Test Assurance Manager - National Crime Agency - SEO

Location

Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Leicester, London, Normanton, Warrington

About the job

Job summary

The National Crime Agency require a strong test assurance function to ensure alignment of testing standards and practices across all deliveries within the NCA. The Test Assurance Manager will be leading the test assurance function, including refining the test assurance policy, providing testing frameworks for projects and working with various stakeholders to ensure buy-in, engagement, and correct alignment.

Job description

The Test Assurance Manager is responsible for defining, maintaining, and leading the agency’s test assurance strategy, policies, and frameworks across all programmes and deliveries. This role provides senior-level oversight and direction for test assurance activities across both internal and supplier-led projects, ensuring that testing is planned, executed, and evidenced to a consistently high standard. 

The role includes the line management of Test Assurance Analysts and requires strong stakeholder management to influence and collaborate with multiple delivery partners. The Test Assurance Manager must operate pragmatically, balancing governance and delivery needs across projects with varying levels of testing maturity, supplier capability, and assurance readiness. 

The successful candidate will have demonstrable experience assuring or managing testing across multi-supplier and/or complex delivery environments, and experience in defining and implementing test strategies, policies and assurance frameworks.

This role aligns with Senior quality assurance test analyst within the Government digital and data (GDAD) capability framework. 

Duties & Responsibilities

Test Strategy, Policy and Framework Ownership - Own, develop, and maintain the Agency's Test Policy, Test Assurance Framework, and associated guidance, templates and artefacts. Define and embed test assurance processes that integrate with existing governance and delivery functions.
Provide Assurance & Oversight - Provide independent assurance of supplier and internal testing across all projects and programmes. Review and approve test strategies, plans and reports to ensure adequacy and alignment. Identify and track risks, issues, and non-compliance.
Stakeholder Management - Engage and influence key stakeholders across the business, technical and delivery teams to ensure testing and assurance are effectively planned and executed. Build strong relationships with programme managers, delivery leads, suppliers and assurance boards.
Continuous Improvement - Champion test and quality maturity across the agency and supplier ecosystem. Capture lessons learned and drive improvements in test assurance capability, tools, and practices. Maintain awareness of emerging technologies and assurance methods.
Leadership & Line Management - Line manage, mentor, and develop Test Assurance Analysts. Plan and allocate resources to projects based on risk and priority. Foster a collaborative, supportive team culture focused on risk awareness, quality outcomes, and continuous improvement.
Test forecasting for needs and resourcing - Liaise with delivery streams, programmes, towers, and projects to understand upcoming testing needs, resource profiles, and capability requirements. Ensure that shared resources are effectively deployed, developed, and supported to deliver value across multiple initiatives. Create a clear governance model for engagement, prioritisation, and reporting of test resource deployment.

Person specification

Test Assurance or Test Management experience - Experience in test management, test assurance, or quality governance across complex, multi-supplier delivery environments. 
Knowledge of testing methodologies - Strong understanding of software testing methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid) and quality management principles. 
Developing or implementing test strategies or policies - Experience in defining and implementing test strategies, policies, and assurance frameworks. Strategic thinker with a strong grasp of risk, assurance, and delivery balance. 
Stakeholder management and influence - Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills, including the ability to challenge constructively. 
Pragmatism - Pragmatic and flexible approach, able to adapt to differing levels of delivery maturity and assurance capability.
Leadership - Confident leader who inspires trust, collaboration, and accountability.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Seeing the Big Picture