AVP Quality Assurance & Release Management

Job description

Purpose:

Create environment that promotes high level of software quality as early as possible within delivery lifecycle providing senior level test consultative skills. Lead continuous improvement of Assurance at a strategic level, developing our capability in line with broader industry developments. Performing value adding governance & quality assurance to ensure customer outcome is delivered to the highest standard and prevent occurrence of defects, whilst ensuring delivery is achieved within agreed budget and timescales. Support Senior Test Managers and Test Managers through coaching and blockage removal in assigned areas or where specialist knowledge is required.

In addition, lead the enterprise release function managing the corporation’s bundled releases through active management leading up to and through-out deployments.

Dimensions: Assignments will typically be across range of large complex projects/programmes or group of platforms, often within Agile cross functional teams and/or including 3rd party relationships/suppliers and will include the management &/or co-ordination multiple test work streams. Typically accountable for Test spend >$3m

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Context:

Staff at this level will:

·  Work collaboratively with peers to continually improve the Assurance service provision and capability to meet the needs of our customers. This will include functional and non functional test activity. Ensuring that delivery of change does not have a negative impact on existing service, data quality and assess resource impacts
·  Drive shaping & development of their profession, including active participation in the community
·  Drive increasing levels of efficiency across the Test service through removing waste and promoting tooling solutions for test activities
·  Manage Assurance Supplier relationships to drive value for Aviva
·  Work with key stakeholders & colleagues as required to agree the Test strategy to be employed for portfolio’s ensuring that resources are aligned appropriately
·  Ensure all resource planning for a allocated portfolio of work (short & long term) is delivered in line with the book of work & release schedules (issues to be highlighted with resolution options)
·  Using experience assess & advise on the practicality of test process alternatives, supporting ongoing improvements across broader community
·  Manage the scoping/estimation/planning of Test  across the lifecycle to ensure quality coverage levels across all test types
·  Ensure the appropriate application of test

methodologies, quality standards & governance across the lifecycle

·  Perform quality assurance activities on   deliverables across  test deliverables, within scope of the role
·  Accountable for managing Assurance Centre Budgets in line with SD Governance Processes and Procedures.
·  Be responsible for the delivery of Assurance services within the assigned portfolio of work.
·  Operate within the parameters of Assurance Policy &/or team specific processes and Agile framework
·  Apply skills & knowledge to make a leading contribution to deliverables across the lifecycle
·  Apply a strategic view to all aspects of the role
·  Plan ahead & take account of future developments
·  Analyse results, challenge plans & recommend revised & improved solutions
·  Be fully accountable for actions & decisions taken by individuals within the programme/portfolio & the quality of their work
·  Provide intelligent, accurate & timely reporting
·  Build & manage relationships with senior stakeholders & resolve conflict where needed
·  Influence, carry conviction & obtain commitment from all levels of staff with the project/programme/platform/feature team including those outside the job holders area
·  Ensure all Assurance resources are task and people managed effectively within area of responsibility considering development needs & future demand. In addition support development of broader community knowledge

Release Management

·  Deep knowledge of continuous delivery and continuous integration practices
·  Deep knowledge of the use & management of automation tools and automation software.
·  Deep knowledge of release and governance processes.
·  Knowledge of key factors influencing our business & the IT industry.

Service Level Management

·  Responsible for managing relationships between IT and Business in order to effectively manage SLAs
·  Ability to forge and cultivate strong relationships with an IT Service Mindset
·  Ability to mediate and negotiate process ownership in a changing environment as well as build key capability
·  Service Catalogue:  ensure catalogue is updated and maintained with latest details and correlates with CMDB
·  Reporting:  Ensure Proper communication to stakeholders identifying service strengths/gaps with remediation plans
·   IT Controls:   ensure controls are managed against expected dates and that remediation plans are delivered as expected

Priorities & Deliverables:

Key priorities include:

·  Development and delivery of Project/programme/Platform/Feature team level Test strategy across all functional/non functional test types
·  Planning, arranging & controlling of meetings, workshops & relations with key stakeholders during test planning & throughout subsequent development & test activities
·  Overall planning & estimation
·  Acting as liaison to all work streams
·  Managing the resource mix in accordance with the Assurance Centre resource plan, including a strong supplier relationship to ensure resources are in line with overall business requirements
·  Work with respective delivery team/supplier representatives to address resource variances/discrepancies/issues & ensure proactive action being taken to prevent issues from occurring
·  Identification, escalation & ownership of risks & issues affecting the quality of deliverables, takes proactive action to prevent risks becoming unacceptable 
·  Ensuring the effective communication of plans, progress, risks & issues across the programme/portfolio to a varied audience, guaranteeing that the appropriate level of detail is provided to different stakeholders
·  Ensuring the outcome of all Test activities meets or exceeds the customers expectations
·  Outcomes aligned to UK Regional & business unit strategies
·  Proactive contribution to the development needs of own area/community & the organisation
·  Monitoring & reporting on Test progress and status
·  Accountable for ensuring  Test activity represented at  platform/feature/project/programme/release level progress meetings
·  Taking accountability for the production & sign off of all Test deliverables, & achievement of Test milestones for allocated portfolio
·  Changes consistently tested & delivered with high quality & timely outputs & outcomes aligned to own business unit strategies, processes & standards within defined cost, scope, schedule & quality requirements
·  Technical decisions & advice during the  change lifecycle. Including proactive quality/governance assessments within own area/community & across the lifecycle
·  Proactive recommendations to instigate change at an organisational level/ input into retrospective activity Portfolio or Assurance community level
·  Coaching software quality specialists and ensuring lessons learnt are shared across the Assurance community. This could include specific specialisms, such as Automation or BDD or Performance Engineering

