Senior Test Manager

Boss Consulting; Aldermaston; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consulting firm is seeking a Senior Strategic Tester to oversee testing strategies for complex defence programmes. This role involves defining testing governance, advising on best practices, and ensuring compliance with MOD standards. The ideal candidate has 10+ years in QA/Test leadership within regulated environments and strong stakeholder engagement skills. The position offers hybrid working in Aldermaston, with an emphasis on security and compliance.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in QA/Test leadership roles within large-scale digital or systems programmes.
• Experience delivering test strategy and assurance for regulated environments.
• Proven ability to engage senior stakeholders and present complex findings.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement a comprehensive test strategy covering various testing phases.
• Establish testing governance frameworks and quality gates.
• Provide independent assurance on testing progress, risks, and readiness.

Skills

QA/Test leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Test strategy

Defence accreditation

Job description

ACTIVE DV CLEARANCE ESSENTIAL - OUTSIDE IR35 - HYBRID WORKING (3/4DAYS IN ALDERMASTON) - ASAP START

Role Overview

The Senior Strategic Tester will serve as a critical advisor to the end client, shaping and overseeing all testing strategy, planning, and assurance activities across complex defence programmes. This role ensures that all testing aligns with regulatory, security, and programme delivery requirements while enabling informed decision-making at senior stakeholder levels.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and implement a comprehensive test strategy covering system, integration, security, performance, and user acceptance testing.
• Establish testing governance frameworks and quality gates aligned to defence sector policies and operational requirements.
• Advise on tooling, environments, automation approaches, and best practices suitable for secure and classified settings.
• Review and validate test plans, schedules, scope, and acceptance criteria across multiple workstreams.
• Provide independent assurance on testing progress, risks, issues, and readiness for deployment.
• Lead defect triage and support root-cause analysis for high-severity or security-related issues.
• Stakeholder Management
  • Engage senior stakeholders, solution architects, delivery leads, and operational teams to ensure a cohesive and risk-controlled testing approach.
  • Translate complex testing insights into clear, actionable recommendations for programme leadership.
• Risk, Compliance & Security
  • Ensure testing activities comply with MOD standards, security classifications, and accreditation processes.
  • Identify gaps in test coverage, security vulnerabilities, and system risks, advising on mitigation strategies.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in QA/Test leadership roles within large-scale digital or systems programmes.
• Experience delivering test strategy and assurance for defence, aerospace, national security, or similarly regulated environments.
• Strong understanding of secure testing practices, test environment management, and defence-grade quality management.
• Expertise in test governance, risk management, and multi-phase programme delivery.
• Proven ability to engage senior stakeholders and present complex assurance findings clearly.
• Experience with MOD testing standards, JSP documentation, or defence accreditation processes.
• Background in systems engineering or integration testing of complex platforms.

Location & Clearance

• Hybrid onsite Aldermaston around 3 days a week