Quality Assurance Analyst

Howden; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global insurance firm in Milton Keynes is looking for a Quality Assurance Analyst to manage the QA lifecycle for various business insurance systems. The ideal candidate will have experience in testing disciplines and tools like Azure DevOps and SQL. This permanent role emphasizes collaboration, problem-solving, and a strong attention to detail while supporting diverse projects within the insurance domain.

Benefits

Career development opportunities

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience in small to large scale testing projects.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage the full QA lifecycle including test strategies and plans.
• Coordinate User Acceptance Testing (UAT) with business users.
• Assist with preparation and execution of Test Scripts.

Skills

Testing disciplines

SQL validation

Experience with Azure DevOps

Salesforce testing

Attention to detail

Problem-solving

Education

ISEB Foundation in software testing

ITIL 4 Foundation or above

Salesforce training/certification

Tools

Azure DevOps

Jira

Job description

Who are we?

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no‑limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like‑minded people driving change at Howden.

The Role

Quality Assurance Analyst within Howden Group Operating Entity which is part of the Howden Insurance Broking (the Group).

We have an exciting vacancy within our experienced QA Team, supporting all aspects of testing of our various business insurance systems and other 3rd party systems/integrations. Although first‑hand experience isn’t required, some of the systems that are within the team remit: Global XB, Sector, Novidea, In‑House Portals, Insurer’s Market Repository (IMR), CLASS/LORS, PPL and other ad‑hoc IT/Infrastructure projects.

This role requires management of the full QA lifecycle, which incorporates preparation of Test Strategies, Test Plans, creation of Test Scenarios / Test Cases / Test Scripts and Defect management as well as Test Summary Reports. Working closely with stakeholders to understand the business requirements for changes to applications used in the nominated Operating Entities through the preparation, maintenance and execution of Testing Scripts, coordination of UAT with designated business testers and ensuring new systems, enhancements and impacted integrations are thoroughly tested before release into production, maintaining Company standards across all platforms and maintaining Operational Resilience.

Key Responsibilities

• Under the direction of line manager and senior colleagues, determine priorities and activities to achieve personal goals and contribute towards the Operating Entity achieving its objectives.
• Manages assigned projects and contribute to other projects as required.
• Provides relevant management information as required.
• Responds appropriately to urgent issues as they arise.
• Assist with preparation, maintenance and execution of Test Scripts.
• Provide assistance with User Acceptance Testing (UAT) for software upgrades.
• Coordinate testing appointments and associated materials.
• Logging, investigation and resolution of any issues which arise, to be dealt with in a timely manner.
• Occasional trips to other Group offices to meet face to face with business users as required.
• Assist with collating test results, preparing test summaries and presentations.
• Ensure good communication with the Systems Manager and IT colleagues.
• Develop a good working knowledge of broking systems.
• Ensure up to date with system enhancements and changes.
• Provide assistance with software upgrades (Production deployment).

Skills & Attributes

• Involvement in small, medium or large scale testing projects.
• Understanding of testing disciplines such as functional, non‑functional, regression, system integration, compatibility, performance and experience with the use of test automation tools.
• Understanding or involvement with project lifecycles.
• Insurance knowledge.
• Experience of Test Management & Defect Management tools such as Azure DevOps, QC and Jira.
• Use of SQL to validate data.
• Salesforce testing/training experience.
• People or resource management.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Self‑motivated.
• Ability to work effectively on their own or within a team.
• Problem solver – able to resolve issues and share ideas.
• Excellent prioritisation and organisational skills.
• Able to work towards deadlines and achieve objectives.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with internal and external stakeholders.

Useful Qualifications

• Salesforce training/certification.
• ISEB qualified Test Analyst.
• ISEB Foundation in software testing.
• ITIL 4 Foundation or above.
• Insurance Market experience/knowledge.
• ISEB/ISTQB qualified tester with experience of testing in a number of organisations.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.

Permanent