Test Manager

Scottish Forestry

Highlands and Islands

Hybrid

Expires: Expiring in less than 3 weeks

Full time

£45,711 - £49,229 per year

Job summary

About the team

This post sits in the Digital Transformation Team within the Transformation and Corporate Services function in Scottish Forestry (SF). This function is responsible for leading organisation-wide change and improvement.

The Digital Transformation team (DTT) provide development, maintenance and support of operational delivery systems, in particular SF’s case management system, as well as management information systems.

The Test Manager post will report to the Digital Service Manager and will lead the test team and be responsible for assuring and minimising the potential risk of systems delivered by development teams or 3rd party vendors.

Job description

What you will do

The Test Manager is responsible for defining, implementing, and overseeing the testing strategy and processes to ensure the delivery of high-quality digital services. This is a hands-on Test Manager role, requiring both strategic coordination and detailed test execution.

This role ensures that all products and systems meet agreed standards, function as intended, and provide a seamless experience for users.

The Test Manager will lead the test team, manage all testing phases and approaches, and collaborate with stakeholders to align testing activities with business priorities and project timelines.

Main Duties

Key Focus Areas:

Lead system testing strategy and planning, involving key roles across the DTT; Head of Innovation, Head of PMO, Senior Business Analyst, Digital Services Manager
Develop and manage comprehensive test plans, leading test team to deliver, and working with Developers, Product Owner, Live Support team
Team Management: Lead, mentor, and line manage tester(s), ensuring effective resource allocation and skills development.
Stakeholder Engagement: Communicate testing progress, risks, and outcomes clearly to project teams and senior management.
Collaborate with project managers, developers, and business stakeholders to align testing activities with delivery timelines.
Collaborate with Product Owner and Live Support Manager to prepare and plan release schedules.
Coordinate with colleagues in L&SD, Live Support, SMEs, and Operational Leads to plan learning programme which provides a good experience to new staff, ongoing learning for existing staff and case type specific learning when new functionalities are released.

Person specification

Success Profile

The Success Profile below set outs the essential and desirable elements that make up the vacant position - you’ll be expected to demonstrate these element in your application and/or during your interview and/or assessment.

Experience

Essential:

Proven experience in software testing, within a management or coordination role.
Experience in enterprise-level systems or case management platforms.
Experience in use of automated testing tools.
Familiarity with business-critical systems and compliance requirements.
Strong experience coordinating User Acceptance Test (UAT) with business users.
Demonstratable experience creating and managing test plans, scripts, and execution cycles.
Previous involvement in digital transformation projects or large-scale system rollouts.
Experience of using recognised project and programme methodologies (i.e. Agile, Prince 2).

Desirable:

Test Manager or equivalent certification e.g. ISTQB or ISEB.
Experience with Agile/Scrum environments.
Knowledge of risk-based testing.
Familiar with exploratory testing techniques.
Understanding of public sector systems or regulatory frameworks.
Knowledge and experience of Jira
Knowledge and experience of delivering government digital standards, for example SG Digital Scotland Service Standard or GDS Digital by Default.

Behaviours

On the application form you’ll find four free text boxes to provide your behaviour responses. Please note, you’re only required to provide evidence against the below behaviours on your application. This means that if less than four behaviours are noted, you can leave the relevant free text(s) box blank on your application.

Behaviour 1 and Lead Criteria: Changing and Improving

Behaviour 2: Working Together

Behaviour 3: Managing a Quality Service

Travel

Occasional travel to conservancy offices or the Edinburgh office required.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,711, Scottish Forestry contributes £13,242 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Please apply for this position by completing our online application form. For more details on the selection process, please see the Success Profiles section of the advert.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Salary range

£45,711 - £49,229 per year