Test Lead

Key Responsibilities

1. Test Strategy & Planning

• Define, own, and maintain the end‑to‑end test strategy covering:
  • System Integration Testing (SIT)
  • User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
  • Payroll validation / parallel runs (where applicable)
  • Regression and end‑to‑end (E2E) testing
• Agree test scope, entry/exit criteria, and phase gates per country and release.
• Ensure testing aligns to the global design while supporting controlled local variations.
• Align test cycles with data migration, integrations, cutover, and deployment planning.

2. Test Management & Governance

• Build and manage the integrated test plan and schedule across all countries.
• Coordinate testing activities across:
  • Country SMEs and super‑users
  • Payroll teams
  • Integration and data teams
  • System integrators and third‑party vendors
• Lead test status reporting, defect triage sessions, and executive escalation.
• Provide clear Go / No‑Go recommendations from a testing and payroll‑risk perspective.

3. Defect & Quality Control

• Own the defect management process, including:
  • Severity and priority classification
  • Coordination of root‑cause analysis with relevant teams
  • Verification of fixes and regression impact
• Ensure quality gates are met before progression between test phases and country releases.

4. Data, Payroll & Integration Validation

• Oversee validation of:
  • End‑to‑end system integrations
  • Parallel payroll runs and payroll‑critical processes (where in scope)
• Ensure all payroll‑impacting scenarios are explicitly tested, evidenced, and formally signed off.

5. Country Coordination & Readiness

• Ensure each country:
  • Executes testing consistently and in line with programme standards
  • Completes formal test sign‑off
  • Achieves operational readiness from a testing perspective
• Feed testing outcomes into cutover planning and overall go‑live readiness assessments.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Proven experience as a Test Lead or Test Manager on large, multi‑country enterprise programmes.
• Strong background in payroll, HR, finance, or ERP system implementations.
• Demonstrable experience managing SIT, UAT, payroll validation, and E2E testing.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills across business, vendors, and technical teams.
• Strong governance mindset with the confidence to challenge readiness and risk.
• Experience operating in complex, matrixed programme environments.
• Experience with global template rollouts and country‑by‑country deployments.
• Prior involvement in payroll parallel runs or payroll‑critical transformations.
• Familiarity with integration‑heavy landscapes and data migration testing.