Test Manager

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• Strong focus on work-life balance with a flexible hybrid model (3 days onsite)
  

• Be part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary agile environment alongside civil servants and industry experts
  

Based in Swansea, South Wales - three days per week on-site

Role Overview

We are looking for an experienced Test Manager to lead and manage testing activities across complex digital services and applications. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and implementing test strategies, managing test teams, coordinating testing across multiple delivery streams, and ensuring high-quality outcomes within a structured and governed environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and implement comprehensive test strategies, test plans, and test approaches aligned with project and business objectives.
  
• Lead end-to-end testing activities across the software development lifecycle.
  
• Manage and coordinate functional, integration, system, regression, UAT, performance, security, and operational acceptance testing.
  
• Lead, mentor, and support test analysts and engineers across multiple delivery teams.
  
• Work closely with Product Managers, Business Analysts, Developers, Architects, DevOps teams, and stakeholders to ensure effective test coverage.
  
• Review requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria, and technical specifications to identify testing needs and risks.
  
• Establish appropriate testing processes, standards, governance, and quality controls.
  
• Manage test schedules, dependencies, resources, environments, and test data.
  
• Monitor testing progress and provide regular reporting on test status, risks, issues, defects, and quality metrics.
  
• Identify and manage testing risks and dependencies, escalating issues where required.
  
• Oversee defect management, ensuring defects are appropriately prioritised, tracked, and resolved.
  
• Ensure testing evidence and documentation meet project governance and audit requirements.
  
• Support release and deployment decisions by providing clear assessments of testing outcomes and product quality.
  
• Continuously improve testing processes, tools, and ways of working.
  
• Ensure testing activities comply with relevant organisational, security, accessibility, and regulatory standards.
  

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience working as a Test Manager or Senior Test Lead within complex technology or digital transformation programmes.
  
• Strong experience managing end-to-end testing across Agile and/or Waterfall delivery environments.
  
• Experience developing and executing test strategies, test plans, and test approaches.
  
• Strong knowledge of software testing principles, methodologies, and the SDLC.
  
• Experience managing test teams and coordinating testing across multiple workstreams.
  
• Strong experience with defect management, test reporting, risk management, and test governance.
  
• Experience working with JIRA, Azure DevOps, or similar test/defect management tools.
  
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
  
• Ability to work effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  
• Experience working within structured, governed, or regulated environments.
  

Desirable Skills

• Experience working within UK Government or public-sector digital programmes.
  
• Knowledge of GDS Service Standards and digital delivery practices.
  
• Experience with CI/CD and DevOps environments.
  
• Understanding of performance, security, accessibility, and resilience testing.
  
• Experience working with cloud-based platforms such as AWS or Azure.
  
• Experience with automation testing frameworks and modern testing tools.
  
• ISTQB, ISEB, or equivalent testing certification.
  
• Experience managing testing for large-scale, cloud-based distributed applications.
  

Key Competencies

• Test Strategy & Governance
  
• Test Leadership & Team Management
  
• Risk & Defect Management
  
• Stakeholder Management
  
• Quality Assurance
  
• Agile Delivery
  
• Communication & Reporting
  
• Continuous Improvement