Lead QA Engineer

Department: Tech Hub

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: London

Description

Key Responsibilities

• Testing Framework and Processes: Define and implement standardized testing processes and artefacts, including test strategy, planning, and estimation. Drive test automation initiatives to improve testing efficiency and coverage.
• Risk Identification and Mitigation: Proactively identify and highlight risks to stakeholders and senior management, proposing mitigation plans to ensure timely delivery of high-quality outputs.
• Collaboration and Influence: Work closely with the development team, operations hub, and the business as a whole to ensure all teams understand their roles in testing. Influence teams to contribute to continuous testing within the CI/CD pipeline.
• Best Practices and Tools: Introduce and implement best practices and tools required for complex programs. Drive sprint testing automation with the goal of achieving zero manual testing.
• Acceptance Test Criteria: Participate in estimation and planning sessions, defining and creating acceptance test criteria at a domain level.
• Automation Framework Design: Collaborate in designing the architecture, model, and tech stack for the automation framework.
• Shift Left Implementation: Work alongside the Technology governance area to define and implement the Shift Left approach, ensuring early involvement in testing throughout the development process.
• Non-Functional Testing: Demonstrate expertise in non-functional testing, including performance, accessibility, and security testing.
• Management, Training and Support: Manage and develop your team and provide suitable training and support to the rest of the IT team in their specialist area.

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

1. Demonstrable experience in establishing fit-for-purpose testing automation and continuous testing integrated within a CI/CD pipeline.
2. At least 3 years of experience in building a software test function, including implementing test frameworks, suitable test tools, developing a team and establishing a testing centre of excellence.
3. Knowledge of Java
4. Proficiency in both functional and non-functional testing aspects.
5. Ability to design and execute a wide range of testing techniques and communicate test results to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
6. Experience in managing large-scale UAT, SIT, and regression activities.

1. Familiarity with cloud-based testing environments and methodologies.
2. Experience with performance testing tools and techniques.
3. Expertise in security testing methodologies and tools.
4. Knowledge of accessibility testing standards and practices.
5. Knowledge of Python.

Employee Benefits

• Annual performance based bonus, up to 10%
• 25 days annual leave, plus eight bank holidays
• Up to 8% pension contribution
• Financial support and time off for study relevant to your role, plus a professional membership subscription
• Employee referral scheme (up to £1500), and colleague recognition scheme
• Family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity leave and shared parental leave
• Free, confidential employee assistance, including financial management, family care, mental health, and on-call GP service
• Three paid volunteering days a year
• Season ticket loan and cycle to work schemes
• Family savings on days out and English Heritage, gym discounts, cash back and discounts at selected retailers
• Employee resource groups