities to attend workshops or pursue certifications in advanced QA techniques, automation, or specific testing tools relevant to front-end development.
• Exposure to Diverse Products: Gaining experience testing a range of educational products within the IXL Learning portfolio (IXL.com, Rosetta Stone, TPT, Wyzant).
• Mentorship: Potential for mentorship from senior QA professionals or leads, guiding career development and technical skill enhancement.
• Industry Conferences: Opportunities to attend EdTech or QA industry conferences to stay abreast of trends and network with peers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a QA role in a growing EdTech company, offering ample opportunities for skill development and problem-solving. The growth opportunities are clearly defined, suggesting a supportive environment for career progression.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you identified a critical UI defect that significantly impacted user experience. How did you approach testing, reporting, and resolution?"
• "How do you prioritize your testing efforts when faced with tight deadlines and multiple features to test?"
• "Walk me through your process for developing a test plan for a new web application feature, from requirements gathering to test execution."
• "How do you ensure consistency and quality across different browsers and devices for front-end applications?"
• "Describe your experience with JIRA and how you've used it to manage defects and communicate QA status."

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about IXL Learning and our mission to improve education?"
• "How do you stay motivated when working on repetitive testing tasks, such as regression testing?"
• "Describe a situation where you had a disagreement with a developer or product manager regarding a bug's severity or priority. How did you handle it?"
• "How do you approach learning new technologies or testing tools?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with Impact: Begin your portfolio walkthrough by highlighting your most impactful projects or achievements that align with IXL's focus on quality and education.
• Process-Oriented Narrative: For each example, walk through your testing process: understanding requirements, planning, execution, defect reporting, and resolution.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use screenshots, short video clips, or redacted bug reports to visually demonstrate your findings and the issues you resolved.
• Quantify Outcomes: Clearly articulate the results of your efforts, using metrics where possible (e.g., reduction in defects, improved test coverage, faster release cycles).
• Focus on Collaboration: Emphasize how you collaborated with others to achieve quality goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating not only technical QA skills but also strong communication, problem-solving, and a genuine interest in IXL's educational mission. The portfolio is a key component, so practicing its presentation is crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the IXL Learning careers portal via the provided URL.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your experience in UI testing, front-end quality assurance, and any relevant tools (JIRA, JavaScript, CSS). Quantify achievements where possible, such as defect reduction percentages or test coverage improvements.
• Prepare Your Portfolio: Compile examples of test plans, test cases, bug reports, and case studies demonstrating your UI/UX testing expertise. Focus on clarity, detail, and measurable outcomes. Be ready to discuss these examples during an interview.
• Research IXL Learning: Understand their products (IXL.com, Rosetta Stone, Wyzant, TPT), mission, and company culture. Prepare to articulate why you are passionate about contributing to educational technology.
• Practice Interview Questions: Review common QA interview questions, focusing on those related to UI testing, defect management, and collaboration. Practice articulating your thought process and problem-solving approach.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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