Test Function Lead

Test Function Lead (Hybrid or Remote with regular travel to Preston) Remote/Hybrid Working with 2 days in Preston, LancashireHome working contracts will be considered for candidates living 50+ miles from our offices in Preston.Competitive salary & benefits £60k - £70k DOE | 37 hours a week A glance at the role: We’re looking for a Test Function Lead to join our Change Team and shape, govern and continuously improve testing across LPPA’s Change Roadmap.This is a senior opportunity for an experienced test leader who can set the strategic direction, establish standards and methodologies, and work closely with project teams, business teams, systems colleagues and external partners to support high-quality delivery.You’ll lead and develop the testing function, champion early testing involvement, and embed a culture of quality, collaboration and continuous improvement across the testing lifecycle.This is a fantastic opportunity to join our fast-paced, collaborative and member-focused business. You will join a friendly, welcoming and sociable work culture where there are many opportunities for continuous personal and professional development, and you will be supported to reach your full potential.A bit about us: Local Pensions Partnership Administration (LPPA) is a multi-award-winning organisation and one of the UK’s leading pension administration companies. We strive to deliver the best experience for over 1,500 employers and more than 700,000 members of Local Government, Police and Firefighter pension schemes, keeping them fully informed about their pensions whilst working closely with employers to continuously educate and support them.What we can offer you:- Competitive salary & benefits £60k - £70k DOE & inclusion in annual Bonus scheme.- 25 days’ holiday, plus bank holidays and 2 additional concessionary days and 1 day for your Birthday, with the ability to ‘buy and sell leave.’- Access to an excellent pension scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contributions.- Access to Health or Dental Plan.- Access to our Enhanced Employee Assistance Programme for when you might need some support.- The opportunity to earn through our Employee Referral Scheme.- Access to our bespoke Reward Discount Scheme – ‘Your Perk Site.’- Opportunities to attend Wellbeing webinars and social events.- Daily free fruit and snacks available to you in our office.- Free Car Parking in Preston City Centre.What you’ll be doing:- Set the overall test strategy for the Change Roadmap, including methodology, deliverables and tools.- Define the automation strategy and roadmap to support longer-term testing efficiency.- Embed testing principles early in the development lifecycle and act as an enabler for quality across change delivery.- Define and track test KPIs, including defect density, test coverage and pass/fail rates, to support release readiness.- Own testing standards and governance across the business, ensuring testing aligns with the wider Change Governance model.- Lead, coach and develop the testing team, including resource planning, task allocation, daily synchronisation and peer reviews.- Create and agree detailed test plans, estimates and scenarios, and maintain a testing pace that supports the Change Roadmap.- Identify testing risks early and develop mitigation strategies to support successful project delivery.- Lead by example by supporting complex testing activity and stepping in during critical delivery periods.- Validate testing environments and define test data needs as part of test preparation.- Lead defect control, daily triage and root cause analysis, working closely with the systems team and external partners.- Produce test execution reporting to show progress against plan, pass/fail rates and outstanding risks.- Build strong relationships with Business Analysts, project teams, business teams, systems colleagues and external partners to deliver shared quality outcomes.- Manage and co-ordinate UAT, including up-front resource planning with business teams.What we need from you:- A minimum of five years’ experience managing and developing a testing team, including performance management, coaching and mentoring.- Experience in QA/Test leadership or a senior coordinator capacity.- Experience of resource planning, capacity management and allocating testing resources across multiple projects and priorities.- Experience leading teams through technology, process or organisational change.- Expert knowledge of DevOps, SQL for data validation and API testing.- Experience building or maintaining automation frameworks to increase efficiency.- Strong analytical capability, including reading code and complex data to produce actionable reports.- The ability to summarise complex problems and resolutions clearly for teams outside of the Test Team.- Strong time management, with the ability to drive testing efficiency and minimise change fatigue.- A proactive, self-motivated approach, with the ability to work independently and uphold LPPA’s values.Nice to have:- Previous experience in pension administration, specifically with UPM software, or the public sector.- Strong experience using Azure DevOps for test management, defect tracking and CI/CD pipeline integration.- Previous knowledge of website/digital testing.Qualifications- ISTQB Advanced Level (Test Manager) or ISTQB Foundation/Agile Tester Extension.Working with and upholding our values:- Working together- Committed to excellence- Doing the right thing- Forward thinking