Software Quality Assurance Manager

Grade/Salary: Grade E: £50,000 to £60,000 depending upon experience

Location: Hybrid - Home and on-site Milton Keynes. Typically, 1-2 days a week on-site

Contract type: Permanent

Travel: To client sites - mainly Milton Keynes

Hours: 37 hours per week

Reporting to: Head of Quality & Analysis

The Role Owing to our continued growth and trusted reputation, we are seeking a skilled and proactive Software Quality Assurance Manager to join our team.

You will work closely with the Head of Quality & Analysis, Chief Technology Officer, IT Service Manager and Project Managers. The ability to communicate effectively and engage with customers and the wider team is critical.

You will be the primary point of contact for all quality and testing related issues across multiple concurrent projects.

You will be responsible for ensuring the quality standards required for certification to ISO 20000, ISO27001 and any other security or software compliance requirements placed on the company, including the government's Cyber Security Model version 4 (CSMv4).

Digital Sensitivity Review The Digital Sensitivity Review (DSR) service is an AI innovation led data toolset and service, developed by SVGC Ltd and being run in partnership with FCDO Services, for identifying sensitive information in digital files for redaction and archiving to The National Archive to meet the needs of the Public Records Act. Already delivered to FCDO, HM Treasury and Home Office with Department of Business and Trade going through implementation and a number of other departments either having completed or about to initiate a feasibility phase, all major and minor government departments will eventually become DSR-enabled. The DSR is a unique and leading-edge technology and has been heralded across government as " the only game in town" when it comes to the needs of effective digital data sensitivity identification and redaction.

Responsibilities

• Work with the company Head of Quality & Analysis, the Software and the Data Science teams to define and refine the processes for Software Quality Assurance in accordance with ISO 9001.
• Ensure that the Software Quality Assurance processes are followed by working with the Head of Quality & Analysis to introduce appropriate gate reviews and internal audits to review and validate evidence presented by the Software and Data Science teams.
• Act as the primary point of contact for all quality-related issues across multiple concurrent projects.
• Manage non-conformances from identification through to resolution, ensuring timely and effective closure.
• Lead and facilitate Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations, ensuring robust analysis and sustainable solutions.
• Working with the Test Manager, support the Software and Data Science teams by designing, developing and executing independent Test Plans and Test Procedures, covering functional, regression, performance and security testing to validate software quality.
• Act as an independent witness in formal test events.
• Review and approve technical and quality documentation in line with company and regulatory requirements.
• Participate in design reviews, providing quality input to ensure risks are identified and mitigated early in the development process.
• Support bid and proposal activities by contributing quality-related content, ensuring alignment with customer and regulatory expectations.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to understand product and testing requirements.
• Promote a culture of quality and continuous improvement.
• Monitor quality performance metrics and provide insights and recommendations to drive improvements.
• Ensure compliance with applicable standards, procedures, and customer requirements throughout all project phases.

The Person

• Currently hold Security Checked (SC) or be eligible and willing to achieve SC clearance. Note that eligibility requires sole British nationality or Dual nationality, one of which must be British together with 6 years consecutive residency in the UK.
• A degree in Software Quality, Computer Science, Engineering or related field or equivalent vocational experience.
• 5+ years of experience as a Software Quality Manager in an ISO 9001 quality assurance environment.
• Proven ability to manage and prioritise multiple tasks and projects simultaneously while maintaining high attention to detail.
• Confidence in engaging with stakeholders at all levels, from shop floor to senior management, across a variety of technical and non-technical backgrounds.
• Strong decision-making capability, with a willingness to take ownership and accountability for resolving issues through to completion.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly present complex information to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Sound understanding of the software development process including Agile and Waterfall.
• Knowledge and experience of using Jira, Playwright, Gitlab and GitHub.
• Ability to spot variations from acceptance criteria.
• 3+ years of experience writing test plans and procedures, defining test data, executing tests and producing test reports.
• Sound understanding and experience of setting up automated testing for testing applications in a web client environment.
• Experience of using Zephyr.

Cultural Fit 1. Seeing the Big Picture

• Anticipate economic, social, political, environmental and technological developments to keep activity relevant and targeted.
• Identify implications of Company and political priorities and strategy on own area to ensure plans and activities reflect these.
• Create policies, plans and service provision to meet citizens' diverse needs based on an up-to-date knowledge of needs, issues and relevant good practice.
• Ensures relevant issues relating to their activity/policy area are effectively fed into strategy and big picture considerations.
• Adopt a government-wide perspective to ensure alignment of activity and policy.
• Bring together views and perspectives of stakeholders to gain a wider picture of the landscape surrounding activities and policies.

2. Changing and Improving

• Understand and identify the role of technology in public service delivery and policy implementation.
• Encourage and recognise a culture of initiative and innovation focused on adding value - give people space and praise for creativity.
• Effectively capture, utilise and share customer insight and views from a diverse range of stakeholders to ensure better policy and delivery.
• Spot warning signs of things going wrong and provide a decisive response to significant delivery challenges.
• Provide constructive challenge to senior management on change proposals which will affect own business area.
• Consider the cumulative impact on own business area of implementing change (culture, structure, service and morale).

3. Making Effective Decisions

• Push decision making to the right level within their teams, not allow unnecessary bureaucracy and structure to suppress innovation and delivery.
• Ensure the secure and careful use of all government and public data and information within their area of activity and Company.
• Analyse and evaluate data from various sources to identify pros and cons and identify risks in order to make well considered decisions.
• Draw together and present reasonable conclusions from a wide range of incomplete and complex evidence and data -able to act or decide even when details are not clear.
• Identify the main issues in complex problems, clarify understanding or stakeholder expectations, to seek best option.
• Make difficult decisions by pragmatically weighing the complexities involved against the need to act.

4. Leading and Communicating

• Be visible to staff and stakeholders and regularly undertake activities to engage and build trust with people involved in area of work.
• Clarify strategies and plans, communicate purpose and direction with clarity and enthusiasm.
• Stand by, promote or defend own and team's actions and decisions where needed.
• Confidently engage with stakeholders and colleagues at all levels to generate commitment to goals.
• Lead by example, communicate in a truthful, straightforward manner with integrity, impartiality and promoting a working environment that supports the SVGC Team values and code.
• Be open and inviting of the views of others and respond despite pressure to ignore, revert or concede.

5. Collaborating and Partnering

• Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on objectives and shared interests.
• Demonstrate genuine care for staff and others, is approachable and build a strong interpersonal relationship.
• Encourage contributions and involvement from a broad and diverse range of staff by being visible and accessible.
• Work as an effective team player, managing team dynamics when working across company and other boundaries.
• Actively involve partners to deliver a business outcome through collaboration that achieves better results for citizens.
• Seek constructive outcomes in discussions, challenge assumptions but remain willing to compromise when it is beneficial to progress.

6 Building Capability for All

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