Software Test Team Lead

Zetron, Inc; Whiteley; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

DTC, part of Codan, seeks a Software Test Team Lead to guide a team of engineers ensuring software and embedded products meet quality, reliability, and performance standards across Defence and critical communications projects in Europe.

You will own test strategy, mentor staff, coordinate testing across features and releases, and partner with engineering, product, operations, and stakeholders to deliver secure, maintainable solutions.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in software testing, quality assurance, or verification and validation, ideally within embedded, defence or mission-critical software environments.
• Proven ability to lead testing activities and coordinate the work of a software test team across multiple priorities and releases.
• Strong understanding of software testing methodologies, including test design, exploratory testing, regression testing, integration testing, acceptance testing and defect lifecycle management.
• Experience creating and maintaining test plans, test cases, test scripts, test frameworks, test evidence, test reports and release quality assessments.
• Experience working across the full software development life cycle, from requirements review through to final test, release support and post-release defect analysis.
• Practical experience with test management tools, defect tracking systems, source control, CI/CD pipelines and automated test frameworks.
• Ability to communicate quality status, technical risks, defect impact and release readiness clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify root causes and make pragmatic quality recommendations.
• Experience mentoring testers and building a collaborative, disciplined, and quality-focused team culture.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to delivering reliable, maintainable, and customer-ready products.
• Experience testing embedded communication platforms such as Software Defined Radios (SDRs) would be desirable but not essential.
• Experience with test automation using scripting or programming languages such as Python, C, C++, MATLAB or similar.
• Knowledge of hardware-in-the-loop, system integration, RF, networking, protocol or device-level testing.
• Familiarity with regulated, safety-critical, security-sensitive, defence or ISO 9001 quality management environments.
• Experience improving test maturity, test coverage, defect prevention, release quality metrics or engineering quality processes.
• Experience supporting recruitment, onboarding, performance development and progression planning for software test engineers.
• Experience with CE Radio Equipment Directive, FCC and other government RF compliance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead, support, and mentor a team of software test engineers, helping them develop technical capability, product knowledge, and effective test practices.
• Own the planning, coordination, and execution of software testing activities across features, releases, products, and technical initiatives.
• Define and maintain test strategies, test plans, test cases, test environments, and test completion criteria aligned with product requirements and engineering priorities.
• Work closely with software engineering, systems engineering, product management, operations, and project stakeholders to understand requirements, risks, schedules and acceptance criteria.
• Ensure appropriate testing coverage across functional, integration, regression, performance, reliability, usability, security, and system-level test activities where applicable.
• Promote the effective use of automated testing, test tooling, CI/CD integration, defect tracking and test reporting to improve quality and delivery confidence.
• Review requirements, designs, user stories, test documentation and release plans to identify risks, gaps, ambiguities and opportunities for early defect prevention.
• Manage defect triage, root cause analysis, retesting, regression testing and quality risk reporting throughout the software development life cycle.
• Provide clear visibility of test progress, product quality, defect trends, risks, blockers and readiness for release.
• Drive continuous improvement in testing processes, quality standards, test environments, tools and team ways of working.

Skills

Software testing

Team leadership

Test planning

Automation testing

Embedded systems

CI/CD

Defence/mission-critical

Job description

DTC, a Codan Company, is a leading provider of advanced communications technology supporting defence, security, and mission-critical operations worldwide. As part of Codan Limited, an international technology company with a long-standing reputation for delivering trusted communications solutions, DTC combines specialist engineering expertise with global resources to develop and support products that perform in the world's most demanding operational environments.

Serving customers across Europe and internationally, DTC delivers secure communications capabilities that enable defence forces, government agencies, public safety organisations, and critical infrastructure operators to achieve reliable, resilient, and effective communications. Our solutions are designed to meet the evolving requirements of modern operations, where performance, interoperability, and operational readiness are essential.

Innovation, technical excellence, and customer partnership are central to our approach. We work closely with government, defence, and industry partners to develop technologies that address emerging operational challenges while meeting rigorous quality, security, and regulatory standards.

