Group Test Manager

Our client is currently looking for an experienced, hands-on Group Test Manager to lead the integrated testing workstream for a high-profile Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot. This is a strategic coordination role orchestrating a complex landscape across the group head office, regional banks, external vendors, and central banking ecosystems.

Core Responsibilities:

• Strategy & Governance: Own the Group Test Strategy, integrated test plan, common standards, and quality gates across all participating entities and suppliers.
• Stakeholder Orchestration: Act as the central hub for testing dependencies, translating separate delivery plans into one executable approach, and resolving conflicting priorities across organizational boundaries.
• Testing Oversight: Coordinate System Integration Testing (SIT), End-to-End (E2E), Non-Functional, security, and Operational Readiness testing across local, shared, and central scheme components.
• External Scheme Validation: Translate central bank testing requirements into the Group plan, coordinating onboarding, technical validation, and mandatory evidence preparation.
• Defect & Quality Management: Chair cross-entity defect triage, establish requirements-to-test traceability, and present consolidated readiness and go-live recommendations to governance bodies.

What You Bring to the Table:

• Core Experience: Extensive background as a Test Manager orchestrating complex, integrated testing across multiple legal entities, distributed teams, and suppliers in banking or payment programmes.
• Domain Expertise: Deep understanding of payment value chains, core banking systems, APIs, event-driven integrations, and real-time transaction processing.
• Standout Qualifications: Prior experience with CBDC initiatives, digital wallets, or external scheme-certification/central-bank validation is highly preferred.
• Leadership & Soft Skills: Strong negotiation, conflict-resolution, and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to constructively challenge vendor delivery quality and readiness claims.

Engagement Conditions:

• Contract Type: External Consultant
• Capacity: 4 Days a Week
• Start Date: As soon as possible, latest December 1st 2026
• Location: Remote / Vienna (Presence in Vienna is only required for key workshops, test phases, and governance meetings)
• Languages: Fluent English required; German is a bonus