Test Manager - (7859)

As IT & Digital (IT&D), we help to create the University of the future by co-designing new ways of working, enhancing productivity, reducing complexity, supporting innovation, and providing the insights to drive continual improvement. Embracing a digital future in an evolving modern university, you will be working in partnership with our academic and Professional Services colleagues to deliver digital services that help the University achieve its strategic objectives in teaching and research, nationally & globally. 

Details about the Team:

The Software Engineering department in IT&D implements software solutions to support the university across all of its business domains. This includes both, off-the-shelf configured products and internally developed solutions. Within Software Engineering we are constantly delivering quality iterations of these products into production. Currently we are working with multiple significant business transformation projects alongside the development and re-platforming of key student and academic management systems. 

Details about the Role:

The Test & Release team within the Software Engineering department is recruiting a Test Manager for the strategic management and application of the IT & Digital testing framework. Reporting to the Head of Test and Release, the Test Manager will collaborate with key stakeholders across the University to ensure that planning, delivery, governance, and acceptance of testing is robust, to enable the smooth transition of IT solutions to operations. Providing operational leadership, you will lead on the implementation of best practice initiatives that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the testing function, whilst finding new testing methodologies and test management frameworks that contribute to our testing strategy. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Presents on testing methodology, frameworks, governance and tooling to influence current and future direction of QA across Software Engineering.
• Establishes, contributes to and may lead a community of test analysts and test engineers to ensure QA practises are consistently applied throughout Software Engineering.
• Provides strong management of the testing function, maintaining and enhancing tools for use in testing management including tracking, analytics and performance management tools; ensuring testing is delivered to appropriate standards for robustness, is fit for purpose and complies with University policies.
• Ensures that whilst planning for testing, that appropriate skills sets, and resource coverage is secured beforehand and that any contractual/financial obligations have been considered and approved pre-testing.
• Taking the lead in communicating complex concepts to non-specialists and explore the needs of stakeholder groups to devise and deliver the intended results.

Key Skills, Experiences and Qualifications: 

Your experience in developing and leading on best practice, processes, and standards relating to effective test management as well as possessing proven influencing, communication and interpersonal skills will be essential to the role. 

• Experience of management of testing in a complex IT landscape/environment; defining and maintaining testing strategies to cater for in-house, customised or Cloud configurations.
• Experience of testing applications in accordance with required functionality and non-functional quality attributes (e.g. availability, performance, functional, usability).
• Experience of building and deploying test automation capabilities.
• Experience of working across multiple projects to understand dependencies, understanding of basic waterfall and iterative project management concepts.
• Experience of developing and leading on best practice, processes, and standards relating to effective test management

(For the full list of criteria and benefits, please refer to the job description and candidate pack attached below)

If you would like to join our people and share our ambition, we would love to hear from you.

To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter detailing your suitability, on the application portal. For informal enquiries, about this vacancy, please contact Nick Roberts on nicholas.roberts@mmu.ac.uk

Recruitment Agencies: The University has engaged an approved list of recruitment agencies to support the recruitment of its vacancies from time to time. The University does not accept speculative applications from recruitment agencies outside of this list.

Manchester Met University is committed to creating an intentionally inclusive culture of belonging that promotes equity and celebrates diversity. We understand the importance of having a diverse workforce and the benefits it can bring to ensuring diversity of thought and innovation in everything we do. We, therefore, encourage applications from people from ethnic minority groups, disabled people and people who identify as LGBTQIA+.