Strategic Test Manager

Taylor and Francis; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading publishing company is seeking a Senior Strategic Test Manager to oversee testing strategy and governance for complex defence programmes. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in QA/Test leadership within regulated environments and be adept at engaging senior stakeholders. This role focuses on ensuring compliance with security standards while providing proactive risk management and strategic insights. Contract position based in the City of Westminster, offering an exciting opportunity to influence testing across national security programmes.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in QA/Test leadership roles within large-scale digital or systems programmes.
• Experience delivering test strategy and assurance for defence, aerospace, or regulated environments.
• Strong understanding of secure testing practices and quality management.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement a comprehensive test strategy covering multiple testing types.
• Review and validate test plans across multiple workstreams.
• Engage senior stakeholders and translate testing insights into recommendations.

Skills

QA/Test leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Secure testing practices

Job description

Senior Strategic Test Manager - Contract - DV Clearance

We are seeking an experienced DV cleared Senior Strategic Tester who will serve as a critical advisor to the end client, shaping and overseeing all testing strategy, planning, and assurance activities across complex defence programmes. This role ensures that all testing aligns with regulatory, security, and programme delivery requirements while enabling informed decision‑making at senior stakeholder levels.

Key Responsibilities

• Testing Strategy & Governance: Define and implement a comprehensive test strategy covering system, integration, security, performance, and user acceptance testing. Establish testing governance frameworks and quality gates aligned to defence sector policies and operational requirements. Advise on tooling, environments, automation approaches, and best practices suitable for secure and classified settings.
• Programme Assurance & Oversight: Review and validate test plans, schedules, scope, and acceptance criteria across multiple workstreams. Provide independent assurance on testing progress, risks, issues, and readiness for deployment. Lead defect triage and support root‑cause analysis for high‑severity or security‑related issues.
• Stakeholder Management: Engage senior stakeholders, solution architects, delivery leads, and operational teams to ensure a cohesive and risk‑controlled testing approach. Translate complex testing insights into clear, actionable recommendations for programme leadership.
• Risk, Compliance & Security: Ensure testing activities comply with MOD standards, security classifications, and accreditation processes. Identify gaps in test coverage, security vulnerabilities, and system risks, advising on mitigation strategies.

Essential Skills & Experience

• 10+ years in QA/Test leadership roles within large‑scale digital or systems programmes.
• Experience delivering test strategy and assurance for defence, aerospace, national security, or similarly regulated environments.
• Strong understanding of secure testing practices, test environment management, and defence‑grade quality management.
• Expertise in test governance, risk management, and multi‑phase programme delivery.
• Proven ability to engage senior stakeholders and present complex assurance findings clearly.

Desirable

• Experience with MOD testing standards, JSP documentation, or defence accreditation processes.
• Background in systems engineering or integration testing of complex platforms.

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