Test Manager - National Crime Agency - SEO

Location

Bristol, London, Warrington

For roles based in London, your contractual place of work will be Stratford. While the Stratford site is expected to become operational from November 2025 – March 2026, you will be required to carry out your contractual duties from Vauxhall or another reasonable location on a temporary basis during the interim period.
Please note that, as Stratford will be your contractual place of work, any subsequent move from a temporary location will not entitle you to payments for travel time or costs under the Relocation and Excess Travel Policy.

About the job

Job summary

As Test Manager, you will lead the development and delivery of robust testing strategies across business operations, projects and programmes. You will bring a strong understanding of functional, non‑functional, quality assurance and performance testing approaches, ensuring that testing is embedded effectively throughout the delivery lifecycle. You will anticipate and address the challenges associated with complex systems, diverse user needs and fast‑moving delivery environments, providing expert guidance to teams and stakeholders. Through strong leadership and a focus on continuous improvement, you will ensure that services are thoroughly tested, performance‑ready and aligned with organisational standards and operational priorities.

Job description

We have roles available within both our National Data Exploitation Capability (NDEC) and our Transformation teams.

As a Test Manager, you will lead and manage the quality and performance of tooling and capabilities across Tier 1 and Tier 2. This will include defining the quality and performance strategy; managing it to completion, within agreed timescales and budgets, and to a level of quality that meets or exceeds the client’s expectations. You will use an advanced level appreciation of the architecture and key components of IT solutions (including GUI, operating systems, databases computer hardware & input devices, networks & security, applications and services) to inform the testing strategy, approach and plans and guide the Quality and Performance team based on this understanding. You will foster relationships with other parts of the Agency to ensure products are delivered in line with aligned with the appropriate design standards and governance.

This role aligns to Test Manager in the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework - Test manager - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

Duties and Responsibilities

Test Strategy, Improvement and Optimisation - Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of the quality and performance testing approach. Define required test phases, produce accurate estimates for testing activities and ensure the end‑to‑end test process is efficient, consistent and aligned with delivery needs.

Risk, Issues and Assurance - Identify, document and manage all significant testing risks and issues, ensuring effective mitigations are put in place. Escalate concerns to the Senior Delivery Manager where necessary to prevent delays or impacts on delivery.

Test Governance and Artefact Management - Produce and maintain high‑quality test artefacts, including the quality and performance test strategy, plans and associated documentation. Actively seek opportunities to refine and optimise testing documentation and governance.

Test Data, Automation and Tooling - Oversee the creation and management of test data, and drive the development, maintenance and effective use of automation frameworks and scripts. Ensure testing tools and techniques reflect industry best practice and support efficient, repeatable and high‑quality test execution.

Management of Functional and Non‑Functional Testing - Lead and coordinate all functional and non‑functional testing activities, assigning work, providing constructive feedback and ensuring the effective collection and reporting of testing metrics and insights.

Leadership, Coaching and Capability Development - Provide leadership, coaching and professional development for staff, supporting talent management, succession planning and effective supplier management. Foster a culture of high performance and ensure teams use modern, industry‑standard testing methods and tools.

Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement - Promote and advocate testing capabilities across the Agency and wider government partners, building strong relationships and ensuring testing is fully integrated into delivery processes and decision‑making.

Person specification

Test Design, Execution and Quality Assurance - Demonstrable experience in creating, planning and managing tests across all test phases, including User Acceptance Testing. Able to lead test engineers in designing and executing high‑quality functional and non‑functional tests, ensuring test coverage, traceability and alignment with requirements.

Test Analysis and Problem Solving - Strong analytical skills with the ability to absorb large volumes of complex or conflicting information, identify patterns, evaluate root causes and determine effective solutions. Experience leading investigative work to identify improvements in testing processes, products or delivery approaches.

Defect Management and Continuous Improvement - Proven ability to drive effective defect reporting, triage and resolution, ensuring accurate information is captured and communicated. Able to lead and coach teams in improving test management processes, developing recommendations and implementing enhancements to quality and performance practices.

Test Strategy and Planning - Experience in developing and maintaining test strategies, plans and quality approaches, ensuring they are aligned with organisational priorities and delivery timelines. Able to guide teams in optimising quality and performance testing methods and selecting appropriate techniques and tools.

Technical Understanding of Test Environments - Knowledge and understanding of data solutions and testing in cloud or on‑premise environments, including environment setup and data exploitation tooling. Familiarity with test engineering practices, standards and modern tooling to support effective and repeatable test execution.

Requirements Engineering and Validation - Experience working with product, business and technical teams to gather, clarify and validate requirements, including non‑functional requirements. Able to translate requirements into structured test conditions and ensure deliverables are validated appropriately.

Communication and Stakeholder Engagement - Effective communication skills with the ability to engage confidently with technical and non‑technical stakeholders. Able to explain complex risks clearly, gather business and non‑functional needs, and escalate issues to senior leaders where necessary. Thinks creatively, asks insightful questions and communicates findings clearly to wider teams.

Leadership and Team Management - Demonstrable experience managing a test team, setting test strategy and providing coaching, feedback and professional development. Able to foster a high‑performing culture and ensure teams adopt industry best practice in testing and quality assurance.