Test Manager

Test Manager

Standard Life plc is hiring a Test Manager to be based in our Edinburgh office within UK Change and IT - Delivery Integration whose remit is to manage Testing, Release Management and Consistency across deliveries.

The Test Manager will manage successful delivery of end-to-end testing for projects or application centres, in an efficient and effective manner.

Reports to the Managed Test Service Delivery Manager.

• Works with Project Managers, Application Centre Managers, Release Managers, MTS Design and Solution team and Test Consultants.
• Will manage groups of assigned test resource eg Test Analysts/Test Leads/Senior Test Analysts.
• Plans test resource workload to meet given objectives and deadlines.
• Not a budget holder.
• Responsible for ensuring internal customer & stakeholder expectations are met with regard to end-to-end testing.
• Cultivates and maintains successful business relationships with stakeholders & internal customers.

Responsibilities

• Effective working relationships with assignment stakeholders and our sourcing partners.
• Appropriate end-to-end test plans defined and maintained at a project/release level, covering all aspects of testing from the beginning of unit test to release to production, approved by appropriate stakeholders and integrated with overall assignment plans, ensuring all activities interlock and dependencies are managed.
• Take handover of testing solution designs.
• Appropriate detailed test plans defined at a phase level, covering all aspects of testing agreed to be in Managed Test Service scope, walked through and approved by appropriate stakeholders, using the available document templates.
• Where appropriate, the organisation and running of data gathering workshops to facilitate test definition.
• Appropriate estimating of testing effort using provided test estimating tool. Ensure estimates receive sign-off and are walked through with the stakeholders.
• Define roles, skills and resources required to achieve the assignment objectives, and secure these skills and resources through the appropriate channels to build the test team. The Test Manager owns the knowledge acquisition plan for their team.
• Define appropriate assignment specific quality standards for all test processes within the scope of the Managed Test Service assignment.
• Evidence of compliance with approved plans and Change Process governance throughout the assignment.
• Quality assured test deliverables (test conditions, matrices, scripts and test cases) ie that have complied with the required quality assurance process, and signed off by the appropriate stakeholders.
• Review and ensure sign off of all detailed plans contributed by other teams and feeding into the end-to-end plans.
• Evidence that all test activities and phases are managed in accordance with the test operating model or any exceptions agreed with Managed Test Service management.
• Documented & agreed commitments with external and internal groups/resource providers.
• Handover criteria from the project/application centre team to the Managed Test Service are documented and signed off by the appropriate parties.
• Handover criteria from the Managed Test Service to the other assurance phases of testing are documented and signed off by the appropriate parties.
• Test Completion Reports to the Project Manager/Application Centre Manager/Release Manager to enable them to determine whether the project/release is fit for progressing to the next level of the test life cycle.
• Delegate tasks to Test Analysts and Test Leads as appropriate, retaining overall accountability for their deliverables.
• Provide timely and considered input to line management on the performance of all individuals participating in the test team.
• Articulate testing coverage to Project/Application Centre teams to enable them to accurately assess appropriateness of approach and testing/project/release risk.
• Work with Project and/or Application Centre management to communicate and document key testing decisions and actions taken in order to ensure all relevant parties are kept informed and a clear audit trail exists.
• Change controls, issues and risks managed to ensure test problems are kept to a minimum and contingency plans are in place.
• Define any assignment specific roles and responsibilities for assignment test team whilst ensuring they are coached and motivated to fulfil the assignment objectives.
• Take part in reviews and manage constructive feedback or issues identified to ensure that testing undergoes continuous improvement.
• Maintain understanding and be able to articulate the capability of test team and mitigation of any residual capability risks.
• Maintains progress oversight of tasks performed by test team.
• Maintains quality oversight of testing outputs produced by test team.
• Directs corrective action or provides guidance to test team when output quality standards or task progress are not achieved.
• Provides constructive feedback to test team.

Skills

• Can demonstrate a good understanding of test management industry best practice.
• Has a proven ability to build and manage effective teams.
• Has a proven ability to gain the confidence and trust of an assignment management team.
• Has a proven ability to influence stakeholders.
• Has a proven ability to plan effectively and realistically.
• Can demonstrate a good understanding of the role of software testing and of all testing events throughout the development life cycle.
• Can demonstrate a systematic and analytical approach to problem solving and pays close attention to detail.
  Can demonstrate a good knowledge of testing methods, processes, techniques and tools.
• Can demonstrate a good understanding of governance, audit and quality principles.

Desirable

• A sound knowledge of SL's life and pensions contracts is highly desirable.
• A sound knowledge of the systems supporting SL's life and pensions contracts is highly desirable.
• Relevant testing qualifications.