Address
Form of workTest Manager:
1. Full responsibility for the planning, management and co-ordination of all testing activities within complex IT projects and evaluating risk potential during all stages of development.
2. Working closely with the Business and Technical design leads to establish appropriate test scenarios to achieve the Design target quality objectives.
3. Take a leading role in the definition of strategies to ensure the most effective and efficient testing is carried out, including the use of specialized testing tools and techniques.
4. Collaborate with end users and project teams, including suppliers to define the strategy. Help to set priorities that balance 'desirable' against 'practical' testing strategies.
5. Ensure use of appropriate tooling for requirement, test defect capture and management. National Grid's recommended tool is Microsoft's Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS). Take responsibility for setting up the project in whatever ALM tool is used by the project.
6. Define and document testing scope (functional and non-functional)
7. Manage and plan individual test phases and produce or assure phase test plans and exit reports depending on where the responsibility for the test phase lies (National Grid/ Supplier).
8. Review and assure output from suppliers. Ensure suppliers are aware of, and follow, the National Grid best practice test processes
9. Execute static testing of all requirement and design documentation and capture issues raised.
10. Defining, agreeing and executing Test witnessing, if required.
11. Liaise with Program / Project managers to manage expectations for the testing stages of projects. Agree quality criteria and corrective action
12. Ensure that traceability exists between requirements, tests and results for each run and defects and that a suitable process is in place to handle the effect on testing of changes in requirements.
13. Report quality metrics each week to project and TCoE as defined in the National Grid Test Framework.
14. Assess team size and capability. Identify any gaps and should further resource be required, ensure that it is justified and update the Senior Project Manager on any cost impacts/changes.
15. Deliver project documentation at appropriate stage gates in line with the National Grid governance model (the Solution Delivery Framework).
16. Define defect management and reporting procedures appropriate to the project. Manage the defect triage process.
17. Define and deliver appropriate test reporting requirements.
18. Deliver Test progress plus Risk and Issues weekly reports to the project manager and test capability lead.
19. Manage the creation and execution of appropriate test cases and schedules.
20. Lead and mentor subject matter experts in test execution.
21. Create a UAT Test Plan and schedule with the relevant business owners
22. Plan UAT testing in, manage the pre-requisites, and assist in creation and risk-based prioritization of business scenarios and support business users with execution of UAT Testing
23. Obtain formal sign-off approvals for UAT completion and store these in the project's SharePoint site as part of the project closure requirements.
24. Assist with operational readiness testing incorporating various tests such as backup and recovery, security, high availability, resilience, site failover, disaster recovery and performance. Review deployment plans
25. Facilitate test planning workshops with all relevant stakeholders
26. Statically review or input into training materials.
27. Manage resolution of any escalations relating to tests and test quality and escalate any issue that cannot be resolved with the Test Manager's remit.
28. Highlight and drive risks, issues, dependencies and assumptions forward from identification through to resolution
29. Attend appropriate Project boards and team meetings
30. Maintain good knowledge of, advise on and justify testing processes
31. Represent the project in a professional manner at all times
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
- Head of TCoE & US Test Portfolio Lead
- Program / Senior Project Manager
- Business users
- Development Teams
- Business Analysts
- Solution Architects
- Service Management team
ESSENTIAL
- At least 5 years Test Management in multiple roles within an outsourced supplier environment, including functional and non-functional testing in a Waterfall environment.
- Experience of large corporate international environments in the US
- Experience of managing large numbers of business users in multiple locations
NICE TO HAVE
- ISEB/ ISQTB
- Previous experience working with National Grid
- Knowledge of Microsoft Visual Studio Team Services, or equivalent ALM toolset.
PERSONAL SKILL REQUIREMENTS
- Excellent collaborator, communicator and presenter. The candidate will be working in a team environment with external suppliers, Client, PMs Etc. and must be confident discussing and advising complex technical issues. Working with business users is a key part of this role and outstanding soft skills are essential.
- Outstanding stakeholder management relationship skills
- Adaptability as we are looking for someone that can be productive quickly
- Proactive
- Ability to identify and discuss improvements to current processes
- Strong planning and leadership skills
1. Full responsibility for the planning, management and co-ordination of all testing activities within complex IT projects and evaluating risk potential during all stages of development.
