Test Lead - D365

ao.com; Bolton; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Pension contribution

Discounted gym membership

Health and wellbeing support

Family leave enhancements

On-site perks and breakfast

Job summary

A leading UK electrical retailer is seeking a Test Lead to oversee testing for their D365 transformation programme. Responsibilities include defining the test strategy, integrating automation into CI/CD pipelines, and leading all aspects of testing. The ideal candidate has strong experience in ERP environments, particularly D365, and exceptional leadership skills. This hybrid role is based in Bolton, offering a supportive work culture and various employee benefits.

Qualifications

• Proven experience defining test strategy across ERP programmes.
• Strong knowledge of automation frameworks, CI/CD, and environment lifecycle management.
• Hands-on experience with integration and non-functional testing.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the end-to-end test strategy.
• Co-own test forums and reporting cadence.
• Establish and evolve automation frameworks.

Skills

Testing strategy definition

Automation frameworks

Integration testing

Performance testing

Excellent communication

Leadership skills

Education

ISTQB Advanced Test Manager certification

Microsoft Certified (D365 SCM, Finance, Azure DevOps Engineer)

ITIL Foundation certification

Tools

CI/CD tools

D365 F&O/WMS

Job description

We’re looking for a Test Lead to take ownership of testing across our D365 transformation programme. This role is all about ensuring quality and readiness at every stage of delivery. You’ll define and maintain the end‑to‑end test strategy, making sure environments, tooling, automation, and governance are in place to support a smooth release cadence.

You’ll work closely with programme leadership, developers, and vendors to embed testing best practices from design through to deployment. From managing requirements traceability and defect lifecycles to leading integration and non‑functional testing, you’ll be the go‑to person for all things quality.

This is a hands‑on leadership role where you’ll establish automation frameworks, integrate suites into CI/CD pipelines, and enforce secure‑by‑design principles. You’ll provide real‑time dashboards and KPIs to give stakeholders confidence in application quality, integration stability, and readiness for progression.

Here’s What You Can Expect To Be Doing

• Define and maintain the end‑to‑end test strategy aligned to programme goals and release cadence
• Co‑own test forums and reporting cadence with the Group Test Manager
• Set and enforce test policies, standards, entry/exit criteria, and definition of done across all phases
• Drive shift‑everywhere practices for early risk identification and testability in design
• Provision and maintain SIT, UAT, and pre‑production environments with secure, stable configurations
• Establish and evolve automation frameworks and integrate suites into CI/CD pipelines
• Lead integration and non‑functional testing: performance, load, scalability, resilience, and security
• Maintain a disciplined defect lifecycle and ensure timely triage and resolution
• Provide dashboards and KPIs for test coverage, defect trends, and readiness

A Few Things About You

• Proven experience defining test strategy across ERP programmes (D365 F&O/WMS)
• Strong knowledge of automation frameworks, CI/CD, and environment lifecycle management
• Hands‑on experience with integration and non‑functional testing (performance, load, security)
• Ability to define, present, and track KPIs for test coverage, automation health, and readiness
• Understanding of SDLC, release management, and Microsoft update cadence within ERP programmes
• Excellent communication and leadership skills to engage stakeholders and vendors
• Preferred certifications: ISTQB Advanced Test Manager, Microsoft Certified (D365 SCM, Finance, Azure DevOps Engineer), ITIL Foundation

A Bit About Us

We’re big on appliances and electricals, REALLY big. Washing machines, fridge freezers and TVs? They’re our bread and butter. Mobiles, Airwraps and Ring doorbells? Yep, those too. If it plugs in, powers up or makes life easier, AO probably has it.

But we’re more than that… For over 25 years, trust has been at the heart of everything we do, helping us become the UK’s most trusted electrical retailer. Our customers rate us 4.9 on Trustpilot from nearly ONE MILLION reviews and more 5‑star ratings than any other UK electrical retailer, because they know they can rely on us and it’s the exact same for our AOers too.

We truly believe it’s more than just a job, we genuinely care about each other and our impact on making our customers lives easier, by helping them brilliantly. Everyone here knows how their role makes a difference. Our people are our superpower, so, when it comes to finding new AOers, we know it’s about more than just a CV, it’s about what makes you, YOU.

Our benefits are designed to cover the moments that matter to AOers. From health and wellness to giving back - you’ll be rewarded inside and outside of work.

• Holidays; 25 days, plus bank holidays (increasing to 27 days after 2 years with us!)
• Pension; Contribute 5% of your annual salary and we’ll do the same, giving you a little extra support for the future.
• Be a VIP at the AO Arena; we have loads of opportunities to win free tickets and pre‑sale access!
• Health & wellbeing; discounted gym membership, an onsite spa and our Help @ Hand scheme giving you access to virtual GP’s, Mental Health support and much more.
• Discounts; exclusive discounts across our product range.
• Family leave; Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption leave.
• Making a difference; 2 fully paid days a year to donate your time to any charity of your choice.
• On‑site perks; start your day with free on‑site parking, grabbing a complimentary breakfast and a coffee at our subsidised in‑house coffee shop!

To see all our benefits and perks, visit our AO Benefits page.

Job Title: Test Lead – D365 Location: Bolton Hybrid

We welcome and celebrate diversity, belonging and inclusion. All applicants are encouraged to share information about gender identity, ethnic background, sexual orientation, disability status and neurodiversity as part of our inclusive recruitment process.