Testing Lead

AWE; Reading; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9-day working fortnight

Pension scheme (9–13%)

Family leave policies

Professional development funding

Employee assistance programme

Life insurance

Job summary

AWE in Berkshire (Reading) is seeking a Testing Lead to oversee testing across digital and data delivery initiatives, embedding quality assurance throughout the delivery lifecycle. The role will define enterprise testing standards, manage the testing team, and ensure all digital solutions meet security, performance, and quality expectations prior to deployment.

You will lead testing across programmes, champion test automation and continuous testing, and collaborate with development,

Qualifications

• Experience leading testing across digital projects.
• Ability to define testing policies and standards.
• Experience with test automation and CI/CD pipelines.
• Ability to manage third-party vendors and offshore teams.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain testing policies, frameworks, test plans, and quality metrics.
• Support delivery teams in developing robust test strategies, including unit, system, integration, UAT, regression, performance, and security testing.
• Champion modern testing practices such as test automation, continuous testing, and integration into CI/CD pipelines.
• Review and assure the quality of test artefacts including test cases, scripts, traceability matrices, and defect reports.
• Promote early testing engagement and embed shift-left practices across the delivery lifecycle.
• Coordinate test data management and ensure compliance with data privacy regulations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure quality is a shared responsibility.
• Provide regular reporting on test progress, quality metrics, and risk indicators.

Skills

Testing leadership

Test strategy

CI/CD

Quality assurance

Stakeholder management

Job description

Testing Lead

Berkshire

Working pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight. We will consider flexible working requests so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know your preferred working pattern on your application.

Let us introduce the role To lead and oversee testing across digital and data delivery initiatives, embedding quality assurance practices throughout the delivery lifecycle. The Testing Lead is responsible for defining and maintaining enterprise-wide testing standards, managing the testing team, and ensuring that all digital solutions meet quality, security, and performance expectations prior to deployment.

Key Accountabilities

• Standards and Policies: Accountable for owning and developing the enterprise testing strategy, standards, and frameworks, ensuring alignment with delivery and design governance.
• Testing Strategy and Governance: Define, own, and continuously improve the enterprise testing strategy, frameworks, and standards, ensuring alignment with delivery governance and architectural principles.
• Quality Assurance Leadership: Ensure testing activities across all programmes and projects meet defined quality, coverage, and assurance standards, including functional and non-functional testing.
• Team Leadership and Capability Development: Ensure the right skills, tools, and resources are in place to support delivery at scale.
• End-to-End Test Lifecycle Management: Oversee all phases of the test lifecycle-planning, execution, defect management, and reporting-across multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Operational Readiness and Risk Mitigation: Ensure testing contributes to secure, reliable, and fit-for-purpose solutions, supporting business readiness and minimising go-live risks.
• Compliance and Audit Readiness: Ensure testing practices comply with internal policies, regulatory requirements, and audit standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and maintain testing policies, frameworks, test plans, and quality metrics.
• Support delivery teams in developing robust test strategies, including unit, system, integration, UAT, regression, performance, and security testing.
• Champion modern testing practices such as test automation, continuous testing, and integration into CI/CD pipelines.
• Review and assure the quality of test artefacts including test cases, scripts, traceability matrices, and defect reports.
• Promote early testing engagement and embed "shift-left" practices across the delivery lifecycle.
• Evaluate and implement testing tools and environments that improve efficiency, coverage, and traceability.
• Coordinate test data management and ensure compliance with data privacy regulations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including development, architecture, DevOps, and business stakeholders to ensure quality is a shared responsibility.
• Provide regular reporting on test progress, quality metrics, and risk indicators to senior stakeholders.
• Manage third-party testing vendors or offshore teams, ensuring alignment with internal standards and delivery expectations.
• Maintain a repository of reusable test assets and best practices to support continuous improvement.

AWE has a wide range of benefits to suit you. These include:

Some reasons we think you'll love it here:

• 9-day working fortnight - meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.
• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).
• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).
• Discounts - access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.

The 'Working at AWE' page on our website is where you can find full details in the 'AWE Benefits Guide'.

All candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the security clearance required for the role.