Test Manager

Job Title: Test Manager

Location: Athlone Co. Westmeath 2 days a week (on occasions extra days in the office will be required)

Contract / Permanent: FTC 12 Months With further extension

Start date: April 2024

Role:

The successful candidate will be required to assist and support the ICT and the relevant business units in DoE in managing and implementing automated and manual testing of new and existing projects. They will also be required to support the continuous improvement of both manual and automated test approaches and skills within DoE.

Note this position will be Hybrid but there will be a need for attendance as required onsite at the Athlone Campus.

The resource required will be a highly skilled Test Manager who can provide expertise in production of Test artefacts such as Strategies Approaches Plans Scenarios Cases and Scripts.

The Test Manager should utilise the available tool (Microsoft Azure DevOps) and leverage their experience to ensure a formal test approach is taken. The Test Manager must be proficient in working on both Waterfall and Agile projects. There is an expectation that the Test Manager will produce high quality reporting utilising out of the box functionality within the Testing Tool but also be able to produce bespoke reports and ensure narrative is supplied as necessary to senior management.

As part of their work the Test Manager will be expected to work with Test teams within the Payroll/Pensions and wider DoE business areas on projects. The Test Manager is expected to be an expert in all phases of the testing lifecycle and to take responsibility subject to the project for this nonexhaustive list of test events:

Functional

System Integration

End2End

User Acceptance

PreProduction

Production

Security

Technical Skills

Test Management Software: Familiarity with test management tools in particular Microsoft Azure DevOps to organize and track testing activities.

Version Control Systems: Knowledge of version control systems like Git to manage test code and collaborate with development teams.

API Testing: Ability to perform API testing using tools like Postman or RESTassured ensuring seamless integration between software components.

Data migration: lived experience in largescale data migration projects including the testing and validation of ETL processes data lineage and data integrity.

Automated testing: proven experience leading testing automation including test framework set up developing automated test scripts and integration of automated testing into SDLC.

UAT Process Knowledge: Deep understanding of UAT processes including user story validation feedback collection and signoff criteria.

UAT Test Design: Ability to create UAT test scenarios and test cases aligned with user requirements and realworld usage.

UserCentric Testing: Skill in designing tests that reflect the endusers perspective ensuring that the software meets their needs and expectations.

User Feedback Handling: Proficiency in managing user feedback tracking issues and facilitating communication between users and development teams.

Test Data Management: Knowledge of data sets and configurations that mimic actual user data for realistic UAT scenarios.

User Environment Setup: Ability to set up and manage userspecific testing environments that replicate the production environment.

User Documentation Review: Familiarity with reviewing user documentation (e.g. user manuals help guides) to ensure accuracy and completeness.

User Collaboration Tools: Proficiency in collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams or similar platforms for effective communication with user testers.

User Acceptance Criteria: Expertise in defining and validating user acceptance criteria to determine when UAT is successful and ready for production.

Database Testing: Skills in database testing including SQL queries and data manipulation for backend testing.

Performance Testing Tools: Familiarity with tools like JMeter or LoadRunner for assessing application performance under load.

Security Testing: Awareness of security testing tools and methodologies to identify vulnerabilities in applications

NonTechnical Skills

Excellent documentation experience

Excellent communication skills

Proficiency in the English language

Ability to provide hands on leadership skills

Problem solving skills

Experience Level Required:

It is a mandatory requirement that the Resource proposed has the equivalent of 7 years experience in a similar test management role

It is a mandatory requirement that the Resource proposed hold the following qualifications or equivalents:

ISTQB certified

Agile framework certification

ICT Qualification (Level 7 or above)

Key Deliverable:

The following nonexhaustive list of Key Deliverables are applicable to this Role.

Test Plans: Comprehensive test plans outlining testing objectives scope strategies resources and schedules.

Test Strategy Documents: Clear documentation of the overall testing approach including methodologies techniques and tools to be used.

Test Scenarios Cases and Scripts: Welldefined test scenarios cases and scripts covering all testing scenarios and requirements both manual and automated.

Test Execution Reports: Regular reports detailing test progress including pass/fail status defects found and any deviations from the plan.

Defect Reports: Documentation of all defects discovered during testing including their severity and steps to reproduce.

Test Summary Reports: A final summary report summarizing the overall testing effort results and lessons learned.

Resource Allocation Plans: Plans for allocating testing resources including personnel and equipment to meet project timelines.

Quality Assurance Documentation: Compliance documents related to quality assurance processes such as ISO certifications or internal quality standards.

Risk Assessment Reports: Assessments of testingrelated risks along with mitigation strategies and ongoing risk monitoring.

Training and Knowledge Transfer Materials: Materials for training team members and stakeholders on testing processes and outcomes.

Requirements

Key Experience/Competencies/Skillsets:

The following Experience/Competencies/Skillsets are applicable to this Role.

The resource experience should include extensive knowledge of test management tools in particular Microsoft Azure DevOps to organize and track testing activities; Extensive knowledge of UAT processes within an Agile environment including user story validation feedback collection and signoff criteria; Extensive knowledge of UAT processes within a Waterfall environment including business requirement validation defect recording triage and reporting; Extensive experience of aligning test cases with user requirements through the use of requirements traceability matrix.

The tenderers response should also demonstrate following Experience/ Competencies/Skillsets in their response.

1. Testing Expertise: Indepth knowledge of various testing methodologies including manual automated testing and data migration testing with a demonstrated track record of successfully managing testing processes.

2. Project Management: Proficiency in project management methodologies and tools with the ability to plan schedule and monitor testing activities within the broader project framework.

3. Team Leadership: Strong leadership skills to manage a diverse testing team set goals provide guidance and ensure efficient resource allocation.

4. Quality Assurance (QA) Frameworks: Familiarity with QA standards and best practices such as ISO 9001 to ensure consistent quality across projects.

5. Risk Management: Capability to identify potential testing risks and develop mitigation strategies to minimise project disruptions.

6. Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for interacting with crossfunctional teams stakeholders and clients to convey testing progress and results effectively.

7. Test Planning and Strategy: Proficiency in creating comprehensive test plans strategies and test cases including defining entry and exit criteria for testing phases.

8. Test Automation: Knowledge of test automation tools and frameworks to assess when and where automation can improve testing efficiency.

9. Metrics and Reporting: Ability to define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for testing producing regular reports to monitor progress and identify areas for improvement.

10. Continuous Improvement: A commitment to ongoing learning and staying updated on emerging testing trends and technologies to continually enhance the testing process

11. Payroll and Pensions: Experience testing payroll and pensions systems and calculations a distinct advantage.