Head of Testing - G6

Pay

• Salary band for this role is £60,504,049 to £72,000 (£63,866 – £76,000 for candidates based within the M25)
• New recruits to the Civil Service are expected to join at the band minimum
• A £ digital allowance may also available
• The final allowance awarded will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.

These are exciting times at Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). As an agency of the MoJ, we provide the supporting administration for the judiciary across England and Wales. Within that portfolio, Digital and Technology Services (DTS) has a clear ambition to create an organisational culture where diverse and inclusive multi-disciplinary teams bring together in-house digital, data and technology specialists to build capability, work smarter and more efficiently. Please visit https://www.hmctsjobs.co.uk/dts/ for further details!

We’re building better justice for everyone by harnessing technology, curiosity and our burning mission to make a momentous impact. You have the chance to influence that change and own your mark.

With the scale and size of transformation, you’ll get exposure to bigger opportunities and new ways of learning that will push your potential. It’s a massive challenge doing career defining work, but we also embrace your

individuality and life outside of work. So through flexible working we’ll trust you to shape the future in a way that suits you.

Sound like a challenge you’re up for?

Build_better_justice

for.everyone

The Role

The Head of Test reports to the Deputy Director for Digital Services and is responsible for setting strategic direction for test management and quality assurance, defining and implementing standards and processes, managing the team across a broad portfolio of products and services.

Build a Quality Assurance / Test Management function which supports the delivery of large software development projects/programmes. This role will have line management responsibility for 3 x Test Managers covering each Jurisdictional area. However, there will be dotted line management of up to 50 QA/Test engineers whom are reporting formally into the Development team.

This is a high-impact role where you will be critical in building a team of Automation Testers that will enable the safe delivery of key products, projects, and programs across HMCTS to public citizens.

As Head of Test, as are our Quality Assurance leader, must have experience working with senior leaders, stakeholders and third parties to drive agile transformations at an organisational level. Being part of digital delivery leadership team driving cultural and procedural change and embedding agile approaches and ways of working. With strong test management background, particularly with Test Automation you will primarily focus on quality assurance, while supporting the creation of self-organising and high performing teams, supported closely by the Test Manager.

What will you be doing?

• Build a Quality Assurance / Test Management function which supports the delivery of large software development projects/programmes ultimately accountable for ~50 team members
• Head of Profession for QA/Test Management resources ~50 team members
• Accountable for definition and execution a complete end-to-end testing strategy including both manual and automated testing approaches, working closely with Product Owners and Developers through the entire development lifecycle to a product release.
• Accountable for defining QA strategy, approach and adherance in development projects.
• Accountable for leading and directing the QA Management team.
• Accountable for ensuring quality products are released to Juditiary and Citizens
• Direct the development of the QA strategy, methodology, discipline and framework. Driving and improving the QA team in areas of automated testing and agile testing.
• Provide leadership and technical expertise within Test Automation, Testing Methodologies, Testing Processes, Tools and Techniques and Quality Assurance across the teams.
• Accountable for the test automation projects, mentor, and provide leadership to the QA team.
• Responsibility for managing the 3rd party suppliers which augment the civil service workforce ensuring 3rd party resources are managed effectively and in line with the contractual obligations
• Work with Head of Delivery Management ; Head of Development; Head of Software Engineering and Head of Product to develop and execute QA strategies to meet and exceed department and corporate quality goals.
• Accountable for the development teams adherhence to the principles, guidelines and best practices of the QA strategy as defined.

What are we looking for?

• Able to build successful delivery teams and understand team styles and how people work together.
• Able to maintain, influence and motivate a team.
• Able to give and receive feedback, facilitating the feedback loop.
• Ensures the health of the team and can facilitate conflict resolution, accelerating team performance.
• Able to ensure the team is transparent and that the work is understood externally.
• Able to create an open and collaborative environment to work in, be flexible, adaptable and have a willingness to learn.
• Able to recognise how people best work together, facilitating the best team makeup depending on the situation.
• Able to help teams maintain a focus on delivery whilst being aware of the importance of professional development.
• Working in teams with varying degrees of DevOps maturity
• Developing test professions, helping colleagues to shape career paths and leading discussions about better practice and tooling
• Ability and experience driving agile delivery and transformations, through a solid coaching background
• Prior team management experience having operated as a team leader managing and supporting the work of junior grades

What can we offer you?

• A generous pension scheme on average of up to 27%!
• 25 days leave, plus 8 bank holidays, plus 1 privilege day usually taken around the Queens’ birthday
• Flexible working; whether it’s working from home or remotely, working part-time, job sharing, or working compressed hours, we have people doing it and are happy to discuss options with you
• Great maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!
• Bike loans and secure bike parking (subject to availability and location)
• Season ticket loans, childcare vouchers, and eye-care vouchers.
• Up to 5 days paid leave per year for voluntary work you may wish to undertake
• We also currently have employee-run networks for colleagues of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, those with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees with which you will eligible to join