Relationships will typically be with:

·  VP Change Delivery and VPs of Development Centres.
·  VPs of Lines of Business within Aviva
·  Individuals within change structure as appropriate for the delivery/quality/planning of work & skill development. Scrum Master, Project Manager, Software Engineer and Designer
·  Test engineer, Test Manager and Senior Test Manager, Test delivery manager
·  Analysts/Business Users
·  Task/Line Manager, & Mentor/Coach
·  External organisations & third parties

REQUIREMENTS

Individuals fulfilling this role should have either  achieved (or be intending to achieve) the following qualifications and/or skills listed OR  be able to demonstrate equivalent practical experience: 

Qualifications:

·  ISTQB Advanced Test Analyst
·  ISTQB Advanced Technical Test Analyst
·  ISTQB Advanced Test Manager
·  PRINCE2 Foundation or APM  Foundation
·  ITIL Foundation
·  Degree/specialist qualifications &/or proven experience as appropriate

Skills/Knowledge:

Staff at this level will demonstrate an understanding of the following skills/knowledge areas:

·  Demonstrate in depth experience of more than one Test Methodologies in use throughout the industry
·  Demonstrate more than 5 years experience working in at least one of the Lifecycles in use throughout the industry, including V-Model, Agile, and Waterfall 
·  Significant Knowledge of various quality standards in use throughout the industry
·  Experience leading within and across more than one test type throughout the Delivery Lifecycle (DLC)
·  Significant Knowledge of the use & management of Testing Tools and Automation Software
·  Behaviour driven development and test driven development
·  Significant Knowledge of key factors influencing our business & the IT industry

·  Proven record in Test Analysis, Test Lead & Test Management , quality deliveries & application of technical/professional expertise across multiple platforms/applications
·  SME regarding test within specific product, platform or test specialism
·  Knowledge of Business Unit, Change &/or IT or NFT operating model or Automation frameworks
·  Insurance business &/or previous IT Test experience
·  Analysis, planning, scheduling & co-ordination aligned to strategic awareness applied to all aspects of the role
·  In depth understanding of how to define & manage risks, issues & interdependencies as they relate to projects/programmes
·  Works collaboratively with other roles and teams
·  Proven ability to instigate & lead change initiatives within own area/community & across the Global organisation
·  Maintaining a network of internal & external contacts & using where appropriate
·  Demonstrable commercial acumen

Release Management

·  Experience of DevOps and leading the creation of new automated pipelines.
·  Understanding and experience of various source control tools (bit bucket) and code branching and merge strategies and best practices
·  Experience with Build and Integration systems such as Jenkins

Capabilities:

Staff at this level will need to demonstrate a high degree of competence in the following areas:

·  Planning & Priority Setting
·  Customer Focus
·  Communication
·  First Line of Defence - Risk Awareness
·  Business & Financial Acumen
·  Effective Relationships
·  Execution
·  Strategic Thinking & Planning
·  Change Effectiveness
·  Innovation
·  Global Perspectives
·  Leadership

Living Leadership:

Staff at this level will as a minimum be able to demonstrate the following Living Leadership behaviours…

·  Respect - Builds rapport and treats people fairly, knows their concerns and aspirations, recognises extra effort, and is easy to approach. Understands respects and can empathise with differences in people and cultures: and is progressive in terms of diversity
·  Clarity – clearly, and with authority, assigns and communicates responsibility for tasks and decisions, shares both responsibility and accountability; is timely with information, and successfully delegates / trusts in other people’s abilities
·  Strengths - knows personal strengths and weaknesses of self and others, focuses on strengths and compensates for weaknesses;
·  provides opportunities to create compelling development opportunities and stretching tasks in alignment with Line and Task Manager expectations
·  Risk – successfully manages risk using rigorous logical and proven problem solving techniques, asks and answers questions without fear or ridicule, and makes complex decisions based on a mixture of analysis, knowledge, experience and judgment
·  Recognition - Empowers others, invites input from each person and shares ownership, makes each individual feel his/her work matters, and provides actionable positive and corrective feedback
·  Clearing the way – mobilises resources to support others in getting things done, creates the right environment for open performance and delivery discussions, and can simplify complex processes

Additional Information

Aviva Canada is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities during all phases of the hiring process including the application process. If you require an accommodation because of a disability, we will work with you to meet your needs. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance. If you are selected for an interview and require an accommodation, you are encouraged to advise the Talent Acquisition Partner who will consult with you to determine an appropriate accommodation.