Test Lead

T est Lead (SIT, UAT & Production Readiness)

South Africa (Hybrid/On-site depending on project phase)

Telecommunications

3-Year Fixed-Term Contract

Reports To: Programme Test Manager / Delivery Director

Role Overview

Our client, a major player in the South African Telecommunications industry, is seeking an experienced Test Lead to spearhead the quality assurance strategy for a large-scale, multi-year transformation programme.

The successful candidate will be responsible for leading the end-to-end testing lifecycle, with a specific focus on System Integration Testing (SIT) , User Acceptance Testing (UAT) , and Production Readiness. You will act as the bridge between technical delivery teams and business stakeholders, ensuring that all solutions are robust, scalable, and fit for purpose before deployment into the live telecommunications environment.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy & Planning

Define and implement the overall Test Strategy, Test Plan, and Test Approach for the programme, aligning with industry best practices (e.g., ISTQB, TMAP).

Manage the testing scope across SIT, UAT, and Production Readiness phases, ensuring alignment with the programme timeline and business objectives.

Develop detailed test schedules, resource plans, and effort estimations.

Define entry and exit criteria for each testing phase and ensure strict adherence.

System Integration Testing (SIT)

Lead the SIT team to validate the integration of new systems with existing legacy environments (e.g., CRM, Billing, OSS/BSS, Network elements).

Coordinate with development and architecture teams to resolve complex technical defects.

Ensure non-functional requirements (performance, security, scalability) are validated during integration.

Manage data migration testing and interface validation between disparate telecom systems.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Facilitate UAT workshops with business users to define test scenarios and acceptance criteria.

Manage the UAT execution phase, ensuring business stakeholders are engaged and trained on testing tools and processes.

Act as the primary point of contact for business sign-off and defect triage during UAT.

Ensure traceability between business requirements and test cases.

Production Readiness & Go-Live

Lead the Production Readiness Testing (PRT) phase, including Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT) and Disaster Recovery (DR) simulations.

Validate that support models, monitoring tools, and runbooks are in place prior to go-live.

Manage the "Go/No-Go" decision process by providing accurate quality metrics and risk assessments to the Steering Committee.

Oversee the hyper-care period immediately following deployment to ensure stability.

Team Leadership & Stakeholder Management

Lead, mentor, and manage a team of Test Analysts and Test Engineers (both internal and vendor resources).

Manage relationships with external vendors and system integrators to ensure quality deliverables.

Provide regular, accurate reporting on test progress, defect status, and risks to senior management.

Promote a culture of quality and continuous improvement within the delivery team.

Key Requirements

Education & Certification

Essential: Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.

Essential: ISTQB Advanced Level Test Manager or equivalent certification.

Desirable: Certification in Agile (SAFe, Scrum), ITIL, or TM Forum (for Telecom).

Experience

Minimum 8+ years of experience in software testing, with at least 3-5 years in a Test Lead/Manager role.

Telecommunications Experience: Proven experience working within the Telco sector is mandatory. Deep understanding of OSS/BSS systems, CRM, Billing, and Network integration.

SIT & UAT Expertise: Demonstrated experience managing large-scale SIT and UAT phases on complex enterprise programmes.

Production Readiness: Strong background in OAT, DR testing, and cutover/go-live activities.

Tooling: Proficiency with test management tools (e.g., JIRA, HP ALM/Quality Center, Azure DevOps) and automation frameworks.

Skills & Competencies

Technical Acumen: Ability to understand complex system architectures and integration points (APIs, Middleware, Microservices).

Analytical Skills: Strong capability in defect analysis, root cause investigation, and risk management.

Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to translate technical issues for business stakeholders.

Leadership: Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams and drive results in a high-pressure environment.

Adaptability: Comfortable working in a hybrid delivery model (Agile/Waterfall) typical of large telecom transformations.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Defect Leakage: Percentage of defects found in Production vs. pre-production.

Test Execution Progress: Adherence to the agreed test schedule.

Defect Resolution: Average time to resolve critical/high severity defects.

Stakeholder Satisfaction: Feedback from business users regarding UAT process and support.

Go-Live Stability: Number of P1/P2 incidents during the hyper-care period.

To Apply please email me an updated CV: ***email_hidden***