Senior Test Analyst / Test Lead

Job Details

Senior Test Analyst / Test Lead - Port Dundas, Glasgow Senior Test Analyst / Test Lead Location: Port Dundas, Glasgow Company: McQueens Dairies Department: Technology Employment Type: Permanent, Full Time Working Pattern: Glasgow Salary: £45,000 to £60,000 Per Annum, depending on experience The Role The Senior Test Analyst / Test Lead is responsible for leading and coordinating testing across McQueens Dairies technology platforms and change initiatives, ensuring that new systems, enhancements and integrations are delivered to a high standard of quality. The role will combine hands-on testing with test leadership, working closely with developers, business analysts, product owners, project managers, application specialists and business users. The successful candidate will have strong experience of functional, integration and end-to-end testing within complex, integrated technology environments and will help establish consistent testing standards and practices across the organisation. Key Responsibilities Test Leadership & Planning • Lead testing activities for projects, system enhancements and software releases. • Develop test strategies, test plans, test scenarios and test cases based on business requirements, user stories and acceptance criteria. • Assess testing scope, complexity, dependencies, risks and resource requirements. • Coordinate testing activities across multiple applications and development teams. • Establish appropriate entry and exit criteria for testing phases. • Provide clear reporting on test progress, defects, risks and release readiness. • Support release and go-live decisions by providing an evidence-based assessment of solution quality. • Promote consistent testing standards, processes and documentation across the IT function. Functional & End-to-End Testing • Perform hands-on functional, system, integration and regression testing. • Design and execute end-to-end tests covering complete customer and operational journeys. • Validate integrations and data flows between systems. • Test APIs and system interfaces using appropriate testing tools. • Validate that solutions meet documented business requirements and acceptance criteria. • Perform exploratory testing to identify issues outside predefined test scripts. • Ensure appropriate regression testing is completed following system changes. Defect Management • Identify, document and manage software defects through to resolution. • Ensure defects contain clear reproduction steps, supporting evidence, severity and business impact. • Work closely with developers and application teams to investigate and resolve defects. • Lead defect triage sessions where appropriate. • Monitor defect trends and identify recurring quality issues. UAT & Business Engagement • Work with business analysts and business stakeholders to define User Acceptance Testing requirements. • Support business users in preparing and executing UAT. • Ensure appropriate test data and environments are available. • Help business teams understand expected results and acceptance criteria. • Ensure UAT issues are appropriately recorded, prioritised and resolved. Test Automation & Continuous Improvement • Work with test automation and development resources to identify suitable regression tests for automation. • Support the development of automated testing across web applications, APIs and critical business processes. • Encourage testing earlier in the software development lifecycle. • Contribute to continuous improvement of QA processes, tools and methodologies. • Support the integration of automated testing into CI/CD and software release processes. Team Leadership • Provide day-to-day guidance and mentoring to Test Analysts. • Review test plans, scenarios and test cases produced by other team members. • Help develop testing capability and knowledge across the IT team. • Encourage a culture where quality is considered throughout the development lifecycle rather than solely at the end. Technology Environment McQueens Dairies operates a modern, integrated technology environment. Experience with some of the following would be advantageous: • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service / Dataverse • Chargebee or other subscription billing platforms • eCommerce and customer-facing web applications • REST APIs and system integrations • Microsoft Azure • Databricks and data platforms • SQL and database testing • Jira and/or Azure DevOps • WordPress / Woo Commerce and Shopify ecommerce platforms. • Bespoke account management and canvasser apps • Jira and/or Azure DevOps • Postman or similar API testing tools • Playwright, Cypress, Selenium or similar automation frameworks • CI/CD and modern software development practices Skills & Experience – Essential • Strong commercial experience as a Senior Test Analyst, Test Lead or similar QA role. • Demonstrable experience leading testing activities across projects and software releases. • Strong functional, system, integration and end-to-end testing experience. • Experience creating test plans, test scenarios, test cases and test reports. • Strong defect management and defect triage experience. • Experience testing APIs and integrations. • Good understanding of Agile software development methodologies. • Experience working with Jira, Azure DevOps or similar development management tools. • Ability to understand complex business processes and translate them into effective test scenarios. • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills. • Ability to coordinate multiple testing activities and priorities simultaneously. Desirable Experience • Experience testing Microsoft Dynamics 365 or other CRM platforms. • Experience with subscription, billing, payments or eCommerce platforms. • Experience testing high-volume transactional systems. • SQL and data validation experience. • Test automation experience. • Performance and non-functional testing knowledge. • Experience working in retail, eCommerce, logistics, subscription services or other customer-focused environments. Personal Attributes • Strong attention to detail while retaining an understanding of the wider business process. • Naturally inquisitive and willing to challenge assumptions. • Methodical and organised approach to testing. • Comfortable working across both technical and business teams. • Able to communicate complex issues clearly to non-technical stakeholders. • Takes ownership of problems through to resolution. • Passionate about improving software quality and customer experience. Benefits: 4 x Death in service cover  Single Healthcare cover  Pension salary Exchange scheme Paid holidays #INDLP2