About the role:
Responsible for designing and implementing the Test Approach and Strategy to implement best ways of working across all projects and programme
This role is accountable for the governance, assurance and delivery of testing products, deliverables, and services by test service providers, third parties and internal Whitbread teams thereby supporting the deployment of high-quality solutions into the production environment.
You will be the primary point of contact for testing for delivery teams in projects and programmes and will work in collaboration with the PMO office to ensure the appropriate level of governance and assurance is applied to technology change delivery.
You will work closely with testing service suppliers continually evaluating service provision and driving efficiency improvements, tool adoption and risk-based approaches.
What you’ll be doing:
- Responsible for implementation of test assurance strategy, test plan design & processes and directs teams with diverse scope on complex programmes of work.
- Ensures that project deliverables are completed within agreed cost, timescale and resource budgets, are signed off, and aimed to achieve personal and team utilisation targets.
- Able to coach team how to apply, articulate and construct business specific end to end scenarios, defining standards for the development of test scripts, maintenance, and reuse.
- Responsible for the oversight of test environments for STLC and ensuring it reflects business requirements for execution.
- Allocates and co-ordinates test schedules, work and resource plans. Manage progress of all activities against the plan, including own deliverables and that of others to meet delivery deadlines. Ensure that project testing services are delivered in a consistent, effective and efficient manner with respect to cost, quality and performance.
- Engagement with testing services suppliers to agree and manage the delivery of testing services to projects including contractual elements and service delivery and quality measures
- To provide leadership to all internal stakeholders and external suppliers involved in the projects & programme as part of a single test plan
- Can proactively anticipate and prevent problems, facilitates buy-in and guides implementation of corrective and/or preventive actions for complex issues.
- Lead the Whitbread test community along with the QA Leadership team to enhance consistency and standards
- A major contributor / decision-maker to the vendor selection processes for test service suppliers (tendering, SLAs, warranty, outsourcing etc.).
- Coordinating with finance and procurement teams for managing any third party contracts and Statement of Works.
- Direct line management responsibility for any Whitbread or Third-Party Test resources including performance management and retention for internal team members
- Overseeing and reporting on all testing conducted. This includes coordination with the UAT testing that will be conducted elsewhere within the programme
What you’ll need:
- Proven experience of test assurance and delivery in a leadership role
- Demonstrable experience of implementing robust test approaches, techniques and principles
- Demonstrable experience of motivating, coaching and managing high-performing test/QA teams
- Extensive technical knowledge and experience with complex IT programmes
- Strong understanding of multiple delivery methodologies including waterfall, KANBAN, TDD.
- Strong knowledge of new and emerging technologies based on own area of expertise
- Understanding of DevOps, CI/CD, cloud technology and virtualisation services
- Experience in managing test service providers
- Experience in managing senior stakeholders
Whitbread is an inclusive employer. We believe that everyone is unique and there should be no barriers to entry and no limits to ambition. We welcome your application whatever your background or situation. Under-represented groups such as women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities & members of the LGBTQ+ community (those who identify as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, trans sexual, non binary or use another term), are strongly encouraged to build a career with us. We are open to flexible working and, where possible, will try to support this.
Job ref: 743587-2028
Advertised: 17 Dec 2021
