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Test Manager

Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.

Job Introduction

Job Description for Test Manager:

There’s never been a more exciting time to be part of the nuclear sector. New opportunities are being created all the time. At NNL, you’ll be in the ideal place to capitalise on this momentum, face new challenges and develop a long, successful and meaningful career. 

We’re an organisation that’s here to experiment and push the limits of what’s possible. So, if you’re keen to excel in your chosen field, this is the place to do it. Because at NNL, anything is possible.

The Test Manager is responsible for ensuring that quality is built into development of all solutions at all stages of the development and delivery lifecycle. This role is accountable for delivering Quality Assurance across all projects, providing expert advice and guidance on testing activities. 

The Test Manager is accountable for advancing the quality agenda during the creation of IT solutions and monitoring progress using a variety of quality metrics. The role is responsible for developing capability within the test discipline and increasing awareness of the importance of building-in quality across the wider IT and software community. This person is in charge of creating and keeping up-to-date testing procedures and documentation as needed for the function.

The Test Manager will develop a team of Test Engineers and Analysts ensuring all testing workstreams of proposed solutions are estimated, planned, managed, and delivered.

The location for this role is flexible and can be based at Risley, Workington, Stonehouse or Culham.

Role Responsibility

Main Responsibilities for Test Manager:

  • Accountable to develop test strategy and oversee the development & execution of the test scenarios and scripts; working closely with the wider IT team to conduct testing activities as require ensuring the solution delivered fulfils the stated functional (FR) and non-functional requirements (NFR).
  • Responsible for developing and managing Testing Team and supporting the day-to-day operations requirements, including the issues resolutions for routing operations and performance management.
  • Plan, recruit and manage skilled personnel to meet project demand ensuring an appropriate balance between tactical and strategic demands.
  • Develop Test Strategies, approach documents and plans. Identify dependencies to support critical path planning. Engage with the appropriate steering and leadership groups as required. Proactively communicate the status of testing to relevant stakeholders.
  • Provide estimates for test phase duration, costs, environment, and resource requirements to support programme and project managers with investment case preparation.
  • Oversee all test workstreams and test related tasks within programmes and projects. Ensure the test delivery process is applied consistently, including delivery of the Test Readiness Assessment, Test Status Reports and End of Test Reports.
  • Identify, document, and communicate any defects, risks and issues identified during the testing process. Escalate risks and issues as required.
  • Track and report progress across all test workstreams, acting as required to ensure delivery to agreed time, cost, and quality. Allocate the testing resources as require supporting issues / delayed plans.
  • Accountable for Defect Management in conjunction with vendors, 3rd party suppliers and internal delivery teams, with regular triage calls to ensure that the business requirements are met.
  • Participate in ‘SLMT (senior leadership & management team)’ activities and contribute as required.
  • Produce, approve, and maintain the essential documentation required for knowledge retention and timely service delivery by testing team.
  • Ensure that right testing tools are selected and used appropriately, and test data is maintained.
  • Provide development, coaching, mentoring and line management for the team members.

The Ideal Candidate

Essential Criteria for Test Manager:

  • Experience of planning, managing, and delivering Quality Assurance for major programmes of work, involving multiple systems and technologies from different vendors in a mid to large size organisation. 
  • Strong background in the Waterfall testing methodology as well as experience with Agile methodologies Excellent planning and organisational skills will be must.
  • A self-starter with sufficient technical knowledge to quickly turn a high-level solution design into a test approach.
  • Practical knowledge of best practices and frameworks of testing methodologies, TDD and BDD etc. with relevant certifications
  • Exposure to complex IT environments and interdependencies, including ERP, SaaS solutions, Cloud, Virtualisation and Data migration etc.
  • Customer obsessed – you are passionate about driving quality to ensure our internal and external customers are delighted with what we build and deliver as end product with the delivery team.
  • Demonstrable experience of similar position/role or working within established IT practice with enterprise level applications infrastructure and technologies.
  • Able to communicate technical approach of system testing to stakeholders of varying degrees of technical understanding. Develop and manage the KPI and performance metrics to track, communicate and support the progress.
  • Ability to obtain SC level security clearance (this includes but is not limited to identity, employment, financial and criminal record checks plus 5 years’ worth of UK residency).

Desirable Criteria for Test Manager:

  • Demonstrable relevant experience of testing activities, coordinating test planning and execution activities across multiple projects in information technology, including defining automation test frameworks and knowledge of testing tools.
  • Confident direction setter and subject matter expert who shall communicate with business and technical stakeholders in a compelling and engaging manner.
  • Test management qualification/certifications, ISTQB Advanced Test Manager or similar.
  • Resilient, determined, and practical, you thrive in a fast-paced environment and consistently meet deadlines without compromising the standard of your work.
  • Knowledge and experience to recommend, adopt, customise, and apply industry standards and frameworks for infrastructure delivery, support, and transformation.
  • Experience of working in accredited / regulated environments and able to balance business benefits against technology risk.
  • Self-motivated, proactive and customer focused with excellent organisational skills. Able to mentor and train other junior colleagues.
  • Degree in IT/Engineering/Business related subjects with relevant technology certification and industry accreditations.

About the Company

Grounded in robust science and decades of experience, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) is the authoritative voice in the UK and beyond for technological development within the nuclear power sector.

Our unparalleled understanding of the science, challenges and opportunities makes us an unrivalled authority and partner in the field, providing experts, technologies, and access to cutting-edge facilities to organisations around the world.

Harnessing potential technologies and translating them into to industry-ready solutions means our pioneering approach spearheads international improvement and technological progress.

We work on projects as small as drilling a hole to analyse underground wastes with our integrated micro drilling technology, or as large as developing state-of-the-art power systems for spacecraft, based on radioactive materials

NNL has a vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I) where NNL aims to be an inclusive workplace that attracts diverse talent through transparent and equal policies and procedures. We want you and the diverse mix of people that we employ, customers that we service and stakeholders that we influence to feel valued. We encourage a workplace culture where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging.

Recruitment Agency Notice

We operate a strict Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for the provision of recruitment services. Only agencies on our PSL may provide CVs and only when the role is released to them by our recruitment team. We will not accept unsolicited CVs from suppliers not currently on our PSL. We explicitly reserve the right to add candidate details from unsolicited CVs from non-PSL agencies into our own candidate database and to pursue/hire such candidate(s) without any obligation, financial or otherwise, to the agency concerned.

National Nuclear Laboratory

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