As part of the Codan Group, employees benefit from the strength of a global organisation while contributing within a focused, agile business dedicated to delivering advanced communications solutions. We are committed to fostering a professional environment that values expertise, collaboration, integrity, and continuous improvement.

Joining DTC offers the opportunity to work alongside experienced professionals on technologies that support national security, defence modernisation, and critical communications capabilities throughout Europe and around the world. We seek individuals who are motivated by technical excellence, innovation, and the opportunity to contribute to solutions that have a meaningful operational impact.

Role Summary

The Software Test Team Lead is responsible for leading a team of software test engineers to ensure that DTC's software and embedded communications products meet agreed quality, reliability, performance, and operational standards. This is a hands-on test leadership role combining test strategy, technical test expertise, team mentoring, delivery planning, defect management, and close collaboration with software engineering, systems engineering, product, operations, and business stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, support, and mentor a team of software test engineers, helping them develop technical capability, product knowledge, and effective test practices.
• Own the planning, coordination, and execution of software testing activities across features, releases, products, and technical initiatives.
• Define and maintain test strategies, test plans, test cases, test environments, and test completion criteria aligned with product requirements and engineering priorities.
• Work closely with software engineering, systems engineering, product management, operations, and project stakeholders to understand requirements, risks, schedules and acceptance criteria.
• Ensure appropriate testing coverage across functional, integration, regression, performance, reliability, usability, security, and system-level test activities where applicable.
• Promote the effective use of automated testing, test tooling, CI/CD integration, defect tracking and test reporting to improve quality and delivery confidence.
• Review requirements, designs, user stories, test documentation and release plans to identify risks, gaps, ambiguities and opportunities for early defect prevention.
• Manage defect triage, root cause analysis, retesting, regression testing and quality risk reporting throughout the software development life cycle.
• Provide clear visibility of test progress, product quality, defect trends, risks, blockers and readiness for release.
• Drive continuous improvement in testing processes, quality standards, test environments, tools and team ways of working.

Required Skills and Experience

• Strong experience in software testing, quality assurance, or verification and validation, ideally within embedded, communications, defence or mission-critical software environments.
• Proven ability to lead testing activities and coordinate the work of a software test team across multiple priorities and releases.
• Strong understanding of software testing methodologies, including test design, exploratory testing, regression testing, integration testing, acceptance testing and defect lifecycle management.
• Experience creating and maintaining test plans, test cases, test scripts, test frameworks, test evidence, test reports and release quality assessments.
• Experience working across the full software development life cycle, from requirements review through to final test, release support and post-release defect analysis.
• Practical experience with test management tools, defect tracking systems, source control, CI/CD pipelines and automated test frameworks.
• Ability to communicate quality status, technical risks, defect impact and release readiness clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify root causes and make pragmatic quality recommendations.
• Experience mentoring testers and building a collaborative, disciplined, and quality-focused team culture.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to delivering reliable, maintainable, and customer-ready products.
• Experience testing embedded communication platforms such as Software Defined Radios (SDRs) would be desirable but not essential.
• Experience with test automation using scripting or programming languages such as Python, C, C++, MATLAB or similar.
• Knowledge of hardware-in-the-loop, system integration, RF, networking, protocol or device-level testing.
• Familiarity with regulated, safety-critical, security-sensitive, defence or ISO 9001 quality management environments.
• Experience improving test maturity, test coverage, defect prevention, release quality metrics or engineering quality processes.
• Experience supporting recruitment, onboarding, performance development and progression planning for software test engineers.
• Experience with CE Radio Equipment Directive, FCC and other government RF compliance requirements.

Success Measures

• Software releases are supported by clear test planning, appropriate evidence and transparent quality reporting.
• Defects, quality risks and release blockers are identified early, prioritised effectively and communicated clearly.
• The test team delivers reliable, repeatable and efficient testing aligned with project priorities and release commitments.
• Test coverage, automation, tooling and process maturity improve over time.
• Software quality, reliability and customer readiness are continuously improved through effective test leadership and collaboration.