Test Team Principal

Division: Technical

Job Type: Temporary

Duration of booking: This is expected to be for 6 months and maybe longer  

Sector: Healthcare

Location: Cardiff

Hybrid:

The role will mostly be work-from-home, with a mix of office work. Minimum in-office requirement is one day per month, plus two half days per year, and additional in-person workshops or meetings as needed. Flexibility for more frequent office visits is desirable.

Travel: Will be required to hospital sites in the surrounding areas when required

Band: 7

Pay Rates:

£19.00 - £22.50 paye per hour

£21.00 - £25.00 paye inclusive of holiday per hour

£24.00 - £28.50 umbrella per hour

depending on skill and experience.

Working Days and Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm 37.5 hours

IR35: Inside

Job Summary

Responsible for all aspects of provision of the Testing services for which the post holder is the Test Principal (management, support and development).

To implement testing strategies in accordance with the client’s Test Framework and Assurance Processes. To implement test plans based upon this strategy.

To provide advice on testing of complex programmes, including presenting to senior management and wider teams, ensuring guidance to the client’s policy and strategy in areas of quality assurance and system testing.

Responsible for leading, planning and managing the software testing in multiple, concurrent complex client’s projects.

Manage the testing lifecycle for each of the client’s major applications ensuring they meet Senior User requirements and adhere to the appropriate the client’s assurance strategies.

This will include the planning and management of each key test phase - Systems and Integration Testing (SIT), Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT), Regression Testing and Performance Testing to ensure delivery against agreed project plans.

Responsible for defining the long-term test strategy within the product, to ensure test approaches will continue to meet constantly changing user and stake holder needs.

The Test Team Principal is required to work closely with the Digital Transformation Managers, Project Managers, Senior Software Developers and Senior Users.  In addition, the Test Team Manager will supervise a team of test analysts on a day-to-day basis and coordinate their activities to support the testing phases.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain relationships with the client’s applications customers including senior NHS clinicians, managers or users and provide them with advice, support and training.

Represent the client’s at various application, NHS steering and user groups and when required both present and interpret complex business and clinical national application issues.

Be responsible for the preparation and maintenance of documentation for the client’s applications and services to provide operational and user specific information.

Liaise as necessary with NHS staff at all levels to resolve faults across NHS organisations or external companies.

The post holder must have a relevant degree or extensive experience of software testing in a highly complex technical environment. The post holder should hold the ISEB intermediate certificate in software testing and be able to demonstrate and maintain a sound knowledge of relevant NHS clinical and business processes.

Demonstrate and maintain knowledge and expertise of test methodologies and relevant industry standards.

Develop test plans and procedures to ensure that systems are stable, maintainable, meet usability criteria, provide accurate information and meet the required specification.

Demonstrate and maintain knowledge and expertise in test tools e.g. Visual Studio, Team Foundation Server, DevOps Server, etc.

Demonstrate and maintain knowledge of differing systems life cycles e.g. Agile, RUP.

Acquire and maintain a detailed knowledge of the systems to be tested and the business and clinical processes the system is intended to support.

Analyse complex IT, business and clinical processes to produce Test Strategies, Test Plans, Test Cases and Test Scripts that reflect the working practices of the areas where a system is to be deployed.

Analyse and document the requirements for non-functional testing.

Analyse Business Requirements and specifications in order to prepare comprehensive Traceability Matrices for the systems under test.

Write test strategies and plans based on a detailed knowledge of complex requirements.

Write, report and present the outcome of testing in accordance with the test strategy.

Advise on the design of test environments including servers, software and integration tools.

Assist in the budget planning of projects with respect to testing requirements.

Design and maintain appropriate controls for the management of system defects to ensure the quality of systems implemented as part of service developments.

Contribute to the on-going development of the Test Framework for systems developed by the client.

Develop and maintain appropriate quality control procedures for all testing activities, as necessary.

Organise their own and their teams’ work effectively, using their own initiative.

Prepare detailed plans for carrying out testing including the analysis of cross project dependencies and intra-project dependencies.

Carry out the tasks identified in the relevant test strategy and plans and advise project managers of their progress.

Have a methodical approach to their work with an attention to detail.

There is no requirement for clinical care of patients and/or clients in this role.

