Test Services Manager

Job Purpose: Reporting to the Head of IT Operations, this senior management role forms part of the wider IT Operations leadership function and is accountable for leading the IT test team with a dual purpose for establishing strategic direction for the test team and ensuring efficient and effective delivery of test services to our IT teams and user community.

Key Accountabilities:

• Accountable for the implementation and embedding of the Test / QA team, ensuring it drives more efficient and effective delivery of change underpinning both technology and end user services.
• As the manager of the function, you will inspire, support, develop and grow your team to not only support today's demand but also prepare your team to support the future needs of the organisation.
• Leads a team that uses agile / waterfall methodologies and demonstrates collaborative ways of working to deliver testing effectively and efficiently.
• Works closely with the project leaders to understand their demands, manage resource allocation to meet those needs and optimise the function to successfully deliver concurrent strategic testing roadmaps.
• Build, own, and drive cross team relationships, putting in place governance that ensures they meet the frameworks, guidelines, and principles, whilst building a “one team ethos.”
• Driving continuous improvement of test processes and ways of working including but not limited to the introduction of new tools to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the function and services provided e.g.: Test Automation, Performance and KPI based testing etc.
• Ensure mechanisms are in place to effectively exchange knowledge across the team and from previous projects and quickly on-board new team members.
• Responsible for embedding test governance through transformation and supporting a shift in the cultural mindset to one of outperformance e.g.: “Shift Left” practices.
• Nurture and develop the team via the enrichment of key skills, knowledge and identifying gaps to drive continuous improvement.
• Manage testing related risks and issues, analysing impact on the business, and escalating to senior leaders as required.
• Collaborate with HR / Procurement to ensure resources and supplier contracts are in place to meet the current and upcoming demand for testing.
• Own, in collaboration with other IT Operational managers, supplier relationship management for operational and BAU vendors.
• Providing coaching, mentoring, and performance feedback to test resources and deliver performance reviews of direct reports.
• Work with delivery managers, operational test leads and other stakeholders to define and implement standard QA processes across programmes, projects, and operational changes, promoting a culture of quality assurance throughout the organisation.
• Maintaining a standard set of processes, models and tools for testing and ensuring quality standards are adhered to by test resources, continuously reviewing and improving processes to optimise testing outcomes.
• Continuously improving the test function by engaging with stakeholders to learn from past experiences, staying up to date with new trends and solutions, and strategically implementing best practices to enhance testing capabilities.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience:

Essential:

• Experience of developing, leading, coaching and building high performance multidisciplined test teams, and improving overall test effectiveness and quality output.
• Experience of building and implementing standards, frameworks, and guardrails within a successful test team.
• Track record of partnering effectively with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders to deliver agreed outcomes.
• Proven inter-personal and communication skills with the ability to lead and motivate cross functional change teams.
• Experience in building teams, people engagement and outperformance.
• Extensive hand-on, in-the-field experience of testing at various seniority levels of testing roles.
• Experience of testing cycles e.g. System Testing, Regression Testing, Integration, UAT.
• Experience of implementing and maturing Test Automation and Performance Testing in a complex technology estate.
• Demonstrate proven experience in implementing strategic automation test programs that deliver improved coverage, reduced test effort and enhanced product quality.
• ISEB/ISTQB Foundation Certificate in Software Testing.
• Experience of testing Web, Middleware, CRM and other business critical applications.
• Proven experience in delivering continuous improvement in software test environment.
• At least 5 years’ experience in a formal testing role and at least 5 years managing a test function.
• Agile (Sprint engagement, Kanban, Scrum) + Waterfall experience.
• Working knowledge of release management processes.
• Highly developed communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to be assertive when required.
• Budget management / forecasting / estimation.

Desirable:

• ISEB Intermediate, ISEB Practitioner, or ISTQB Advanced Certificates in Software Testing.
• ITIL Foundation certificate.
• Sitecore & D365 testing.
• Azure DevOps, BlazeMeter, Postman, ALM, JIRA, MSOffice Suite, SharePoint.
• Experience of working in a Product Team construct.
• Risk based testing techniques.
• Mentoring team members.
• Project Management experience.