Purpose of the Role

Accountable for defining and delivering the end‑to‑end testing strategy across a complex portfolio of platforms and major programmes. This includes functional and non‑functional testing, SIT, end‑to‑end testing, OAT and UAT. The role ensures offshore testing partners deliver against contractual commitments, agreed plans, testing standards, and stakeholder risk appetite through the delivery of robust, risk‑based test strategies, plans and summary reports.

Key Accountabilities

Testing Strategy & Governance

• Define, own and govern end‑to‑end test strategies, plans and approaches aligned to best practice and risk appetite.
• Provide specialist testing advice to programme and project leads, including UAT readiness and execution.
• Embed industry best practice and continuous improvement across testing delivery.
• Support the Head of Testing Services in driving strategic and operational maturity within the testing function.
• Act as the testing SME, recommending appropriate test approaches across waterfall and agile delivery models.

Delivery Management

• Manage planning, coordination and execution of all testing phases to agreed time, cost and quality baselines.
• Ensure offshore testing capability, resourcing and plans are sufficient to meet delivery commitments.
• Performance manage testing vendors to ensure adherence to contractual obligations, policies and controls.
• Ensure accurate, timely reporting of testing progress and risks.
• Maintain overall accountability for test environments and test data in line with organisational guidelines.
• Conduct regular quality assurance of vendor outputs to ensure compliance with testing standards.

People, Capacity & Capability

• Lead and develop a high‑performing team of systems analysts with varied experience.
• Provide technical direction and quality assurance of deliverables.
• Facilitate effective daily and weekly governance and progress meetings.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with third‑party suppliers to meet changing demand.
• Assign work appropriately based on skills, experience and organisational priorities.

Stakeholder Management

• Communicate clearly with senior stakeholders, explaining testing outcomes, risks and impacts.
• Work closely with delivery leads to ensure testing activities are integrated with overall delivery plans.
• Proactively manage dependencies and escalations impacting testing progress.

Risk & Control

• Ensure full traceability between requirements, test cases and execution, supported by clear evidence and reporting.
• Identify, assess and manage testing‑related risks in line with organisational risk frameworks.
• Ensure effective production of Test Summary Reports demonstrating quality and coverage.

System & Non‑Functional Testing

• Ensure delivered systems meet functional specifications, including integration, usability and accuracy.
• Ensure non‑functional requirements are met, including performance, load, soak and bottleneck testing.