Project Lead, Testing & QA

Project Lead, Testing & QA

The primary responsibility of this Project Lead role is to lead and coordinate all business/user focused testing activities, for upgrades and enhancements to financial systems, to ensure product quality and functionality.

This individual will partner with our program managers, IT functions, business functions, and strategic vendors to develop test plans and strategies, oversee the execution of testing efforts, manage testing teams, track progress, report on risks and defects, and collaborate with stakeholders.

Role requires a blend of strong project management, knowledge of testing strategies and approaches, technical QA expertise, team leadership, and effective communication skills to align testing efforts with project goals and deliver high-quality, reliable products/systems to the global finance community.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Test Strategy & Planning: Define overall testing strategy, approach, and detailed test plans, including identifying the necessary testing phases, resources, tools, and methods.
• Execution & Coordination: Oversee the planning, coordination, and execution of all business/user focused testing activities across the project lifecycle, ensuring activities are completed effectively and efficiently.
• Quality Assurance: Ensure the delivery of high-quality, reliable products by defining, monitoring, and executing quality assurance standards and processes.
• Risk Management: Proactively monitor and manage test-related risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Reporting & Communication: Prepare regular status reports detailing progress, defect metrics, and quality levels for stakeholders, developers, and management.
• Stakeholder Management: Act as the main point of contact and a bridge between the testing team, development teams, and key stakeholders, ensuring clear communication and managing expectations.
• Resource management: Work with business functions/leadership to identify and secure the necessary business resources required to successfully execute testing.
• Manage areas of scope across multiple overlapping complex projects in parallel over varying durations. Seek and flag risks as they occur and source any expertise not readily available.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree
• Minimum of 7 years' experience of work experience; minimum of 3 years' experience in testing and project management with a proven track record of successful project delivery in a variety of technical areas
• Experience in managing UAT for large, complex software solutions
• Strong understanding of testing and Quality Assurance processes
• Experience in a wide variety of testing efforts, techniques, and tools (Traditional, Risk Based)
• Proficiency with project management software, defect tracking tools, and test management tools
• Experience in design of detailed test plans, and creation and execution of test scripts
• Understanding of the software development lifecycle and methodologies, including Waterfall and Agile
• Strong leadership and team-building skills
• Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities and deliver in a challenging, fast paced, rapidly changing environment
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for effective stakeholder interaction
• Ability to drive outcomes, manage risks, and understand business impacts
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently with excellent personal time management skills
• Strong collaboration and issue resolution skills
• Proven experience developing and maintaining strong relationships across business and IT functions and with service/solution providers
• Ability to drive consensus within a team and influence outcomes

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with Oracle EPM or other performance management platforms
• Experience in leading testing for Finance/Accounting related system development projects
• Past IT project management experience providing leadership, development, and coaching to a high performing team
• PMP certification
• Experience with BSC Global Systems Methodology