Software Test Lead

Paragon Bank; Metropolitan Borough of Solihull; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Paragon Bank is seeking a Test Lead to join their team in a hybrid role. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing testing activities, mentoring junior testers, and ensuring quality assurance throughout the product life cycle. This role offers a supportive environment, flexibility, and numerous benefits, including a generous holiday allowance and pension contributions.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance starting at 25 days

Share Save Scheme

Profit-Related Pay

Pension Plan: Up to 10% employer contribution

Family-friendly policies

Employee Discounts

Volunteering Day

Life Assurance and Personal Accident Cover

Flexibility in work location and hours

Resources to support wellbeing

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years in a Senior Tester or Test Lead role.
• Experience in designing and implementing test automation.
• Ability to mentor a testing team and foster collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Understand business value and involve in early product development.
• Serve as a testing expert, planning and coordinating test activities.
• Oversee technical management of the test team.

Skills

Leadership

Mentorship

Agile methodologies

Test automation

Quality assurance

Collaboration

Job description

A Platinum Investors in People employer and an award-winning UK bank, focused on growth. Our customers include savers and businesses across the UK, and we use our specialist expertise to help them achieve their ambitions and build a sustainable future. If you’re an experienced Test Lead or a senior automation tester looking for an opportunity to grow in a friendly environment, we’re looking for you!

We’re flexible, inclusive, committed to your wellbeing, and passionate about helping you reach your potential. Let’s grow together …

What you’ll be doing

• Understanding Business Value: Grasp the business value behind the application under test and involve from early stages of product development, including refinements and backlog grooming.
• Expertise in Testing: Serve as a testing expert for IT services, planning, coordinating, and controlling various test activities at different development stages, and developing suitable test methods using appropriate test tools.
• Ownership: Take responsibility for the quality of the developed application, own your workspace by providing the latest test status with clear reporting to stakeholders, and maintain application quality. Be a strong team player with attention to detail and time management skills to meet deadlines.
• Technical Management: Oversee the technical management and control of the test team, ensure quality assurance standards across projects with controlled governance protocols, implement automation where possible, and lead by example to build a future-proof QA function while remaining hands-on in testing.
• Collaboration: Be an expert in testing and releasing within an agile development process, working closely with a scrum team to understand requirements, develop accurate test approaches, and contribute to workspace success.

About You

What you’ll bring to the team

• Leadership and Mentorship: Guide, mentor, and motivate the testing team, fostering a collaborative and productive environment.
• Agile Experience: Highly experienced in Agile methodologies, able to implement and follow test strategies, plans, and procedures, outlining scope, objectives, schedule, and resources.
• Test Automation: Experience in designing and implementing test automation, working with technical leads, developers, and stakeholders to define best practices, ensuring robust, scalable, and efficient test coverage. Oversee test execution, track progress, and report results, addressing issues or risks.
• Test Data and Environment Management: Ensure proper configuration and alignment with production environments for valid testing.
• Quality Assurance Advocacy: Ensure testing activities meet project requirements and final products meet quality standards.
• Continuous Improvement: Contribute to refining testing processes, methodologies, and tools for ongoing efficiency and effectiveness.
• Minimum 2 years in a Senior Tester or Test Lead role.

Even if you don’t meet all criteria, we encourage you to apply. At Paragon, we value diversity and are eager to hear from passionate individuals like you! If you’re ready to contribute, please apply.

Further role details can be found in the downloadable Purpose and Performance Profile (PPP).

About Us

Working hours

This is a full-time role, with 37.5 hours per week, following a hybrid model of remote and in-office work to support work-life balance and collaboration.

Inclusion

As a Disability Confident Employer, we aim to make our vacancies accessible. If you have a disability, long-term health condition, or are neurodiverse and need adjustments in our recruitment process, please contact our recruitment team.

What we offer

• Generous holiday allowance starting at 25 days, increasing to 30, plus days off for your birthday, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. Options to buy or sell up to a week’s leave.
• Share Save Scheme: Opportunity to buy shares in Paragon at a discounted rate annually.
• Profit-Related Pay: Sharing a portion of our annual profit with eligible employees.
• Pension Plan: Up to 10% employer contribution towards your pension.
• Family-friendly policies: Enhanced parental pay and paid leave for fertility treatments.
• Employee Discounts: Savings on entertainment, travel, shopping, motoring, and more.
• Volunteering Day: One day per year to contribute to causes you care about.
• Life Assurance and Personal Accident Cover.

Additional Support and Culture

• Flexibility in work location and hours to promote a healthy work-life balance.
• Inclusive environment that values diversity and promotes equality through our EDI initiatives.
• Channels for employee feedback and voice, including our People Forum and surveys.
• Resources to support wellbeing, including digital GP, wellbeing team, and discounted gym memberships.
• Opportunity for personal development through a tailored learning and growth plan, supported by our Platinum Investors in People accreditation.