Head of Testing in London

About Amber Labs

Amber Labs is a fast-growing UK technology consultancy specialising in cloud, data, AI and digital transformation. Founded in 2020, we work with clients across central government, defence and financial services, and we are on a significant growth curve. We are not just building a business, we are building a consultancy that wants to do things differently, and AI is central to that ambition. We are now investing in building out our internal capability practices, and testing is one of the first. This role is a unique opportunity to lead delivery on one of our most important accounts while simultaneously shaping what testing looks like at Amber Labs for years to come.

The Role

This is a dual-purpose role that sits at the heart of two of our most important priorities right now.

• Four days a week you will be embedded as Test Lead on our major public sector account, one of our largest and most strategically significant engagements. You will own the testing workstream across a complex, multi-team programme, driving quality, governance and assurance in a high-stakes public sector environment.
• One day a week you will turn your attention inward. As the person building Amber Labs' Testing Practice from the ground up, you will define what good testing looks like across the business, create the frameworks, standards and playbooks that our consultants will operate to, and help establish Amber Labs as a consultancy that is genuinely differentiated in this space.

Critically, we are looking for someone who brings real AI testing capability to this role. The ability to test AI-enabled systems, understand the unique quality and risk challenges they present, and bring that expertise into our client conversations is something that will genuinely change the dialogue for us as a business. This is not a box-ticking requirement. It is central to who we want to be.

What You Will Own

• Client Delivery: (4 days per week)
  • Lead the testing workstream across a complex, multi-team government programme.
  • Define and own the test strategy, approach, governance and assurance framework for the account.
  • Manage testing across multiple workstreams including functional, regression, performance and UAT.
  • Work closely with delivery managers, technical leads and client stakeholders to ensure quality is embedded throughout delivery.
  • Act as the senior quality voice on the account, providing clear and credible reporting on test progress, risks and outcomes.
  • Ensure that testing processes meet the governance and compliance requirements of a regulated public sector environment.
  • Build strong relationships with the MOJ team and contribute to the confidence and growth of the account.
• Internal Practice: Building the Amber Labs Testing Practice (1 day per week)
  • Establish and lead Amber Labs' Testing Practice, defining the standards, frameworks and ways of working that will underpin quality across all our engagements.
  • Develop testing playbooks, templates and collateral that can be deployed across the business.
  • Build a community of practice for testers across Amber Labs, supporting knowledge sharing and capability development.
  • Contribute to pre-sales and bid activity, shaping our testing propositions and helping us win work where quality assurance is a differentiator.
  • Advise the business on emerging testing trends, tooling and methodologies, with a particular focus on AI.

AI Testing: A Core Differentiator

• Bring genuine expertise in testing AI-enabled systems, including LLMs, machine learning models and AI-integrated platforms.
• Understand and apply appropriate techniques for testing non-deterministic systems where traditional approaches do not fully apply.
• Help Amber Labs develop an AI testing proposition that sets us apart in the market and opens new conversations with clients.
• Stay at the leading edge of AI testing methodology and bring that knowledge into both client delivery and internal practice development.
• Support the business in positioning AI testing capability as a core part of our offer as we evolve toward an AI-focused consultancy.

What We Are Looking For

• Essential
  • Proven experience as a Test Lead or Senior QA Engineer in a consultancy or technology services environment.
  • Strong track record of owning test strategy and delivery across complex, multi-workstream programmes.
  • Demonstrable experience testing AI-enabled systems or products, with a clear understanding of the unique challenges involved.
  • Experience delivering into UK Government or regulated public sector environments.
  • Comfortable with a wide range of testing types including functional, regression, performance, integration and UAT.
  • Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to communicate quality and risk clearly to non-technical audiences.
  • Experience building or contributing to testing standards, frameworks or centre of excellence activity.
• Desirable
  • Experience with AI testing tools and frameworks, including those specifically designed for LLM or ML model evaluation.
  • Familiarity with UK Government delivery frameworks and governance requirements.
  • Background in setting up or leading a testing practice within a consultancy.
  • ISTQB or equivalent testing certification.
  • Experience contributing to pre-sales or bid work.

Who You Are

• A quality-obsessed testing professional who genuinely cares about the outcomes their work protects.
• Excited by AI and what it means for the future of testing, not intimidated by it.
• A builder who wants to leave something behind, not just deliver and move on.
• Comfortable operating in a scaling consultancy where you will need to be both hands-on and strategic.
• Someone who can represent Amber Labs with confidence in a senior client environment.
• Motivated by the opportunity to shape a practice from the ground up and have a lasting impact on how a growing business operates.

What We Offer

• A genuinely unique role: client delivery leadership combined with practice-building responsibility from day one.
• The chance to define AI testing capability at a consultancy that is serious about becoming AI-led.
• 25 days annual leave plus public holidays.
• Private medical insurance with Bupa.
• Remote-first working with office space at Liverpool Street when you need it.
• Personal training budget to support your development, including AI upskilling.
• Perkbox, giving you access to hundreds of perks and discounts across eating out, shopping, wellness and entertainment.
• A very generous referral scheme.
• EV scheme after one year of service.
• Employer pension contributions.
• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.