Digital Test Lead

Royal Berkshire; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal Berkshire NHS Trust seeks a Digital Test Lead to shape the digital testing and QA strategy, oversee multiple projects, and ensure high standards of performance, security, and usability across systems.

You will lead a multi-disciplinary QA team, collaborate with IT, clinical leads, and external vendors, and manage testing budgets to drive continuous improvement in testing practices supporting digital transformation and safer patient care.

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of software testing techniques including Agile testing and test automation.
• Proven ability to lead testing programs across large digital projects.
• Experience with governance in digital healthcare testing environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the testing strategy for digital solutions across the Trust.
• Lead a multi-disciplinary test engineering team and mentor staff.
• Oversee both manual and automated testing, ensuring coverage across systems.
• Collaborate with IT, clinical leads and vendors to align testing with objectives.
• Evaluate and adopt new testing tools and technologies to enhance capabilities.

Skills

Agile testing

Test automation

Test leadership

SDLC knowledge

Education

Degree or equivalent

ITIL qualification

Job description

The Digital Test Lead will play a pivotal role in the delivery of high quality digital solutions across the Trust. This leadership position focuses on shaping the Trust's digital testing and quality assurance (QA) strategy, overseeing multiple projects, and ensuring the seamless integration of advanced testing methodologies within the software development lifecycle (SDLC).

The Digital Test Lead will drive continuous improvement, operational excellence, and innovation in testing processes to support the Trust's digital transformation objectives and enhance patient care.

The role involves leading a team of QA engineers and testers, collaborating with stakeholders across IT, clinical departments, and third party vendors, and ensuring that all applications meet the highest standards of performance, security, and usability.

The post holder will also be responsible for managing financial resources, overseeing budgets related to testing tools and technology, and ensuring compliance with NHS standards.

Main duties of the job

• Develop, deliver, and manage the testing strategy for the Trust's digital solutions, ensuring integration with technical infrastructure, applications, and data conversion.
• Develop a detailed testing programme timeline in coordination with key programme leads, ensuring resources, environments, and tools are prepared for timely execution of testing.
• Oversee both manual and automated testing efforts, ensuring test coverage across applications, infrastructure, and integrated systems.
• Lead the development of detailed test plans, scripts, and test cases for functional, non-functional, integration, and regression testing.
• Liaise with IT teams, application owners, clinical leads, and external suppliers to ensure testing is aligned with project objectives.
• Collaborate with external vendors to ensure thorough testing of third-party solutions including relevant supplier relationship management where applicable.
• Act as the central point of contact for testing activities, presenting complex technical data and testing outcomes to various stakeholders, including senior management and clinical leads.
• Evaluate and adopt new tools and technologies for test automation, performance testing, and integration testing to enhance testing capabilities.
• Manage a multi-disciplinary test engineering team, providing leadership, mentoring, and training opportunities.
• Own and manage the overall testing programme across all digital applications, data conversion, and infrastructure readiness.

About us

Diversity makes us interesting... Inclusion is what will make us outstanding.

Inequality exists and the journey to eliminate it is not easy. Every step we take will be a purposeful step forward to deliver a truly inclusive culture where all our people are enabled to deliver outstanding care, where background is no barrier, and where everyone can be their authentic self and we truly represent our patient community.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where possible. All applicants who have a disability and meet the minimum criteria for the post can opt for a guaranteed interview.

We support flexible working wherever possible, with requests considered on an individual basis taking into account service requirements, operational needs and the requirements of the role.

Job responsibilities

Please find attached the Job Description, which provides details of the main responsibilities and requirements of the role.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years in a leadership role managing testing in a complex, regulated environment, ideally within the NHS or healthcare sector.
• Extensive experience in software testing and quality assurance, including both manual and automated testing techniques.
• Significant experience in leading and managing test teams in an agile, multidisciplinary digital delivery environment.
• Testing experience gained in Acute NHS or a healthcare environment, with knowledge of healthcare-specific digital systems.
• Strong experience in leading digital testing processes in complex, multi-system environments.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Extensive knowledge of various software testing techniques, including Agile testing and test automation.
• Strong ability of managing the overall testing programme across all digital applications, data conversion, and infrastructure readiness.
• Strong knowledge of software testing best practices across functional, non-functional, regression, integration, and UAT testing.
• Significant knowledge of project governance in relation to testing in a digital healthcare environment.
• In depth understanding of software development processes, including Agile and DevOps methodologies, and their impact on testing.

Education & Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Demonstrated knowledge and application of test automation tools.
• ITIL Service Management Qualification.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.