Position: AQA Lead
Company: Luxoft Poland|Ukraine
Experience required: 3y
English level: upper

Project Description:
Our client is a leading global Financial market data provider who runs a number of change programs to deliver high-quality software that connects Financial Markets across the globe in a real-time, high frequency, and low-latency data management chain. The projects are technically challenging in an environment that is very engaging.
We offer superb opportunities to work within a dynamic, international team led by industry experts. We work with the market leading technologies, with prestigious tier one clients in a demanding and progressive atmosphere. Whilst we work hard, we also have a thriving social atmosphere running through the business.

Responsibilities:
As a QA Manager you will be responsible for setting up and scaling the QA Center of Excellence (CoE) for a large UK-based client. CoE would be the accelerator for QA improvements with high focus on establishing and implementing automation testing best practices within client transformation program.

Stakeholder Management
• Collaborate with client stakeholders of all levels of seniority to review existing testing practices, identify improvements and create and socialise improvement plan
• Ensure that all stakeholders are engaged in timely fashion and made aware of the overall testing strategy/process to ensure their participation in the testing phases in the relevant capacity
• Be accountable for ensuring that all test plans are agreed, required expectations are met and all sign-offs obtained from the relevant stakeholders
• In case of complex and wide testing requirements, to plan and run the testing war-room with co-located stakeholders - managing all aspects from scheduling to obtaining required sign-offs - with a tight day-to-day plan
• Act as a main SPOC and escalation point for the client engagement

Test Strategy and Overall Testing Ownership

• To contribute to definition and improvement of the overall test strategy, including test automation strategy, centrally coordinating across various business streams, technology, vendor and other stakeholders - and get agreement on the strategy from all stakeholders
• Prepare and own the detailed test plans to ensure the integrity of overall project schedule
• To review test cases ensuring completeness of UAT coverage
• Oversee all end-to-end testing activities for all phases of testing and co-ordinating with different stakeholders involved
• Prepare, manage and walkthrough the overall test strategy / test plan with stakeholders and seek their sign off
• Track and monitor the test plan and ensure is executed as planned schedule

Communication and Change Management
• Proactively socialise and evangelise test automation best practices, act as a main accelerator of process improvements
• Communication with the various stakeholders at all levels
• Communicate the test progress with accurate reporting on a periodic basis (daily, weekly or as per phasing) to appropriate stakeholders
• Follow up with various task owners to ensure the timely completion of tasks and any delays or risks are reported / escalated

Governance & Testing Process Improvements
• To bring in the testing best practices and to implement overall process improvements
• Push the testing automation agenda with a view to improve the productivity and to cut-short the regression testing window
• Review the lessons learned from previous releases / phases and to ensure that follow up / corrective actions are taken on time to ensure the smooth execution of upcoming test phases

Team Management
• Manage the team of Testing professionals
• People Management

Mandatory Skills Description:
• 7+ years of experience in a business facing QA Manager and/or Program Management role
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with prior experience in running test-focused working groups
• Domain knowledge in Banking and Capital Markets, strong preference on trading platforms
• Experience in test automation and running/leaning test automation projects/activities
• Familiarity with SDLC and strong insights on various testing phases, methodology and tools
• Agile Project Methodology - preferable with experience in automated regression testing
• Ability to write multi-application test strategies, test plans and improvement plans with strong automation focus
• Experience in executing and supporting all test phases, defect tracking and issue closures
• Experience with waterfall & agile methodologies
• Proactive, self starter, autonomous & highly organised

Nice-to-Have Skills:
• Knowledge of Market Data
• Exposure to Agile methodologies
• Experience in Automation Frameworks
• Experience in Consulting Services