Are you a skilled testing professional who enjoys driving test and quality standards across complex digital services, making a real impact on the services that people rely on every day? If you're excited by the idea of using your testing expertise to influence the delivery of high-quality digital services, this could be the ideal next step for you.
The Future Workforce Solution (FWS) programme is shaping the next-generation workforce system for over 1.9 million NHS staff across England and Wales, building on the success of the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) which supports HR and payroll for 7% of the UK workforce and processes £45 billion annually.
As a Test and Assurance Lead, you’ll play an important role in this major national digital transformation programme.
If you want to be part of an organisation that values People, is driven by Purpose, and is committed to your progress, enabling you to continue to grow your career, we’d love to hear from you.
What do we offer?
Hybrid working – offering flexibility to work predominantly from home with the opportunity to be office based should you prefer, or if business needs require it.
27 days leave (increasing with length of service) plus 8 bank holidays.
Opportunities for development
Active wellbeing and inclusion networks
Excellent pension
Various salary sacrifice schemes
Employee Assistance programme, offering free 24/7 support for you and your loved ones
Access to a wide range of benefits and high street and online discounts.
As Test and Assurance Lead, you will be an experienced test professional with hands-on risk-based testing capabilities and strong technical test and assurance expertise. You will simplify complex technical information into plain English, ensuring services have appropriate test coverage and quality controls that are accessible to a range of audiences. You will apply best practice and optimised test strategies, ensuring results are reported clearly to support informed decisions on success.
You will build effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders to influence and support decision-making. You will promote two-way engagement, developing an understanding of customer and organisational needs, and contributing to internal and external activities within your specialism. You will ensure consistent, aligned messaging that supports our people approach and improves agility, performance, and productivity.
Working with key stakeholders, you will use strong communication skills to encourage collaboration, prioritise requirements, and optimise resource use. You will take a creative and innovative approach, advising on standards, methods, tools, and technologies to deliver effective solutions aligned to organisational standards and objectives.
Please note that we may close the advert early due to high volume of applications, therefore we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible
Here at the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), what we do matters.
We manage the NHS Pension scheme, process prescription payments and much more. Our services are used by NHS organisations, contractors and the public: we’re proud to be part of something meaningful, that touches millions of lives.
We design our services around customer needs and place people at the heart of our organisation. That’s why when you join us, you’ll be empowered and supported to help your career grow.
As one of the UK’s Best Big Companies to work for, we’re connected to our values: Collaborative, Adventurous, Reliable and Energetic. We care about our people, our purpose, and your progress.
We strive to offer a fantastic colleague experience, where every colleague is heard, supported and respected. Wellbeing, diversity and inclusion is at the centre of this, and you can join our Lived Experience Networks who help us bring our authentic selves to work.
We’re committed to being a flexible employer and we try to offer a working pattern that suits you where possible, through hybrid working, flexible hours and more.
Alongside a competitive salary with pay progression, we offer a people-centric benefits package, connecting you to the rewards and benefits you value most!
Ready to join us in delivering business service excellence to the NHS, helping people live longer, healthier lives? Apply today and see where the NHSBSA can take you.
We are people connected to care.
In this role, you are accountable for:
Specialist Skills
1. Provide test and assurance expertise and consultation across DDaT in a wide range of test areas and technologies including, but not limited to:
a. Functional integration acceptance testing (including UI, API and database)
b. Accessibility testing
c. Compatibility testing
d. Performance testing
e. Security test techniques
f. Data processing testing
g. Data migration validation
2. Provide test and assurance expertise in a range of contemporary technologies including Cloud platforms, open source and ‘aaS’ services to better enable and enhance the delivery of test and assurance services.
3. Support a cluster of test and assurance teams across different DDaT delivered services to achieve efficient delivery of quality outcomes, helping to resolve issues when they arise and promoting the advantages of both functional and non-functional testing throughout.
4. Mentor and coach the DDaT test and assurance community, helping to develop quality assurance processes and testing standards from a strategic and technical perspective.
5. Responsible for supporting the implementation of the long-term testing strategy. Using own initiative to interpret NHSBSA DDaT requirements and advising the wider NHSBSA on its implementation.
6. Evaluate, analyse, and interpret highly complex information and requirements to inform the appropriateness of test strategies and approaches, and the design and development of robust test techniques such as scalable test automation frameworks.
7. Innovate and horizon scan within the DDaT Test profession to ensure the NHSBSA DDaT and its Test community is kept abreast of the latest technological developments and advances in software testing. Plan and implement where possible to support innovative and creative delivery of Testing.
8. Collaborate and share good practice and test expertise through assurance and review activities, leading workshops and demonstrations, and ensuring the Test Community of Practice adopts agreed standards, best practices and techniques.
9. Work with testers from a multitude of backgrounds including internal and 3rd party external supplier teams, assuring their work and managing the testing activities.
