Lead - Testing
Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities
Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealand · Full Time
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- 1
- Posted
- 12 hours ago
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- In office
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Job description
Role Overview
The Lead - Testing heads the testing function within Business Technology Solutions in Digital IT, ensuring testing processes are well planned and executed to achieve superior business results. This position merges team leadership with hands-on oversight of testing, managing Senior Test Analysts and Test Analysts, and engaging directly in complex or high-risk testing tasks as necessary. The role is pivotal in integrating testing throughout the delivery lifecycle, mitigating risks and enhancing the quality of solutions delivered.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage testing services aligning with delivery goals and coordinate with Product Managers, Delivery Managers, Business Analysts, engineers, and stakeholders.
- Advance testing maturity by supporting capability building and progressing automation adoption.
- Provide evidence-based evaluations and recommendations on test coverage, quality risks, and release readiness enabling informed delivery decisions.
- Promote modern engineering practices such as Test-Driven Development (TDD), Behavior-Driven Development (BDD), and advocate for automation to uplift quality, efficiency, and delivery effectiveness.
- Foster a positive, inclusive, and collaborative culture that encourages team success and empowerment.
Required Qualifications and Skills
- Extensive software testing experience within large, intricate enterprise environments, responsible for end-to-end testing across multiple projects.
- Proven leadership of testing teams including performance management, capability advancement, and delivery outcomes.
- Comprehensive knowledge of testing strategies, test management, and quality assurance methodologies covering functional, regression, integration, and user acceptance testing.
- Expertise in implementing and refining testing frameworks, standards, and governance across multiple teams.
- Deep understanding of the software delivery lifecycle (SDLC) and scaled agile delivery practices.
- Skilled in influencing key stakeholders (Product, Delivery, Engineering, Architecture) to embed quality early during design and build stages.
- Strong proficiency in risk-based testing, including evaluating, prioritizing, and directing testing efforts by business and technical risks.
- Experience in identifying systemic testing challenges and leading improvements across tools, processes, and skill development.
- Demonstrated leadership that guides teams through ambiguity, shifting priorities, and demanding delivery timelines.
- Familiarity with automation testing philosophies and frameworks, capable of steering transitions from manual to automated testing.
- Capability to set testing strategies and lead testing activities spread over multiple teams.
Additional Expectations
- Adopt and promote a quality engineering mindset that transcends conventional testing approaches.
- Integrate quality assurance throughout the entire SDLC.
- Champion Shift Left testing practices ensuring quality is addressed early and consistently throughout the development process.
- Advocate for automation for enhancing quality outputs, boosting efficiency, and delivery effectiveness.
Leadership and Culture
Candidates must be people-oriented leaders who cultivate environments where teams flourish and individuals feel supported and empowered to reach their full potential. Building trust, psychological safety, collaboration, and fostering a continuous learning mindset are essential to inspire ownership of quality and optimal performance.
Application Deadline
Applications close on Wednesday 26th August 2026 at 11.55pm.
Level
Lead
Industry
Government Administration