IT Quality Assurance Analyst

Allianz; Guildford; Hybrid; GBP 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company in Guildford is seeking an IT Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst. This role is pivotal in assuring that IT changes meet compliance standards. You will be involved in Agile delivery methods, ensuring policies are adhered to, and you will champion continuous improvement initiatives. The ideal candidate should possess Agile certifications, SDLC experience, and strong IT analysis skills. A salary of around £55,000 per year is offered along with flexible benefits and a hybrid working model.

Benefits

Flexible buy/sell holiday options

Annual performance related bonus

Development days

Contributory pension scheme

Discounts on insurance products

Qualifications

• Experience in defining Agile and waterfall quality standards.
• Conducting Agile and waterfall delivery reviews and audits.
• Knowledge of Agile and Waterfall governance processes.

Responsibilities

• Conduct assurance reviews across Agile and Waterfall changes.
• Produce actionable compliance reporting.
• Identify and escalate instances of non-compliance.
• Promote continuous improvement in delivery practices.
• Support IT Risk and Controls processes.

Skills

Agile certifications

SDLC experience

Six Sigma Green Belt

Project Management certification

IT analysis skills

Understanding of IT governance

Experience in a regulated organization

Knowledge of COBIT Controls

Job description

Role Description

The IT Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst plays a critical role in ensuring that all IT change activity across OpsIT, Transformation, and wider IT initiatives meets our organisational compliance targets. This role acts as a guardian of quality, governance, and control, ensuring that every change—regardless of delivery method—adheres to required standards, policies, and regulatory expectations.

You will champion Agile ways of working while ensuring that both Agile and Waterfall delivery models operate within a robust, auditable control framework, monitoring adherence to IT change policies, and escalating non‑compliance, directly supporting our commitment to safe, compliant, and well‑governed change delivery.

This role is central to embedding consistent, compliant practices across IT. It supports the standardisation of Agile and Waterfall methods, monitors delivery performance against key compliance and quality metrics, and drives cross‑functional improvement initiatives that reduce risk and strengthen our control environment. You will act as a coach and enabler—helping teams adopt effective delivery practices while ensuring alignment with IT governance, audit requirements, and regulatory obligations.

The QA Team provides expert guidance on delivery methods and IT controls, ensuring transparency, traceability, and compliance throughout the change lifecycle. The team's work underpins our ability to evidence control effectiveness, meet audit expectations, and achieve our compliance targets.

Salary Information

Pay: Circa £55,000 per year.

Pay is based on relevant experience, skills for the role, and location. Salary is only one part of our total reward package.

Key Accountabilities

• Conduct assurance reviews across Agile and Waterfall change initiatives to verify adherence to IT change policies, standards, and mandatory controls.
• Produce clear, actionable compliance reporting that highlights risks, gaps, and trends, supporting leadership in meeting compliance targets.
• Identify and escalate instances of non‑compliance, ensuring timely remediation and reducing exposure to audit findings.
• Ensure Agile and Waterfall practices are consistently embedded within IT change frameworks and aligned to auditable IT controls.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and adaptive delivery.
• Support IT elements of the AzUK Change Framework(s), facilitating process improvement and embedding Agile and waterfall practices.
• Conduct regular reviews to ensure consistent adherence to both Agile and waterfall processes; track and report non‑compliance metrics and support resolution.
• Collect data and conduct reporting, data analysis and development of statistical models to enable use of metrics; guide process improvement and support reporting of project delivery and quality.
• Provide process advice, support and training as required to the IT and Change communities.
• Input into cross‑functional Agile forums to review and enhance working practices.
• Support initiatives that improve IT performance, operational resilience, and Agile maturity.

Governance Activities

• Collaborate with colleagues across Allianz Operations Functions (Change, IT, InfoSec, P&R and Data) and Allianz Technology in the effective delivery of change related activities and ensure Agile delivery aligns with governance and compliance requirements.
• Provide support for IT Risk and Controls processes, ensuring Agile practices incorporate appropriate controls.

Technical Skills

• Agile certifications (e.g., Certified Scrum Master, SAFe Agilist, ICAgile).
• Experience of the SDLC (Software Development Lifecycle) across both traditional waterfall and Agile deliveries.
• Six Sigma Green Belt (or equivalent process improvement/change management certification).
• Project Management (e.g., Prince 2 Practitioner, APMP, Certified Scrum Master).
• Strong IT analysis skills with an Agile mindset.
• Collaboration with parties—especially Allianz Technology and other change and run service providers, internal business stakeholders and related functional areas work streams.
• Understanding of IT and Agile governance and management practices.
• Experience of working within a regulated organisation.
• Understand/knowledge of COBIT Controls.
• Strong delivery record.
• Familiarity with Agile, test and quality metrics and reporting to various levels of business and IT management.
• Reviewing and quality assuring Agile and waterfall project deliverables and IT development and BAU operational activities.

Experience

• Experience in defining, updating, and distributing Agile and waterfall quality standards, and advising on their use.
• Conducting Agile and waterfall delivery reviews and audits of Change and BAU Run activities to ensure conformance to standards.
• Knowledge of Agile and Waterfall governance, software development lifecycles, and change management.
• Leading process improvement assignments with measurable business benefits.
• Working closely with and influencing stakeholders across multiple teams.
• Driving and leading quality improvement in a professional community.

What We Will Offer You

Recognised and rewarded for a job well done, we have a range of flexible benefits for you to choose from—so you can pick a package that's perfect for you. We also offer flexible working options, global career opportunities across the wider Allianz Group, and fantastic career development and training. That's on top of enjoying all the benefits you'd expect from the world's number one insurance brand, including:

• Flexible buy/sell holiday options.
• Hybrid working.
• Annual performance related bonus.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Development days.
• A discount up to 50% on a range of insurance products including car, home and pet.
• Retail discounts.
• Volunteering days.

Our Ways of Working

Do you need flexibility with the hours you work? Let us know as part of your application and if it's right for our customers, our business and for you, then we'll do everything we can to make it happen. Here at Allianz, we are signatories of the ABIs flexible working charter. We believe in supporting hybrid work patterns, which balance the needs of our customers, with your personal circumstances and our business requirements. Our aim with this is to help innovation, creativity, and you to thrive—Your work life balance is important to us.

Integrity, Fairness, Inclusion & Trust

At Allianz, we believe in fostering an inclusive workforce and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our commitment to equal opportunities, gender equity, and balanced gender representation, is demonstrated by our numerous accreditations: EDGE certified for gender inclusion, Women in Finance Charter members, Disability Confident employer, Stonewall Diversity Champion, Business in the Community's Race at Work Charter signatories, and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard employer.

We embrace neurodiversity and welcome applications from neurodivergent and disabled candidates, offering tailored adjustments to ensure your success.

We encourage our employees to advocate for their needs, whether it's assistive technology, ergonomic equipment, mentoring, coaching, or flexible work arrangements.

Accessible Application for All

As part of the Disability Confident Scheme, we support candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions through the Offer an Interview Scheme, for those meeting the essential skills for the role.

Contact our Resourcing team to opt into this scheme or for assistance with your application, including larger text, hard copies, or spoken applications.

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For any inquiries or to submit your application, please contact: Scott Burns

Closing date 28/01/2025

We reserve the right to close the advert early if we reach enough applications.

Join us - Let's Care for Tomorrow.

89411 | IT & Tech Engineering | Professional | Non-Executive | Allianz UK | Full-Time | Permanent