Lead - Testing

Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities; Wellington; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities is seeking a Lead – Testing to head testing across multiple teams within Digital IT. You will guide testing strategy, coordinate Senior Test Analysts and Test Analysts, and drive high-quality software delivery while embedding quality throughout the SDLC.

You will champion automation, promote Shift Left practices, and partner with Product, Delivery, and Engineering stakeholders to uplift testing maturity and ensure release readiness.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in software testing within large enterprise environments.
• Proven track record leading testing teams including Senior Test Analysts.
• Strong knowledge of testing strategy, test management, and QA across functional, regression, and UAT.
• Ability to define, embed, and improve testing frameworks, standards, and governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead testing strategy and testing for multiple teams.
• Embed quality across the SDLC and promote shift left.
• Champion automation to improve quality, efficiency and delivery.
• Provide evidence-based assessment related to test coverage, risk, and release readiness.

Skills

Test leadership

Automation testing

End-to-end testing

SDLC & Agile

Risk-based testing

Stakeholder collaboration

Quality assurance

Team development

Job description

Ngā Mahi - What You’ll Do

The Lead – Testing leads testing capability within the Business Technology Solutions function of Digital IT, ensuring testing activities are effectively planned, coordinated, and delivered to support high-quality business outcomes.

The role combines people leadership with hands‑on testing leadership, managing a team of Senior Test Analysts and Test Analysts while also contributing to complex or high‑risk testing activities where required.

The role plays a key part in ensuring testing is embedded effectively across the delivery lifecycle, reducing risk and improving solution quality.

Working closely with Product Managers, Delivery Managers, Business Analysts, engineers, and stakeholders, the Lead ensures testing services are aligned to delivery priorities while also supporting uplift in testing capability, including progression toward greater automation maturity.

The role provides evidence‑based assessment and recommendations relating to test coverage, quality risk, and release readiness to support informed delivery decisions. Final release and operational readiness decisions remain with delivery and governance accountabilities.

The Lead - Testing will advocate for and support modern engineering practices such as Test‑Driven Development (TDD) and Behaviour‑Driven Development (BDD). They will also promote the effective use of automation to improve quality outcomes, efficiency, and delivery effectiveness.

Championing a positive, inclusive, and collaborative culture that enables both people and teams to succeed are further facets of the Lead - Testing role.

Ngā Pūmanawatanga Ōu - What You’ll Need

To be successful in this role the Lead – Testing will have:

• Extensive experience in software testing within large, complex enterprise environments, including accountability for end‑to‑end testing outcomes across multiple initiatives
• Proven track record leading testing teams, including Senior Test Analysts, with responsibility for performance, capability development, and delivery outcomes
• Deep understanding of testing strategy, test management, and quality assurance practices across functional, regression, integration, and UAT testing
• Strong ability to define, embed, and continuously improve testing frameworks, standards, and governance across teams
• Demonstrated experience operating across the full delivery lifecycle, with strong understanding of SDLC and agile delivery at scale
• Experience influencing delivery and technical stakeholders (Product, Delivery, Engineering, Architecture) to ensure quality is embedded early in design and build phases
• Strong capability in risk‑based testing approaches, including ability to assess, prioritise, and guide testing effort based on business and technical risk
• Experience identifying systemic issues in testing practices and driving structured improvements across tools, processes, and capability uplift
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to guide teams through ambiguity, competing priorities, and high‑pressure delivery environments
• Working knowledge of automation testing approaches and frameworks, with the ability to support transition from manual to automated testing practices
• Set Test strategy and Lead testing for across multiple teams

Further, the Lead - Testing will need to be able to:

• Think beyond traditional testing and promote a quality engineering mindset
• Embed quality across the entire software delivery lifecycle (SDLC)
• Champion Shift Left practices to ensure quality is considered early and continuously throughout delivery
• Promote the effective use of automation to improve quality outcomes, efficiency, and delivery effectiveness

You will be a people‑focused leader who creates a culture and environment where teams can thrive and people feel supported, empowered, and able to do their best work. You will foster trust, psychological safety, collaboration, and continuous learning, empowering individuals and teams to take ownership of quality and deliver their best work.

Applications close Wednesday 26th August 2026 at 11.55pm.