Experienced Lead Tester / Senior Test Manager

ABGi Technology is recruiting on behalf of its client, a major player engaged in a programme to transform its information systems, for its future Experienced Lead Tester / Senior Test Manager, based near Lyon.

🔎 YOUR MISSIONS

As part of a strategic programme to renovate its information system dedicated to home loans, our client wishes to strengthen its teams with an experienced Lead Tester, capable of defining, structuring and steering the overall testing strategy for the programme.

This transformation programme covers the entire lifecycle of the home loan, from pre-sales and underwriting processes through to management activities.

You will work in a complex IS environment, involving several development teams, agile squads, product owners, technical teams and various cross-functional coordination stakeholders.

Your role will be to ensure the consistency, quality and proper execution of testing activities across the programme, while ensuring coordination between teams, tracking of test campaigns and communication with the various steering bodies.

You will also be responsible for putting in place the methodologies, indicators and processes that secure the different validation phases and production releases.

The missions required of you:

Definition and implementation of the test strategy:

• Define and formalise the overall testing strategy for the programme;

• Build and implement the testing methodology suited to the challenges of the project;

• Define requirements for test environments, test data sets and technical prerequisites;

• Put in place a quality policy and validation criteria for the different testing phases;

• Identify risks linked to testing activities and define actions to control them;

• Ensure the consistency of the different testing strategies implemented by the teams;

• Secure the functional and technical coverage of test campaigns.

Organisation and coordination of testing activities:

• Define and put in place the overall organisation of testing activities;

• Build and formalise the RACI matrix to clarify roles and responsibilities;

• Coordinate the various contributors involved in the testing phases;

• Organise and steer test campaigns across the programme;

• Consolidate the tests carried out by the different squads;

• Coordinate cross-functional tests, regression tests (TNR) and end-to-end tests;

• Identify and anticipate dependencies between teams, products and the different phases of the programme;

• Take part in defining and adjusting testing schedules;

• Ensure milestones and quality commitments are met.

Operational steering and tracking of test campaigns:

• Oversee the execution of the various test campaigns;

• Track progress of testing and coverage of requirements;

• Consolidate test results from the different teams;

• Track identified defects, their severity and their resolution;

• Identify blockers and coordinate corrective actions;

• Ensure the escalation and tracking of risks likely to impact test campaigns;

• Prepare the inputs needed for GO / NO GO decisions;

• Contribute to securing deliveries and production releases.

Reporting, indicators and governance:

• Define and put in place KPIs for tracking quality and testing activities;

• Build and maintain dashboards to track progress, defects, risks and points of vigilance;

• Consolidate indicators from the different squads and test campaigns;

• Produce regular reporting suited to the different levels of responsibility;

• Present progress updates to the programme management, technical leads and operational teams;

• Organise and lead steering bodies, synchronisation meetings and testing steering committees;

• Prepare and lead weekly progress meetings and decision-making bodies;

• Ensure clear communication on the state of quality and residual risks.

Cross-functional coordination and continuous improvement:

• Work closely with the Lead POs, Release Train Engineers (RTE), Lead Tech and the various squads;

• Ensure continuous synchronisation with the programme's cross-functional coordination team;

• Facilitate exchanges between functional and technical teams and programme leaders;

• Identify and address issues linked to inter-squad and inter-product dependencies;

• Coordinate needs for environments, test data and testing prerequisites;

• Propose methodological improvements to make test campaigns more reliable and efficient;

• Take part in standardising testing and reporting practices;

• Capitalise on lessons learned to durably improve the organisation and quality of testing.

🎯 OUR REQUIREMENTS

Required skills and experience:

• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in software testing, acceptance testing, qualification or quality assurance, with significant experience in cross-functional steering;

• Proven experience as a Lead Tester, Test Manager, Acceptance Testing Manager or Test Coordinator;

• Strong mastery of defining and implementing test strategies on complex IS programmes;

• Experience structuring and organising acceptance testing involving several teams;

• Ability to define a testing methodology, governance and a RACI organisation;

• Experience coordinating and steering functional, cross-functional and regression test campaigns;

• Good knowledge of end-to-end testing issues in interconnected application environments;

• Ability to define and track performance and quality indicators (KPIs);

• Experience building dashboards, tracking defects and managing risks;

• Command of reporting and communication with different levels of management;

• Ability to lead coordination meetings, steering committees and GO / NO GO decision-making bodies;

• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and managing dependencies between several projects or products;

• Good understanding of software development environments and delivery cycles;

• Excellent communication, summarising, organisational and coordination skills;

• Autonomy, rigour and the ability to step back from complex issues.

The following skills are real advantages:

• Experience on large-scale IS transformation programmes;

• Good knowledge of Agile, Scrum or SAFe environments;

• Experience collaborating with agile squads, Product Owners, RTEs and technical leads;

• Command of test management, defect tracking and quality steering tools;

• Knowledge of tools such as Jira, Xray, Squash TM, Zephyr or equivalents;

• Experience in test automation and integrating testing activities into delivery cycles;

• Ability to define and track quality and functional coverage criteria;

• Experience of test governance on multi-application or multi-product programmes;

• Knowledge of validation and production release processes in environments with high quality requirements.

Experience in the banking, financial or credit services sector is a real advantage, particularly on projects linked to home loans, case underwriting, pre-sales processes or credit management.

👤 PROFILE SOUGHT

With a Bac+3 to Bac+5 qualification (equivalent to a bachelor's or master's degree) in computer science, information systems, software engineering or an equivalent field, you have at least 10 years of relevant professional experience, including significant experience steering complex testing and acceptance strategies.

You are able to take on the acceptance testing strategy of a programme in its entirety, from its definition through to operational steering of test campaigns and reporting of results to governance bodies.

You have a genuine ability to structure, organise, bring together and lead cross-functional teams, while keeping a clear view of the functional, technical and organisational challenges.

Your leadership, your sense of anticipation and your ability to arbitrate priorities enable you to secure the different stages of the programme.

You are recognised for your excellent communication, your ability to summarise and your aptitude for adapting your message to both operational teams and programme management.

Autonomous, rigorous, methodical and proactive, you enjoy complex environments requiring strong coordination between many stakeholders.

Additional information:

• Location: Near Lyon

• Desired start date: 2 November 2026

• Remote working: 2 days per week

• Contract duration: 3 months initially, renewable in 3-month periods, up to a limit of 3 years

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