Test Planning Lead - Mainframe Product Migration

NTT DATA, Inc.; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

NTT DATA Services in London is seeking a Test Planning Lead for a mainframe product migration project. You will own end-to-end test planning, define the test strategy and master plan, and lead schedule governance across SIT, UAT, performance, and cutover activities in a hybrid UK role.

You will coordinate data and environment readiness, drive risk-based testing, and ensure audit-ready artefacts while aligning with vendors and business stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Proven test planning leadership on mainframe migrations (z/OS, COBOL, CICS, DB2, IMS, MQ, Batch/JCL).
• Strong understanding of batch cycles, end-of-day processing, data migration and operational constraints.
• Track record creating risk-based test approaches and governance at programme scale.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the overall test strategy and master test plan (phases, entry/exit criteria, environments, data, tooling, defect management, reporting).
• Build and manage an integrated test schedule aligned to milestones, cutover and release plans.
• Lead risk-based test planning with clear traceability to requirements and migration risks.
• Coordinate test phases: SIT, System/Integration, Regression, UAT support, Performance/Volume, Resilience/DR, Security, dress rehearsals/cutover.
• Define and govern test data approach (masked production-like data, synthetic data, data refresh cycles, reconciliation needs).
• Plan and coordinate environment readiness (mainframe regions/LPARs, middleware, interfaces, batch windows, stubs/simulators).
• Establish defect triage cadence, severity model, and quality gates; ensure timely resolution and retest.
• Drive stakeholder alignment across dev, infrastructure, ops, SMEs, and third parties; chair test planning forums.

Skills

Test planning

Mainframe migrations

Risk-based testing

Stakeholder management

JIRA

Zephyr

ServiceNow

Confluence

Excel

Executive reporting

Tools

JIRA

Zephyr

ServiceNow

Confluence

Excel

LRE

TDM

SV

Job description

Date: Sep 23, 2026

Location: London, LND, GB

Company: NTT DATA Services

Competitive salary | UK: hybrid: Sheffield OR London + remote

At NTT DATA, we know that with the right people on board, anything is possible. The quality, integrity, and commitment of our employees are key factors in our company’s growth, market presence and our ability to help our clients stay a step ahead of the competition. By hiring the best people and helping them grow both professionally and personally, we ensure a bright future for NTT DATA and for the people who work here.

NTT DATA is currently looking for a Test Planning Lead - Mainframe Product Migration on a hybrid work model (Sheffield or London + remote) for our growing team in the UK.

Role purpose: Own and drive the end-to-end test planning for a mainframe product migration programme, ensuring a robust, risk-based, and audit-ready test approach across all test phases and stakeholders (delivery teams, vendors, operations, and business).

Key responsibilities

• Define and maintain the overall test strategy and master test plan (phases, entry/exit criteria, environments, data, tooling, defect management, reporting).
• Build and manage an integrated test schedule aligned to programme milestones, cutover, and release plans.
• Lead risk-based test planning (scope, prioritisation, coverage, non-functional testing) with clear traceability to requirements and migration risks.
• Coordinate test phases: SIT, System/Integration, Regression, UAT support, Performance/Volume, Resilience/DR, Security (as applicable), Dress rehearsals / cutover testing.
• Define and govern test data approach (masked production-like data, synthetic data, data refresh cycles, reconciliation needs).
• Plan and coordinate environment readiness (mainframe regions/LPARs, middleware, interfaces, batch windows, stubs/simulators).
• Establish defect triage cadence, severity model, and quality gates; ensure timely resolution and retest.
• Drive stakeholder alignment across dev, infrastructure, ops, business SMEs, and third parties; chair test planning and readiness forums.
• Ensure evidence and controls are in place for audit/compliance (test artefacts, approvals, sign-offs).
• Support migration assurance: parallel runs (if used), reconciliation testing, batch/control totals, and post-migration verification.
• Integrated test schedule and resourcing plan
• Test governance pack (RAID, RACI, comms cadence, quality gates)
• Environment & test data readiness plan
• Phase-level test plans (SIT/UAT/NFR/cutover rehearsals)
• Test execution dashboards and go/no-go criteria
• Test closure report and evidence catalogue

Required experience

• Proven test planning leadership on mainframe migrations (e.g. z/OS, COBOL, CICS, DB2, IMS, MQ, Batch/JCL) and complex interface landscapes.
• Strong understanding of batch cycles, end-of-day processing, data migration/reconciliation, and operational constraints.
• Track record creating risk-based test approaches and running test governance at programme scale.
• Comfortable working with multiple delivery teams and vendors; excellent stakeholder management.

Tools/skills

• Test management: JIRA and Zephyr
• Defect management and reporting: JIRA/ServiceNow/Confluence/Excel
• Familiarity with automation frameworks is a plus (not mandatory), and with performance tooling where relevant (LRE, TDM and SV)
• Structured planner, pragmatic and delivery-focused; strong dependency management
• Clear written communication and executive-level reporting
• Confident facilitator in forums; calm under pressure during dress rehearsals/cutover

Our people are the most critical component of our long-term success and their health and wellbeing are our priority. You will enjoy a comprehensive, locally competitive benefits package.

About NTT DATA

NTT DATA is a $30 billion business and technology services leader, serving 75% of the Fortune Global 100. We are committed to accelerating client success and positively impacting society through responsible innovation. We are one of the world's leading AI and digital infrastructure providers, with unmatched capabilities in enterprise-scale AI, cloud, security, connectivity, data centers and application services. our consulting and Industry solutions help organizations and society move confidently and sustainably into the digital future. As a Global Top Employer, we have experts in more than 50 countries. We also offer clients access to a robust ecosystem of innovation centers as well as established and start-up partners.NTT DATA is a part of NTT Group, which invests over $3 billion each year in R&D.

Whenever possible, we hire locally to NTT DATA offices or client sites. This ensures we can provide timely and effective support tailored to each client’s needs. While many positions offer remote or hybrid work options, these arrangements are subject to change based on client requirements. For employees near an NTT DATA office or client site, in-office attendance may be required for meetings or events, depending on business needs. At NTT DATA, we are committed to staying flexible and meeting the evolving needs of both our clients and employees.

NTT DATA endeavors to make https://us.nttdataservices.com accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us at https://us.nttdataservices.com/en/contact-us. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications. NTT DATA is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. For our EEO Policy Statement, please click here. If you'd like more information on your EEO rights under the law, please click here. For Pay Transparency information, please click here.

#LI-NorthAmerica

Job Segment

Mainframe, Consulting, Testing, Middleware, Technology