Test Coordinator

Test Planning & Strategy

• Define the test approach, scope, objectives, resource needs, timelines, and deliverables for each project, ensuring alignment with overall program plans and release schedules.
• Develop the overall test strategy in collaboration with external partners, ensuring effective internal reporting and structured communication across teams.
• Plan and coordinate the integration of automated tests into the overall testing framework, supporting the transition toward increased automation maturity.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

• Set up, coordinate, and supervise UAT activities for clients, ensuring smooth execution, timely issue resolution, and high-quality outcomes.
• Ensure that test environments and test data are properly prepared, stable, and available in line with project schedules.

Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement

• Oversee test case design, execution, and coverage to ensure all functional and non functional requirements are adequately tested.
• Stay up to date with best practices, tools, and emerging trends to propose targeted quality improvements.
• Manage the defect lifecycle: track, prioritize, and drive resolution in collaboration with development and business teams, ensuring timely communication and documentation.
• Validate partner proposals and deliverables through sample testing and performance evaluation. Take a proactive role in identifying, discussing, and implementing testing improvements with the Project Manager and other stakeholders.
• Assess and help evolve partner testing standards and procedures to enhance UAT effectiveness.

Team Leadership

• Lead and coordinate a team of testers (onshore and offshore).
• Assign tasks, provide coaching, and foster a collaborative, high-performance work environment.

Stakeholder Collaboration & Communication

• Act as the central point of contact for PMs, BAs, developers, testers, and external partners. Communicate clearly, consistently, and proactively with all stakeholders on test progress, risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Work closely with Project Managers and other stakeholders to translate business requirements into test plans and strategies.
• Actively drive discussions around test quality, process improvements, and risk mitigation, ensuring testing activities remain aligned with overall project objectives.

Governance, Metrics & Reporting

• Define, monitor, and enforce testing governance across assigned projects, serving as the escalation point for quality-related decisions and ensuring alignment with organizational standards.
• Establish and maintain testing standards, processes, and methodologies in line with industry best practices.
• Identify potential testing risks early and develop mitigation strategies to minimize their impact. Continuously monitor test progress and quality metrics to ensure compliance with organizational standards.
• Produce concise weekly test dashboards and contribute to Go/No-Go readiness reports to support informed decision-making.
• Provide concise follow-up reports regarding ongoing testing activities to ensure transparency and stakeholder alignment.
• Define, track, and report on key test metrics (e.g., defect density, test coverage, execution progress, UAT success rate) to provide actionable insights to stakeholders.
• Collaborate with release and deployment teams to ensure testing activities align with release timelines and do not introduce project delays.
• Monitor project changes and assess their impact on testing plans, proactively adjusting test scope and resources.

Cost Awareness

• Monitor and manage the cost implications of proposed testing solutions and improvements, balancing quality and budget efficiency.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, IT, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• ISEB/ISTQB certification is required., * Minimum 8 years of proven experience as a Test Manager or Test Coordinator, leading large scale and complex testing initiatives.
• Hands-on experience with test management tools and defect tracking systems (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps, ALM, TestRail).
• Solid understanding of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and Agile methodologies. Experience working with offshore or distributed teams is a must.
• Prior roles include Test Coordinator, Test Manager, QA Lead, QA Coordinator, or UAT Lead.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with a keen eye for detail.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to prioritize, adapt to change, and manage multiple projects simultaneously. Demonstrated ability to influence, persuade, and propose effective testing solutions.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and eager to continuously learn and improve.
• Good understanding of test automation principles and how automated testing integrates into overall test strategy.

Added Value

• Interest or experience in test automation and willingness to help shape automation strategy.
• Ability to collaborate with automation specialists to integrate automated test suites into regression and UAT.

General Competencies

• Team player with excellent communication skills (oral and written) in Dutch, French, and English.
• Strong technical problem-solving abilities.
• Able to work independently and take ownership of deliverables.

Languages

• Dutch or French: Fluent
• English: Fluent

CONFORMITY CRITERIA

Language Requirements

• English: Full professional proficiency and French or Dutch: Native or full professional proficiency.

Experience Requirements

• Overall Testing Experience: Minimum 5 years of hands-on functional software testing.
• Test Management Experience: Minimum 3 years leading test strategy, planning, and execution.
• UAT Coordination: Minimum 2 years coordinating or supervising UAT activities.
• Agile Product Ownership: Minimum 3 years as Product Owner or equivalent.
• Distributed/Offshore Teams: Proven experience collaborating with remote QA or development teams.

Domain Requirement

• Min. 2 years experience in the Railway Sector especially in the planning department