POST TITLE:

IT Testing Manager

DEPARTMENT/DIVISION/BRANCH:

IS Branch

SECTION/UNIT:

Technical Solution Delivery (TSD)

RESPONSIBLE TO:

Head of IT Programmes

RESPONSIBLE FOR:

Senior Testing Analysts

Testing Analysts

Officers & Staff allocated to testing roles

3rd party Staff allocated to testing roles

Product Leads and Service Delivery Managers allocated to testing roles

AIM OF JOB:

Develop, manage, and own quality and test strategy for all IT services and products delivered to or provided by the organisation.

Responsible for the day-to-day management and Matrix management of staff who deliver testing function.

Manage the end-to-end testing process for all services IT services and products delivered to or provided.

Deliver a strategy that drives a culture of continuous improvement in testing and quality throughout the development life cycle.

Manage the frequent challenges seen when developing critical systems with a quality focused mindset and inspire those around you to do the same.

Manage the production of auditable test processes and procedures for all IT services and products delivered or provided by the organisation.

Manage the relationship between architecture function, suppliers, the business and test function.

Directly and Matrix manage a wide range of staff assigned to the testing function across the force.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsible for ensuring all areas of effectively plan, organise and test, meeting the strategic and operational business demands, whilst ensuring alignment to Force strategy.

• Accountable for the development management, and ownership quality and test strategy, policies, and procedures.

• Responsible for the development of context specific testing strategies that are proportionate and appropriate to the type of product, the type of project and the delivery phase.

• Lead the definition, implementation and review testing strategies, ensuring that test plans are produced to a good standard that they are consistent with the testing policy and the relevant test strategy.

• Accountable for delivery of a constant test delivery process, including delivery of test readiness assessments, test status reports and end test reports.

• Manage 3rd party testing regimes for services and products delivered to or provided by, managing these in line with the agreed testing policy and the context specific test strategies.

• Manage the review and challenge and implement test plans produced by 3rd party suppliers as required.

• Responsible for the identification, documentation, and communication of any defects, risks and issues identified during the testing process and escalate risks and issues as required.

• Manage the tracking and reporting of progress across all test workstreams, acting as required to ensure delivery to agreed time, cost, and quality.

• Management of the remediation of defects detected during testing in conjunction with vendors, 3rd party suppliers and internal delivery teams, with regular triage calls to ensure that business requirements are met.

• Management of in-house testing activities, ensuring that formal in-house testing led by specialist test resources is delivered to plan and managed in a consistent manner.

• Responsible for reporting on testing services, gathering quantifiable performance information on the testing services provided and ensuring that suitable performance dashboards are available.

• Accountable for ensuring that the IT elements of projects run via Change and Transformation Branch, or other force programmes tested in line with the testing policy.

• Accountable for planning, recruit and manage personnel to meet project demand ensuring an appropriate balance between tactical and strategic demands.

• Manage overall test management for services and products delivered to or provided by the IS Branch, directly managing a time of staff and Matrix managing a wider pool of officers and 3rd part staff.

• Accountable for all test workstreams and testing and quality related tasks within programmes and projects.

• Accountable for the production approval, and maintenance of the essential documentation required for knowledge retention and timely service delivery by the testing team.

• Ensure that the right testing tools are selected and used appropriately, and that test data is maintained for reporting, analysis, and governance purposes.

Budget Management

• Management of the operational and staffing budget for the testing function.

• Responsible for forecasting of future IT related testing projects.

• Accountable for the testing element of IT project related revenue budgets.

Working with others

• Provide advice to stakeholders and users on approach to testing, promotes awareness of the importance of testing in reducing organisational risk, champions the benefits of usable performant solutions within and with solution providers.

• Manage the provision of advice to Project Managers and other change leads on the most appropriate and proportionate testing approach for their project delivery.

• Work closely with the Change and Release Manager to ensure that changes have been appropriately tested prior to release.

• Attend board and meetings as appropriate in relation to the role.

• Works with colleagues in IT and in other Branches and Districts plus Force subject matter experts to agree standards and policy for project planning and delivery.

• Works with the IT Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Director of Transformation SLT of the Change and Transformation Branch to ensure testing roles and responsibilities and agree allocation and lead.

Security & Risk Management

• Adheres to the security & risk management policy and procedures set out by the organisation, in order to take proactive and reactive measures to manage and minimise risk within own working environment.

• Ensures that testing is proportionate and appropriate to the level of risk.

IT Service Continuity

• Adheres to IT service continuity process set out by the organisation, in order to take proactive and reactive measures to ensure business continuity.

• Assists in the planning and assessment of business continuity tests.

Line Management

• Manages specialist testing resources assigned to them on a permanent, temporary and Matrix management basis in line with standard policies and procedures.

• Exercises oversight through the creation of a schedule of testing activity and allocate resources against the schedule.

• Agrees on a project-by-project basis whether additional dedicated temporary project specialist test resources are to be recruited, a test service is to be engaged or in-house testing resources are to be assigned.