Quality Assurance Lead / Technical Assurance in London

About Us: Chaucer is a leading insurance group at Lloyd's, the world's specialist insurance market. We help protect industries around the world from the risks they face. Our customers include major airlines, energy companies, shipping groups, global manufacturers and property groups. Our headquarters are in London, and we have international offices in Copenhagen, Miami, Dubai and Singapore to be closer to our clients across the world. To learn more about us please visit our website www.chaucergroup.com.

Job Profile Summary: The role reports into the Head of Quality & Technical Assurance and will be responsible for overseeing the Quality Assurance functions within their allocated business portfolio. This role is part of a team following the evolution of the operating model and will be instrumental in helping design the ways of working. This role requires a strategic thinker with a Quality Assurance background and proven management skills. The role has responsibility for the Quality Assurance that supports and advances the company's business objectives. It also involves collaborating with cross-functional teams such as Product Management, Engineering, Architecture, and Service Management within a matrix IT organisation. They will assure quality activities within their Business Portfolio teams, ensuring that business and technology requirements are both aligned and to the correct standard expected.

Job Description:

• Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive test strategies, plans, and processes for new and existing products.
• Oversee all testing activities, including manual and automated testing, functional, regression, performance, and API testing.
• Manage strategic relationships with internal business stakeholders and external service providers to ensure alignment on Quality Assurance and performance.
• Act as an escalation point for complex issues, analyse defect reports, and manage the bug life cycle to ensure timely resolution.
• Work with cross-functional teams to integrate quality standards throughout the entire product and service lifecycle, from design to delivery.
• Establish quality and reliability standards by benchmarking industry best practices and defining clear metrics.
• Identify areas for process enhancement and implement initiatives to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the QA team.
• Work closely with product teams, engineers, and other stakeholders to understand requirements and align on release cycles and quality goals.
• Define and track key quality metrics, and report on test execution, defect status, and overall product quality to relevant stakeholders.
• Being an active member of the Quality & Technical Assurance Management team.

Leadership and Strategy:

• Demonstrates a high level of self-awareness through a commitment to continuous, personal improvement and learning.
• Demonstrates high personal resilience and ability to adapt to change.
• Translates organisational vision through effective goal setting and strategic planning. Able to think creatively and innovatively.
• Understanding of the way the business works and displays knowledge of the external marketplace, to drive the business forward.
• Striving to build key relationships and showing ownership of targets; focusing on results.
• Execute the Quality Assurance strategy in alignment with the company's overall objectives.
• Champion quality methodologies and establish best practices for testing procedures within an Agile environment.
• Ensure that the team is working efficiently and effectively, bringing an Agile mindset, adapting to changing circumstances while working within the organisational constraints of budget, resource whilst adhering to quality standards.
• Embrace a culture of ownership and collaboration, and maximise opportunities for continuous professional development.

Technical Delivery Management:

• Build quality assurance strategies and activities, whilst driving continuous improvement in QA processes within an Agile environment.

Technical Oversight:

• Provide Quality Assurance guidance and support to the teams within the business portfolio. Ensure the adoption of best practices and the latest technologies. Ensure standardisation, simplification and effectiveness across the technology value chain.
• Monitor and review vendor performance against agreed KPIs and metrics.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Collaborate with key stakeholders, including senior management, clients, and partners, to understand their needs and ensure successful product outcomes.
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with Quality & Technical Assurance activities.
• Implement robust processes and controls to ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.

Performance Monitoring:

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the success of Quality Assurance activities.
• Continuously seek opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Skills and Competencies:

• Creates an inclusive environment that values individual difference to leverage diversity.
• Relevant industry experience in Quality Assurance roles, with previous experience in a Quality Assurance management position.
• Problem-Solving – Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities. Ability to think strategically and make data-driven decisions.
• A team-builder and collaborator, who can work comfortably in a highly collaborative setting.
• Can work comfortably with senior business leadership, has a positive can-do attitude, open and welcoming to change.
• Have exceptional management skills, being able to influence cross-functional departmental leaders in a particular direction.
• Can quickly form meaningful connections inspiring trust and confidence in others.
• Detail and quality oriented, with a customer focus, an exceptionally keen eye for detail and highly organised.
• Able to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines, demonstrating an ability to remain calm under stress and in times of uncertainty.

Why Chaucer: An established market leading Insurer, where over the past 5 years, the Chaucer Group has seen significant and successful growth. In 2019, we wrote $1.4bn of Gross Written Premium, closed 2023 with $2.7bn, and are on track to write well over $3bn in 2024. This is an exciting time for Chaucer; we have the people, the platforms, the expertise and the relationships to continue our recent success. We will remain focused on the areas where we can provide the most expertise and value to our brokers and clients. We have no appetite to change this, whilst the market is steadily moving back to 4/1 working days, we are continuing to operate on a much more flexible hybrid basis with Heads of teams working closely with employees to strike a balance of what works best in their area. Our approach has been immensely popular and a successful way of working for the business and all employees at Chaucer.

Chaucer is committed to diversity. Actively values difference and respects people regardless of the protected characteristics which are outlined in the Equality Act 2010 (UK legislation) as a result of the Equal Treatment Directive 2006 (EU legislation). A diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace are core to our success as a business and integral to our winning strategy and culture. We recruit from the widest available pool of talent, and our hiring, assessment and selection process is fair, free from bias and one which ensures we select the right person for the job, based on merit. We are committed to promoting a culture that actively values difference, and recognises that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect throughout their employment. We are open to considering flexible working arrangements for all roles and encourage you to outline your needs during the interview process.

Benefits: Extensive, non-contributory benefits, including pension, medical insurance, life insurance, flexi benefits, options for buying and selling holidays, not to mention a diverse and inclusive culture, we pride ourselves on managing employees welfare. We have a wide range of other benefits on offer.

Seniority level: Mid-Senior level

Employment type: Full-time

Job function: Information Technology and Engineering

Industries: Insurance