Ensure that projects adhere to specified requirements and completed within the agreed management timescales.

Implements departmental policies within configuration management and project management.

Proposes changes to those policies as the result of national guidelines from organisations and governing bodies e.g. WAG and redesigns practices that have an impact on software development

Be responsible to produce quality control and audit reports and to ensure appropriate corrective measures are in place to meet requirements of the customer.

Develop and maintain means of recording and managing defects and issues arising from testing and perform complex analysis on this information to produce reports for development and project staff.

Research, evaluate and implement testing tools (e.g. Visual Studio, Team Foundation Server, DevOps Server) in order to improve the delivery of testing services.

Routinely test applications to ensure that systems are stable, meet the business requirements and the user’s expectation.

Be responsible for the recruitment and professional development of the Senior Test and Test Analysts.

Set develop and review personal objectives, training and personal development plans with Senior Test and Test Analysts.

Implement and ensure all corporate organisational policies and procedures are followed.

Ensure Test Analysts create test plans and traceability matrices. Overall responsibilities for ensuring applications meet appropriate quality assurance criteria.

Responsibility to ensure all test lifecycle phases are completed. These include Systems and Integration Testing (SIT), Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT), User Assurance Testing (UAT), Regression Testing and Performance Testing. Responsible for planning the resolution of identified issues in a timely and controlled manner.

Manage the day to day running of the team to ensure resources are available to support the completion of designated test phases. Ensure completed reports meet the requirements of relevant test frameworks.

Ensure that all customers are professionally supported and that their queries are dealt with in an efficient and professional manner, consistent with the quality levels specified within the relevant Test plan.

Develop and maintain means of recording and managing defects and issues arising from testing. Perform complex analysis on this information to produce reports for development and project staff.

Develop and maintain a high level of knowledge of relevant NHS clinical and business processes.

Gain in depth knowledge and understanding of complex third-party solutions and where appropriate integrate them with existing test processes to add value to the services provided by the test team. To liaise with third-party suppliers and facilitate service delivery and improvement.

Maintain and develop knowledge of PRINCE 2 project management methodology.

Research and evaluate testing tools and methodologies in order to improve the delivery of testing services.

In accordance with Job Description, identify the strategic direction for software and systems testing so that they remain relevant to needs, facilitating improvements in the Services provided to Digital Transformation Teams.

Ensure all problems and issues are resolved to the satisfaction of management. Monitor test and project reports to ensure the team responds and resolve Project and Development Managers’ queries in a timely and accurate manner. Resolve problems from first principles and experience and knowledge. Liaise and meet, as necessary, with NHS staff at all levels to resolve issues across NHS organisations or external companies.

To write complex test summary reports and present them to senior management.

Key Essential Criteria

Qualifications

Masters level in information and IT related subject or equivalent experience

Must have in-depth knowledge and demonstrable expertise in Microsoft Visual Studio Team System (Team Edition) and Microsoft Visual Studio Team System Web Access.

Should be able to demonstrate an excellent knowledge of testing processes and an understanding of how they fit within an overall application and development project lifecycle.

An excellent knowledge of defect management and structured approaches to resolution of issues.

Knowledge of different test methodologies. For example, white box and black box.

Proven knowledge in the use of Microsoft Office Tools and Test management tools. For example, Quality Centre.

Experience

Extensive experience of managing testing in highly complex technology-based projects

Proven experience in the analysis of business requirements and the production of test plans, strategies, test reports and traceability matrices for complex technical environments.

Proven record in the field of Application Development and Lifecycle Management.

Experience in supervising an IT Test team.

Excellent understanding and record of translating business and functional requirements into specialist test plans and traceability matrices.

Demonstrate a track record of delivering successful test projects.

Ability to communicate with staff up to a senior level on complex business or clinical processes.

Proven ability to manage and motivate technical staff by creating personal development plans and identifying training needs.

Able to read and comprehend clinical business requirements and high-level design deliverables well enough to commission and write detailed test cases.

Proven ability to organise own work and the work of other testing professionals effectively.

Able to be proactive in problem identification and pursuit of resolution.

Proven project management ability.

Able to learn new technologies and IT systems quickly through both self-study and professional courses.

High quality written and verbal communication skills.