Full job descriptionTest Lead – Pensions (Hybrid / Remote with travel to Preston)


Salary circa £65,000 (DOE)





About the role





This is a brand-new opportunity for an experienced Test Lead to join our growing Change Team during a period of significant transformation and continuous improvement.





As a senior member of the team, you will act as the strategic owner of testing, defining the roadmap while also leading delivery across projects.





You will:





- Define and lead the testing strategy and lifecycle


- Ensure all systems and products meet quality standards prior to release


- Champion best-in-class testing practices across LPPA


- Build strong relationships and collaborate effectively across teams





About LPPA





LPPA is a multi-award-winning organisation and one of the UK’s leading pension administration providers, supporting over 1,500 employers and 700,000 members across Local Government, Police and Firefighter pension schemes.





What we offer





- 25 days’ holiday + bank holidays + concessionary days + birthday leave


- Option to buy/sell leave


- Local Government Pension Scheme (generous employer contribution)


- Health or Dental Plan


- Employee Assistance Programme


- Reward discount scheme ("Your Perk Site")


- Wellbeing initiatives and social events


- Free fruit/snacks and parking in Preston





Key responsibilities





Test Strategy & Governance





- Define test strategy, tools and methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, DevOps)


- Embed shift-left testing principles


- Establish and track KPIs (e.g. defect density, coverage, pass rates)


- Lead testing governance across the business


- Define automation roadmap and maintain testing velocity





Technical Leadership & Delivery





- Develop detailed test plans, scenarios and estimates


- Identify risks and implement mitigation strategies


- Carry out complex testing and support delivery as needed


- Manage environments and test data requirements


- Oversee defect management, triage and root cause analysis


- Produce clear reporting on progress, risks and quality





Team Leadership





- Manage, mentor and grow a team of test analysts


- Allocate work based on skills and development needs


- Lead daily syncs and drive continuous improvement





Stakeholder & Relationship Management





- Collaborate with project teams to ensure shared quality ownership


- Align testing with Change Governance


- Partner with Business Analysts to ensure high-quality requirements


- Work closely with Systems teams on releases and change planning


- Coordinate UAT with business teams


- Manage third-party relationships to ensure quality standards





What we’re looking for





Essential





- Strong expertise in DevOps, SQL and API testing


- Experience developing or maintaining automation frameworks


- Excellent analytical and reporting capabilities


- Strong communication skills, able to simplify complex issues


- Effective time management and delivery focus


- Proactive, self-motivated and aligned to LPPA values


- Minimum 3 years’ experience in a QA/Test leadership role





Desirable





- Experience in pensions (ideally UPM) or public sector


- Experience with Azure DevOps and CI/CD pipelines


- Website / digital testing experience


- ISTQB certification (Advanced Test Manager or equivalent)





Our values





- Working together


- Committed to excellence


- Doing the right thing


- Forward thinking