10. Ensure governance of quality controls and test practices are followed through the use and implementation of assurance processes such as code, peer and release reviews to ensure quality code is being delivered into the test environments and beyond. Ensure test practices follow a risk-based approach within the agreed risk appetite.
11. Communicate complex information effectively across a wide range of people and levels of understanding, including both technical and non-technical audiences, to influence, negotiate and secure value-based solutions and outcomes and sign off ahead of delivery of services.
12. Promote and raise exposure of the NHSBSA and the DDaT Test Profession at external conferences and events.
13. Share programme and DDaT level risks and issues within software testing across multiple services and raise through appropriate channels.
14. Analyse new developments and changes to existing services, ensuring requirements are testable and the appropriate test coverage is being applied.
Knowledge Management
15. Maintain own knowledge and expertise in test and assurance. Identify, investigate and champion the application of emerging technologies, test techniques and approaches within software testing and assurance.
16. Identify and support opportunities for teams to develop their skills to meet the changing needs of the business. Take ownership for decision making within your cluster and specialist area, seeking support and feedback to develop well thought out solutions, processes and work as required, and in conjunction with agreed procedures.
17. Take an active, lead role in your professional development. Keep up to date with the latest technologies and software testing standards and best practice, through self-directed and NHSBSA organised learning activities.
18. Maintain an excellent understanding of the use of technology in delivering business objectives, especially those required for delivering complex, large scale technical solutions.
Relationship Management
19. Identify opportunities, engaging and fostering relationships and partnership working within the organisation, third parties and cross government organisations to identify, influence and deliver value to the organisation.
20. Working collaboratively with respective People Managers, professions and Professional Leads and Delivery Managers to identify, implement and support team and individual development.
21. Effectively engage and collaborate across multiple disciplines to ensure consistent approaches, methods, standards, and patterns are holistically applied to meet test and assurance technical goals and objectives.
22. Deputise for the Profession Lead for Testing and/or Principal Test and Assurance Lead as required.
Information Management
23. Implement, monitor and report on test progress and areas including agreed quality standards, service levels, KPI's and standards within team.
24. Support and maintain confidentiality, integrity and availability of information systems through assurance of compliance with relevant legislation and regulations.
Delivery Management
25. Completing own assigned tasks, to a high quality and within agreed timelines. Delivering continuous improvements to enhance own and business areas; co-ordinating and delivery of work across multiple strands such as continuous improvement, project related work, and operational tasks, and escalating issues at appropriate times.
26. Prepare and review test and assurance plans to enable the delivery and management of projects and programmes undertaken by the team. Providing specialist and operational direction in the preparation of plans to deliver systems and service across the organisation.
27. Take responsibility for the practical implementation of service and application testing through assurance and review of test team activities and/or 3rd party test activities, ensuring it complements the DDaT and wider NHSBSA strategy and agenda, and meets business objectives within budget.
28. Provide feedback on functional and non-functional requirements and acceptance criteria to create standardisation across services and within the Test Community.
29. Participate in procurement processes for hardware and software, including testing tools.
30. Proactively identify risks and other significant delivery challenges and provide mitigation advice.
Staff Management
31. Supporting the development and performance of others to meet and develop their professional objectives.
32. Conduct meaningful appraisals and 1-1s, working with the People Managers to identify and meet development needs, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the impact and success of learning and development plans.
33. Collaborate with People Manager and delivery colleagues to undertake recruitment and selection in line with organisational processes.
34. Share feedback to support and encourage teams and individuals to develop thinking and independently work through issues, to reach solutions-based outcomes. Leading by example by seeking, providing and implementing individual feedback to improve ways of working and own performance.
35. Mentor and coach other team members, including apprentices, to enable the on-going technical development and grow of skills with the team.
In addition to the above accountabilities, as post holder you are expected to:
1. Undertake additional duties and responsibilities in line with the purpose of your role and as agreed by your line manager.
2. Demonstrate NHSBSA values and core capabilities in all aspects of your work.
3. Foster an environment where your own and colleagues’ safety and well-being is promoted.
4. Contribute to a culture which values diversity and inclusion.
5. Comply with NHSBSA policies, procedures, and protocols as they apply to your role.
Working relationships
Responsible to: DDaT People Manager
Responsible for: Test and assurance resource within the DDaT Test Community
Key relationships and connections:
1. Professional Leadership
a. Professional Lead for Test
b. Principal Test and Assurance Leads
c. Principal Developers
d. Professional Lead for Design
e. Professional Lead for User Research
f. Professional Leads for Data (various)
2. DDaT Test Community
3. Heads of Profession
a. Software Engineering – Development and Test
b. Architecture
c. User Centred Design
4. People Managers
5. Lead Delivery Managers, Delivery Managers
6. Architecture (Enterprise, Data, Solution, Technical)
7. Security (Information Security, Information Governance, Cyber Security)
8. Platform Engineering including DevOps
9. Live Support & Operations
10. IT Service Management
