Release Quality Manager in Stockport

Working Pattern: Hybrid – 2 days per week in the Vitality Bournemouth, London or Stockport Office. Full time hours per week. We are happy to discuss flexible working!

Team – Engineering Standards

Top 3 skills needed for this role:

• Expert in release quality governance
• Proven performance testing leadership
• Strong stakeholder influence & collaboration experience

What this role is all about:

As a Release Quality Manager, you’ll play a pivotal role in making sure our technology is release‑ready, championing the standards, governance and insight that keep quality front and centre across the IT estate. Working closely with agile engineering teams and external partners, you’ll embed best-in-class testing practices, drive performance testing excellence, and ensure every release meets the high bar we set before it reaches production. It’s a role for someone who thrives on collaboration, loves turning data into meaningful insights, and is passionate about continuously improving how we build, test and deliver software.

Key Actions:

• Ensure all software releases meet agreed test engineering standards before deployment, validating quality and readiness for production.
• Champion and embed release quality standards, governance and best practices across multiple agile engineering teams.
• Own and manage the performance testing roadmap, including oversight of third‑party performance testing partners.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering Managers, Principal Test Engineers and wider IT teams to drive quality throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Monitor, analyse and report on quality metrics, KPIs and testing outcomes, providing insight to support continuous improvement.
• Identify gaps in testing standards, making recommendations for improvement or escalating where necessary.
• Support release governance by contributing to decision‑making forums, ensuring quality considerations are clearly understood.
• Work with internal and external partners to ensure adherence to enterprise testing frameworks, tools and methodologies.
• Help shape and continuously improve testing, quality and release processes across the IT function.

What do you need to thrive?

• Strong experience in software testing, quality engineering or release management within complex IT environments.
• A deep understanding of testing methodologies, tools and frameworks, with the ability to apply best practice across the SDLC.
• Proven ability to embed governance, standards and quality controls across multiple teams and stakeholders.
• Experience working in agile delivery environments, collaborating with cross‑functional engineering teams.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills, with a data‑driven mindset for tracking KPIs and identifying improvement opportunities.
• A strategic thinker who can see the bigger picture while managing day‑to‑day quality activities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to challenge and influence at all levels.
• Ability to prioritise effectively, manage multiple workstreams and thrive in a fast‑paced, evolving environment.
• A continuous improvement mindset, always looking for ways to enhance quality, processes and performance.
• ISTQB Foundation (or similar) certification in Software Testing.

Benefits:

• Bonus Schemes – A bonus that regularly rewards you for your performance.
• A pension of up to 12% – We will match your contributions up to 6% of your salary.
• Our award‑winning Vitality health insurance – With its own set of rewards and benefits.
• Life Assurance – Four times annual salary.