Test Programme Manager

We are seeking an experienced Test Programme Manager to work in partnership with the wider delivery team. The Test Programme Manager will be responsible for the following:

• Owning the programme-wide test strategy, ensuring it supports business objectives, customer outcomes and the wider transformation roadmap.
• Providing strategic direction across multiple testing and quality workstreams, ensuring a joined-up and effective programme capability.
• Defining and embedding the quality vision, governance framework and assurance approach across the programme.
• Identifying, managing and delivering cost efficiencies while assessing and mitigating associated risks.
• Establishing the target operating model for the Testing and Assurance function, aligned to strategic priorities and organisational goals.
• Leading, developing and line managing the Test and Assurance team, currently comprising 10 colleagues.
• Overseeing test planning approaches across the change portfolio and setting quality standards, decision-making criteria, risk tolerances and assurance frameworks for major programme milestones and releases.
• Ensuring sufficient evidence and assurance is in place to support key go/no-go and deployment decisions.
• Driving continuous improvement through industry best practice, emerging technologies, automation and AI-enabled quality assurance approaches.
• Ensuring alignment between testing strategies, solution architecture and supplier delivery models.
• Building strong relationships across the business and with our Scheme Administrator, TCS.
• Delivering updates through governance forums, * hybrid of office (Canary Wharf, London) and home working (there will be an expectation to attend the office, once - twice a week, or more, as required)
• reduce or vary working hours
• reduce or vary the days worked
• work compressed hours
• job share

Directorate/Department Overview The Testing and Assurance Team is part of the Service and Experience Change Programme team residing in the Services and Solutions directorate with responsibilities covering technology, change management, operations, data, analytics and customer insights. The Testing and Assurance Team plays an integral role in the development lifecycle of projects and programmes delivered by NEST. The team is ~10 people with a core responsibility of providing quality assurance of testing carried out by our 3rd party scheme administrator TCS and testing execution on a needs basis. The department is responsible for ensuring:

• contracted suppliers deliver appropriate solutions that meet NEST’s requirements, including both functional and non-functional requirements;
• support and oversight of supplier testing processes, execution of user acceptance testing of the supplier solution and quality assurance; and
• contracted suppliers implement those solutions using appropriate methodologies and technologies in-line with an agreed project plan, including key milestones, active management and mitigation of associated risks and issues.

This role will sit withing the Service and Experience Change Programme team.

• Experience of an ever shifting and demanding business environment.
• Experience in senior Test Management, Test Programme Management, Quality Assurance or Quality Engineering leadership roles.
• Experience establishing programme-wide quality strategies, governance models and assurance frameworks.
• Proven experience providing assurance and strategic leadership across large, complex transformation programmes.
• Experience in senior governance forums and demonstrable experience influencing senior stakeholders
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and strategic suppliers across multiple workstreams.
• Experience working across Agile, Waterfall or hybrid delivery environments and Knowledge and use of industry leading tools.
• Ability to shape new ways of working in the delivery of change across functional teams and with our scheme administration provider TCS.
• Ability to analyse and review complex plans at a detailed level including interactions and dependencies between workstreams,
• Financial services experience would be an advantage, but not essential.