Head of QA - Sheffield
Our Client based in Sheffield Is currently looking for a Head of QA. You will be working with well-established teams, a comprehensive product suite, and agile development processes already in place, our client's next phase of growth is focused on introducing greater consistency across teams, processes, and the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). We aim to identify and implement best practices that directly benefit our organization.
This multifaceted role blends strategy, coordination, and hands-on work. The ideal candidate possesses extensive experience across the SDLC within an agile framework and maintains up-to-date knowledge of best practices in testing approaches, tools, and methods
Key Responsibilities:
- Leadership and Technical Expertise: Provide leadership and technical expertise within the realms of Quality Assurance and Test Automation.
- Cultivate a 'Right the First Time' Culture: Foster a culture of quality and precision within the organization.
- Quality Guardianship: Assume the role of the primary guardian of the quality, reliability, and stability of our solutions.
- Support Product Releases: Collaborate with Product Managers during major releases, ensuring all supporting materials are prepared and delivered on schedule. This includes software installers, manuals, release notes, updates to the Global Support Portal, and training resources.
- Release Oversight: Oversee the release process, ensuring that our teams adhere to agreed-upon release requirements. This may encompass aspects such as code standards, build pipelines, deployment pipelines, vulnerability scans, installer builds, regression test scripts, release notes, documentation, and test system integration.
Essential Requirements:
- End-to-End Software Expertise: Profound understanding and proficient competency in best practices for the entire software development lifecycle, from design and construction to testing and release.
- Agile Leadership: Demonstrated experience in effectively working within and leading teams in a fast-paced, high-impact Agile digital delivery environment.
- Problem-Solving Aptitude: Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to assess issues and involve the right individuals at the appropriate times.
- Commercial Awareness: A keen sense of commercial awareness, recognizing the broader implications of decisions made within the department and their impact on the business.
- Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing: Proven ability to mentor and share knowledge with team members and across the department.
- Development Advocate: Experience in challenging others to develop their skills while serving as a role model.
- Accessible Leadership: A leadership style that emphasizes making yourself visible and available to your teams, adopting a servant leadership approach.
- Attention to Consistency: Meticulous in identifying and eliminating team or process inconsistencies to reduce inefficiencies and focus on high-value work.
Experience:
- Quality Focus: Substantial experience in roles with a strong focus on quality.
- Team Leadership: Proven experience leading quality and test-driven teams.
- Educational Background: Ideally, an undergraduate degree in a related field, such as Quality, Software Testing, Computer Science, Software Development, or IT & Networking.
- Certifications: ISEB/ISTQB certification(s).
- SDLC Proficiency: Thorough familiarity with the Software Development Life Cycle and associated tools in an agile development context.
- Automated Testing Expertise: Demonstrable experience in creating and maintaining frameworks for both Automated Testing and Performance Testing.
- Test Strategy Development: Proven experience in designing and implementing test and automated test strategies, using tools such as Selenium, Test Complete, Browser Stack, LoadRunner, or similar.
- API Testing: Demonstrable experience in API testing, with proficiency in tools like Postman or equivalent.
- Technical Aptitude: Strong technical background with MS Windows platforms.
- Beneficial Skills: Knowledge or experience with TCP/IP networks, routing, firewalls, and multicast data is advantageous.
- Beneficial Experience: Familiarity with Azure DevOps and CI/CD Pipelines is a plus.
Benefits
- Remote and hybrid working
- Flexible working hours, around core hours
- Life Assurance: 4 x Annual Salary
- Employee Benefits & Discounts Portal which includes benefits such as Cycle to Work, Health Cash Plans, MyGymDiscounts, a Car Benefit Scheme (Tusker) and many more
Interested? Please Click Apply Now!
Head of QA - Sheffield