Test Team Lead

The role of a Test Team Lead will be to perform the full spectrum of functional and non-functional testing activities.

The role requires an exceptional person who has extensive functional and non-functional testing experience. They will have performed manual and/or automated testing using industry standard test tools and will be able to work on their own initiative, taking the lead in all stages of testing within a project. They will need to gain a thorough understanding of the IT Services test strategy and standards for testing and be able to apply this to their day-to-day work. They will be experienced in an extensive range of software systems and will be expected to gain a good knowledge of the systems that IT Services develops and supports.

The Test Team Lead will have experience of creating complex test scripts and will take a lead role in maintaining effective, re-usable scripts.

The Test Team Lead will be an excellent communicator with the ability to deal effectively with the functional and non-functional teams within IT Services as well as the business users. They will work closely with IT Services teams and the business system owners through influence and negotiation to ensure that effective testing is achieved. They will provide estimates for testing activities and advise on the best approach for effective testing for individual projects and change requests. The Test Team Lead will also co-ordinate UAT and assist in the preparation of UAT test scripts.

The Test Team Lead will act as a source of expertise on testing for IT Services. They will be an advocate for testing, have a thorough understanding of the importance of testing and will be responsible for advising on best practice. They will review and maintain testing standards and documentation. Where testing involves colleagues without formal testing experience the Test Team Lead will provide technical knowledge, mentorship and training to achieve an effective testing outcome.

Essential selection criteria

  • ISEB / ISTQB qualification in Software Testing to practitioner level or equivalent qualifications or experience
  • Experience of using a test management tool
  • Extensive experience as a functional test analyst
  • Experience in writing SQL queries
  • Experience as a lead tester, taking responsibility for managing your own workload and directing the work of others
  • A thorough understanding of risk-based testing
  • The ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical colleagues at all levels in both verbal and written communications
  • The ability to work within, and contribute to, a team environment and build and maintain effective working relationships with customers, users and colleagues within the wider project team
  • The ability to work on your own initiative and manage your own workload to meet deadlines
  • Experience of functional and non-functional test analysis
  • Experience of providing estimates for testing using industry standard techniques

Desirable selection criteria

  • Experience of using automated functional and/or performance test tools, including the production of advanced test scripts and the ability to write re-usable scripts