Head of testing
Posted 1 day ago by Gazelle Global
Negotiable
Undetermined
Hybrid
Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Summary: The Head of Testing role is a contract position based in Reading, UK, requiring a senior leader to oversee and enhance testing processes within a complex programme. The successful candidate will implement a clear testing strategy, ensure readiness for critical delivery milestones, and provide mentorship to the existing test team. Immediate impact is essential, particularly with a Go-Live deadline approaching at the end of July. This position demands strong leadership, exceptional communication skills, and a deep understanding of modern testing practices.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead end-to-end testing across a complex, multi-workstream programme
- Define and embed clear test strategy, governance, and quality controls
- Establish “what good looks like” and drive adoption across teams
- Assess current test maturity and implement a pragmatic improvement plan
- Ensure readiness for key delivery milestones, including Go-Live
- Coach and mentor the existing Test Lead and wider test function
- Provide clear, structured reporting from technical detail to board-level insight
- Identify and mitigate risks with a delivery-first approach
- Act as a senior advisor to programme leadership and stakeholders
- Build trust and stability across the programme environment
Key Skills:
- Proven experience operating as Head of Testing or equivalent on large programmes
- Strong leadership across test strategy, governance, and delivery oversight
- Exceptional communication skills, from engineering teams through to C-Suite
- Able to translate technical complexity into clear, actionable insight
- Deep understanding of modern testing practices, tools, and methodologies
- Experience assessing and uplifting test maturity within live environments
- Hands-on coaching capability with a focus on building team confidence
- Delivery-focused mindset with the ability to operate at pace
- Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills
- Calm, credible, and able to stabilise high-pressure programme environments
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: Reading
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: hybrid
IR35 Status: undetermined
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: Other
Head of Testing (Contract) Location: Reading, UK (Hybrid) Duration: 6–12 months Client: Leading enterprise organisation
The Role You’re coming in to take control. This programme needs senior test leadership that can impose structure, define standards, and drive delivery at pace. With a critical Go-Live at the end of July, this is about immediate impact, not theory. You’ll set the benchmark for testing across the programme while uplifting an existing function that needs direction, confidence, and clarity.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end testing across a complex, multi-workstream programme
- Define and embed clear test strategy, governance, and quality controls
- Establish “what good looks like” and drive adoption across teams
- Assess current test maturity and implement a pragmatic improvement plan
- Ensure readiness for key delivery milestones, including Go-Live
- Coach and mentor the existing Test Lead and wider test function
- Provide clear, structured reporting from technical detail to board-level insight
- Identify and mitigate risks with a delivery-first approach
- Act as a senior advisor to programme leadership and stakeholders
- Build trust and stability across the programme environment
Your Profile Proven experience operating as Head of Testing or equivalent on large programmes Strong leadership across test strategy, governance, and delivery oversight Exceptional communication skills, from engineering teams through to C-Suite Able to translate technical complexity into clear, actionable insight Deep understanding of modern testing practices, tools, and methodologies Experience assessing and uplifting test maturity within live environments Hands-on coaching capability with a focus on building team confidence Delivery-focused mindset with the ability to operate at pace Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills Calm, credible, and able to stabilise high-pressure programme environments