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Position Summary

The Accessibility Testing Product Owner is a critical position within the Quality Control program responsible for coordinating the execution of the Section 508 oversight program. This role ensures that all Client digital products across the Web and Digital Technologies Group portfolio — including large-scale public-facing healthcare web properties and related subdomains — achieve and maintain full compliance with federal accessibility standards and Client policy.

The Product Owner serves as the primary bridge between application development and operations (ADO) teams, the 508 Clearance Officer, and the Agency 508 Test Lab — managing the end-to-end lifecycle of accessibility validation, VPAT/ACR documentation, defect management, continuous monitoring, and shift-left accessibility coaching. This role also contributes to the broader vision of integrated, predictive quality engineering across the Client's digital ecosystem.

Mandatory Requirements

Required Testing Certifications

All personnel in this role must possess at least one of the following active testing certifications. The Client will not provide training or cover expenses for certification. No exceptions or waivers are permitted:

• Certified Software Tester (CSTE)

• American Software Testing Qualifications Board (ASTQB) Certification

◦ Foundation Level

◦ Intermediate Level

◦ Advanced Level

◦ Agile Testing

◦ Expert Level

• Test Maturity Model Integration (TMMi) Professional Certification

• Certified Software Test Professional (CSTP)

Required Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Accessibility Standards & Compliance

• Expert-level knowledge of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d) and WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA standards; familiarity with Level AAA best practices.

• Demonstrated experience managing digital products through a federal agency 508 clearance process, including interaction with a 508 Clearance Officer and an Agency 508 Test Lab.

• Working knowledge of applicable regulatory frameworks including 36 CFR Part 1194, FAR 39.2, and federal Section 508 policies and standards.

• Proficiency in the DHS Trusted Tester methodology for manual 508 conformance testing.

Tools & Technology

• Hands-on experience with assistive technology testing tools: JAWS and NVDA screen readers.
• Health IT background: CMS - to include, JAWS, WCAG, CMS
• Proficiency with automated accessibility scanning tools: SiteImprove, ANDI (Accessible Name & Description Inspector), axe DevTools, and WAVE Accessibility Evaluation Suite.
• Experience with Color Contrast Analyzer for WCAG color contrast validation.
• Familiarity with VPAT/ACR templates and documentation processes.
• Experience with Jira for defect documentation, tracking, and triage workflows; experience with Confluence for documentation management.
• Familiarity with a modern quality toolchain including TestRail, Slack, GitHub, and CI/CD platforms is preferred.

Testing & Agile Delivery

• Experience supporting agile delivery and quality engineering in complex, multi-team digital environments operating under the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) or equivalent.

• Expertise in testing large and complex systems, including user-facing web and mobile applications serving millions of users.

• Understanding of CI/CD pipeline integration, shift-left testing practices, and quality gate frameworks.

• Experience coordinating accessibility testing across multiple ADO teams and release cadences.

• Expertise in root cause analysis, defect trend analysis, and data analytics as applied to accessibility quality engineering.

Communication & Collaboration

• Ability to translate technical accessibility requirements into actionable guidance for developers, designers, and product owners.

• Experience delivering accessibility training and code-level guidance to development teams.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to produce clear defect documentation, test plans, and executive-facing reports.

• Demonstrated ability to foster collaborative, badgeless working relationships across contractor teams and federal agency stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Section 508 Program Coordination

• Lead operations, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Section 508 oversight program as a Key Personnel member, in alignment with Program Increment (PI) planning.

• Coordinate accessibility testing activities across the Client's digital product portfolio, including large-scale public-facing web properties and related subdomains.

• Support and align with the 508 Clearance Officer on policy interpretation, submission review, and program governance.

• Contribute to the Quality Evolution Roadmap by proposing and piloting improvements to accessibility testing frameworks, automation strategies, and quality intelligence capabilities, including AI-assisted accessibility techniques where appropriate and approved by the Client.

VPAT/ACR Preparation & 508 Clearance Process

• Coordinate with ADO vendors and contractors to obtain initial VPAT templates; create detailed test plans identifying user journeys, WCAG 2.0/2.2 Level A/AA criteria, assistive technologies, browsers, and devices.

• Execute automated and manual accessibility testing per approved test plans; document findings in VPAT templates with conformance status (Supports, Partially Supports, Does Not Support, Not Applicable).

• Support the 508 Clearance Officer in reviewing VPAT/ACR submissions with supporting documentation, including 508 Test Plans, Test Results/Findings Reports, Accessibility Defect Reports from Jira, and Remediation Evidence.

• Coordinate with the Agency 508 Test Lab for independent validation testing (typically 2–4 week windows); provide application access and test accounts; coordinate testing schedules; address findings and update VPATs/ACRs accordingly.

• Obtain 508 Clearance Officer approval for final ACRs prior to production deployment of new products and following major release updates.

VPAT/ACR Inventory & Renewal Management

• Maintain the VPAT/ACR Inventory in Confluence, ensuring all entries are current and complete.

• Track and manage biennial renewal requirements for all existing digital applications in the portfolio.

• Manage VPAT/ACR updates triggered by major UI changes or significant functional releases.

• Ensure initial VPATs/ACRs are completed and approved before any new product reaches production.

