Senior Test Program Manager

Pay Range: $50.00hr - $55.00hr

Job Overview:

The organization is seeking an experienced Test Program Manager to lead and govern testing activities across large-scale enterprise programs. The successful candidate will oversee multiple testing workstreams, drive quality governance, manage cross-functional dependencies, and ensure successful delivery of complex releases. This role requires strong leadership, stakeholder management, program-level planning, and expertise in end-to-end testing strategies.

Responsibilities:

The candidate will lead end-to-end testing activities across multiple applications, workstreams, and Test Leads within a program. The candidate's responsibilities include defining and implementing program-level test strategy, governance frameworks, quality standards, and testing operating models.

• Manage cross-functional dependencies, program risks, issues, and critical path testing activities.
• Drive System Integration Testing (SIT), End-to-End Testing (E2E), Regression Testing, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), and release readiness activities.
• Monitor and report program-level quality metrics including test execution progress, defect trends, risk assessments, RAG status, and release-readiness indicators.
• Establish and lead defect governance processes, ensuring timely resolution of critical defects across teams.
• Coordinate test environment management, test data planning, resource allocation, and capacity management.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders, product owners, development teams, architects, and program leadership to ensure quality outcomes.
• Facilitate Go/No-Go decision meetings and provide recommendations based on quality and risk assessments.
• Drive adoption of test automation strategies, continuous testing practices, and quality engineering initiatives.
• Escalate program risks, issues, and dependencies with impact analysis, mitigation plans, and recommendations.
• Mentor Test Leads and QA teams on testing best practices, quality standards, and delivery excellence.

Mandatory Skills / Must-Have Areas:

The successful candidate must demonstrate experience leading enterprise-wide testing programs involving multiple applications and teams, with strong expertise in program-level test governance and quality assurance management.

• Deep understanding of Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) and Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• Hands-on experience with Agile, Scrum, SAFe, and Waterfall delivery methodologies.
• Extensive experience in System Integration Testing (SIT), End-to-End Testing (E2E), User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Regression Testing, and Release Validation.
• Proficiency in Defect Management, Quality Metrics, Risk Management, and Executive Status Reporting.
• Technical proficiency with JIRA, Azure DevOps, ALM / HP Quality Center, Zephyr, qTest, TestRail, and Azure Test Plans.
• Knowledge of Test Automation Frameworks, Continuous Testing, CI/CD Pipeline Integration, and DevOps Quality Gates.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
• 12+ years of IT experience with at least 5+ years in Test Program Management or Test Delivery Leadership roles.
• Proven experience managing large-scale enterprise testing programs supporting multiple applications and distributed teams.
• Strong experience in test governance, quality management, and release readiness activities.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders and executive leadership.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, leadership, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to influence decision-making and successfully manage complex testing programs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting Digital Transformation, Cloud Migration, or Enterprise Modernization initiatives.
• Exposure to DevOps practices and Continuous Delivery environments.
• Experience implementing enterprise-wide test automation strategies.
• QA Certifications such as ISTQB, CSTE, or equivalent.
• Experience within Healthcare, Insurance, Banking, Financial Services, or other regulated industries.

Key Competencies:

• Program & Portfolio Testing.
• Quality Governance & Metrics.
• Risk & Dependency Management.
• Release Readiness & Go/No-Go Decisions.
• Executive Reporting.
• Stakeholder Management.
• Defect Governance.
• Test Automation Strategy.
• Resource & Capacity Planning.
• Agile / SAFe Delivery.
• Leadership & Team Management.
• Continuous Quality Improvement.

Nice-to-Have Skills:

• Cloud Testing (AWS / Azure).
• Performance Testing Exposure.
• API Testing Knowledge.
• Enterprise Release Management.
• Digital Transformation Programs.
• Quality Engineering Practices.