2. Working closely with the Business and Technical design leads to establish appropriate test scenarios to achieve the Design target quality objectives.
3. Take a leading role in the definition of strategies to ensure the most effective and efficient testing is carried out, including the use of specialized testing tools and techniques.
4. Collaborate with end users and project teams, including suppliers to define the strategy. Help to set priorities that balance 'desirable' against 'practical' testing strategies.
5. Ensure use of appropriate tooling for requirement, test defect capture and management. National Grid's recommended tool is Microsoft's Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS). Take responsibility for setting up the project in whatever ALM tool is used by the project.
6. Define and document testing scope (functional and non-functional)
7. Manage and plan individual test phases and produce or assure phase test plans and exit reports depending on where the responsibility for the test phase lies (National Grid/ Supplier).
8. Review and assure output from suppliers. Ensure suppliers are aware of, and follow, the National Grid best practice test processes
9. Execute static testing of all requirement and design documentation and capture issues raised.
10. Defining, agreeing and executing Test witnessing, if required.
11. Liaise with Program / Project managers to manage expectations for the testing stages of projects. Agree quality criteria and corrective action
12. Ensure that traceability exists between requirements, tests and results for each run and defects and that a suitable process is in place to handle the effect on testing of changes in requirements.
13. Report quality metrics each week to project and TCoE as defined in the National Grid Test Framework.
14. Assess team size and capability. Identify any gaps and should further resource be required, ensure that it is justified and update the Senior Project Manager on any cost impacts/changes.
15. Deliver project documentation at appropriate stage gates in line with the National Grid governance model (the Solution Delivery Framework).
16. Define defect management and reporting procedures appropriate to the project. Manage the defect triage process.
17. Define and deliver appropriate test reporting requirements.
18. Deliver Test progress plus Risk and Issues weekly reports to the project manager and test capability lead.
19. Manage the creation and execution of appropriate test cases and schedules.
20. Lead and mentor subject matter experts in test execution.
21. Create a UAT Test Plan and schedule with the relevant business owners
22. Plan UAT testing in, manage the pre-requisites, and assist in creation and risk-based prioritization of business scenarios and support business users with execution of UAT Testing
23. Obtain formal sign-off approvals for UAT completion and store these in the project's SharePoint site as part of the project closure requirements.
24. Assist with operational readiness testing incorporating various tests such as backup and recovery, security, high availability, resilience, site failover, disaster recovery and performance. Review deployment plans
25. Facilitate test planning workshops with all relevant stakeholders
26. Statically review or input into training materials.
27. Manage resolution of any escalations relating to tests and test quality and escalate any issue that cannot be resolved with the Test Manager's remit.
28. Highlight and drive risks, issues, dependencies and assumptions forward from identification through to resolution
29. Attend appropriate Project boards and team meetings
30. Maintain good knowledge of, advise on and justify testing processes
31. Represent the project in a professional manner at all times
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
- Head of TCoE & US Test Portfolio Lead
- Program / Senior Project Manager
- Business users
- Development Teams
- Business Analysts
- Solution Architects
- Service Management team
ESSENTIAL
- At least 5 years Test Management in multiple roles within an outsourced supplier environment, including functional and non-functional testing in a Waterfall environment.
- Experience of large corporate international environments in the US
- Experience of managing large numbers of business users in multiple locations
NICE TO HAVE
- ISEB/ ISQTB
- Previous experience working with National Grid
- Knowledge of Microsoft Visual Studio Team Services, or equivalent ALM toolset.
PERSONAL SKILL REQUIREMENTS
- Excellent collaborator, communicator and presenter. The candidate will be working in a team environment with external suppliers, Client, PMs Etc. and must be confident discussing and advising complex technical issues. Working with business users is a key part of this role and outstanding soft skills are essential.
- Outstanding stakeholder management relationship skills
- Adaptability as we are looking for someone that can be productive quickly
- Proactive
- Ability to identify and discuss improvements to current processes
- Strong planning and leadership skills