Accessibility Defect Management

• Document all accessibility barriers in Jira with complete detail, including: WCAG criterion violated, severity based on user impact, steps to reproduce with assistive technology specifics, screenshots and evidence demonstrating the barrier, specific remediation guidance, and user impact description.

• Participate in accessibility defect triage to provide technical context; support prioritization based on WCAG conformance level, user impact severity, frequency, availability of workarounds, and legal/compliance risk.

• Verify accessibility fixes using the same assistive technologies and methods used to identify the original defect; confirm root cause resolution and absence of newly introduced issues; update defect records with verification evidence.

Continuous Accessibility Monitoring

• Maintain continuous accessibility scanning and monitoring of production applications, test environments, and new functionality using SiteImprove and other approved tools to detect regressions after every release.

• Review automated scan results regularly, prioritize findings, and track accessibility score trends over time.

• Maintain accessibility metrics dashboards in Confluence tracking: accessibility scores, issues by severity, WCAG conformance level distribution, defect resolution time, and VPAT/ACR status by application.

Accessibility Training & Developer Guidance

• Provide practical accessibility training and onboarding to ADO development teams covering: Section 508 and WCAG requirements, common defect patterns and prevention, accessible design and development best practices (semantic HTML, ARIA usage, keyboard navigation, color contrast, form and dynamic content accessibility, mobile accessibility), assistive technology usage, and the VPAT/ACR process.

• Deliver code-level guidance through code examples, accessibility patterns, design mockup reviews, and accessibility acceptance criteria definition during sprint planning.

• Champion shift-left accessibility practices — promoting early accessibility consideration in design and development — to reduce defect escape rates and downstream remediation cost.

Release Readiness & Quality Gate Support

• Participate in release readiness reviews and go/no-go meetings, providing consolidated accessibility compliance status and evidence-based recommendations.

• Integrate accessibility quality gates into CI/CD workflows; contribute to program-wide quality gate validation confirming no blocking accessibility defects prior to production deployment.

• Support the Validation Readiness Review (VRR) process by providing complete accessibility testing documentation and status.

• Coordinate with ADO teams daily during active sprints on accessibility test environments, test data needs, defect triage, and release schedules.

Reporting & Collaboration

• Contribute to Monthly and Biweekly Status Reports with accessibility program status, defect trends, VPAT/ACR progress, and risk/issue escalations.

• Participate in program-level ceremonies, PI planning, retrospectives, and cross-team coordination forums as directed by the Client.

• Foster a transparent, collaborative working environment with Client stakeholders and other contractor teams using approved tools (Jira, Confluence, Slack).

• Support development and maintenance of Joint Operating Agreements (JOAs) with ADO contractors defining accessibility testing interfaces, artifact handoff requirements, defect workflows, and escalation paths.

Program Context & Constraints

This role operates within a Quality Control program that provides independent quality control and testing services for the Client's digital product portfolio. Key constraints and expectations include:

• The contractor inherits an established operational environment including an existing toolchain (Jira, TestRail, Confluence, Slack, SiteImprove, CI/CD platforms, GitHub). Tool substitutions require Client approval.

• Testing must comply with federal enterprise governance including security/ATO, privacy/PII, and accessibility/Section 508 requirements.

• Bilingual (English/Spanish) accessibility validation is required for applicable digital products and workflows.

• Major framework or process changes must be planned to avoid mission-critical high-traffic enrollment windows (typically mid-October through December).

• All accessibility testing activities must adhere to the Agile Handbook, DevOps Handbook, and applicable federal digital standards.

• The contractor must support surge capacity assignments (1 day to 1 month) as directed by the Client.

• All AI-assisted testing techniques require human review, Client approval, and documentation of human oversight activities per federal AI governance principles.

Primary Deliverables

The Accessibility Testing Product Owner is responsible for or contributes to the following contractual deliverables:

• Voluntary Product Assessment Templates (VPAT) and Accessibility Conformance Reports (ACR) — per production launch, biennial renewal, and major release schedules

• VPAT/ACR Inventory (Confluence) — maintained continuously; biennial renewal tracking

• Accessibility Test Plans — per product, aligned to WCAG 2.2 and federal 508 clearance requirements

• Accessibility Defect Reports — documented in Jira with full WCAG criterion mapping, severity, evidence, and remediation guidance

• Accessibility Metrics Dashboard (Confluence) — maintained continuously with scores, trends, and VPAT/ACR status

• Accessibility Training Materials and Code Guidance — delivered to ADO teams as needed

• Monthly and Biweekly Status Report contributions — accessibility program status, risks, and trends

• Contributions to the Quality Evolution Roadmap — accessibility modernization initiatives and measurable outcomes

Security & Eligibility Requirements

• Must obtain a background investigation commensurate with the position sensitivity designation in compliance with 5 CFR Parts 1400 and 731 and HSPD-12.

• Must complete required Information Security Awareness, Privacy, and Records Management training prior to commencing work and annually thereafter.

• Must complete applicable role-based security training annually commensurate with assigned responsibilities.

• Must sign and adhere to the Client Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prior to performing any work.

• Must comply with applicable federal IT General Rules of Behavior and relevant security and privacy policies.

• All work must be performed within the Continental United States (CONUS). No work from international locations without prior written Client approval.

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