Head Of Testing

LA International; Halifax; Hybrid; GBP 92.000 - 111.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

LA International is seeking a Head of Testing to lead the testing and QA function during enterprise-scale digital transformation programs. You will define strategy, governance, and QA standards while building high-performing teams across multiple programs in a hybrid setup.

Ideal candidates have 12+ years in software testing and 5+ years in leadership, with strong experience in testing tools, automation, DevOps, and risk-based testing across distributed teams.

Qualifikationen

• 12+ years of Software Testing and Quality Assurance experience.
• 5+ years in Test Management or Testing Leadership roles.
• Proven experience managing enterprise-wide testing programs.
• Explicit experience in Utility Industry.
• Strong understanding of Test Strategy, Governance, Quality Engineering, Test Automation, Agile Delivery, DevOps, and Risk-Based Testing.

Aufgaben

• Define and implement the testing strategy and governance across programs.
• Build and lead high-performing testing teams across multiple projects.
• Oversee SIT, UAT, Regression, Performance, Security, and Automation testing activities.
• Collaborate with Business, Product, PM, Architecture and Development teams.
• Promote test automation, CI/CD, and AI-assisted testing innovations.

Kenntnisse

Test leadership

Stakeholder management

Vendor management

Communication

Test governance

DevOps collaboration

Quality engineering

Agile delivery

Risk-based testing

Distributed teams

Tools

JIRA

Azure DevOps

HP ALM

qTest

Zephyr

Selenium

Cypress

Playwright

Tosca

Jenkins

GitHub Actions

LoadRunner

JMeter

Azure

AWS

GCP

Jobbeschreibung

Head Of Testing

6 Month contract initially + Extensions

Based: Hybrid - Max 2-3 days p/w onsite in Reading

Rate: £500 - £600 p/d - (via Umbrella company)

We have a great opportunity with a world leading organisation where you will be provided with all of the support and development to succeed. A progressive organisation where you can really make a difference. We have a great opportunity for a Head Of Testing to join the team.

We are seeking an experienced Head of Testing to lead and transform the Testing and Quality Assurance function across enterprise-scale digital transformation programs. The ideal candidate will define the testing strategy, establish governance, drive quality best practices, manage testing teams, and ensure successful delivery of business-critical applications within a complex stakeholder environment.

Key Responsibilities

Testing Strategy & Leadership

• Define and implement the overall testing and quality assurance strategy.
• Build and lead high-performing testing teams across multiple programs and projects.
• Establish testing standards, methodologies, governance frameworks, and best practices.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the testing function.
• Develop test maturity roadmaps and quality metrics.

Test Planning & Delivery

• Oversee SIT, UAT, Regression, Performance, Security, and Automation testing activities.
• Ensure comprehensive test planning, execution, defect management, and reporting.
• Manage testing activities across Agile, Waterfall, and Hybrid delivery models.
• Monitor testing progress and provide executive-level reporting on quality and risk.

Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate with Business, Product, Project Management, Architecture, and Development teams.
• Act as the primary point of contact for quality-related governance and testing assurance.
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors, system integrators, and testing partners.
• Present testing outcomes, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership.

Quality Assurance & Governance

• Define quality gates and release readiness criteria.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, regulatory requirements, and industry standards.
• Drive defect prevention initiatives and root cause analysis activities.
• Implement and monitor KPIs, SLAs, and quality standards.

Test Automation & Innovation

• Promote adoption of test automation frameworks and CI/CD practices.
• Evaluate and implement modern testing tools and technologies.
• Drive shift-left, DevOps, and continuous testing practices.
• Explore AI-driven testing and quality engineering opportunities.

Key Skills & Experience

• Explicit experience in Utility Industry.
• Ideally 12+ years of experience in Software Testing and Quality Assurance.
• Ideally 5+ years in Test Management or Testing Leadership roles.
• Proven experience managing enterprise-wide testing programs.
• Strong understanding of:
  • Test Strategy & Governance
  • Quality Engineering
  • Test Automation
  • Agile Delivery
  • DevOps Practices
  • Risk-Based Testing
• Experience managing geographically distributed teams.
• Excellent stakeholder and vendor management skills.
• Strong leadership, communication, and presentation abilities.

Technical Skills

• Test Management Tools (JIRA, Azure DevOps, HP ALM, qTest, Zephyr).
• Automation Frameworks (Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, Tosca).
• CI/CD Tools (Azure DevOps, Jenkins, GitHub Actions).
• Performance Testing Tools (LoadRunner, JMeter).
• Cloud Platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP).

Preferred

• Experience within Financial Services, Utilities, Retail, Telecom, or Public Sector.
• Knowledge of AI-assisted testing approaches.
• Experience leading large-scale digital transformation programmes.

LA International is an award-winning partner of choice for many of the world's most influential companies and government organisations. Holding Enhanced Government Security Accreditation, we are recognised as the European market leader in the delivery of Security Cleared talent to organisations that demand the very highest levels of security, compliance and assurance.

A multiple award-winning organisation, having secured the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise: International Trade over consecutive years. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and accessible workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of background or identity, and we encourage candidates who may not meet every listed requirement to still apply. If you require any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure a fair and accessible experience.

Please Note: If a high volume of applications is received, only candidates shortlisted will be contacted.