User Acceptance Test Manager - Transformation Programme

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Who we are

Allianz is a global insurance company serving across 70 different countries, from the very first day you join our team you'll know that your contributions are valued. We offer world class learning and career development opportunities, while we celebrate an inclusive culture.

In line with our Global strategy and purpose, we have an opportunity for a User Acceptance Test Manager to join the UK Transformation Programme, the largest business transformation programme at Allianz, it's purpose to harmonize, simplify and scale Allianz assets across the entire Group to the benefit of OEs, employees and, ultimately, customers. This is a massive undertaking in every respect that puts Allianz at the forefront of industry innovation.

About The Role

The scope of this role covers the integration of business with technical testing. You'll provide a direction and approach to testing for an Agile Release Train (ART) or functional group of delivery teams. You'll also act as a point of contact for functional expertise and take ownership and accountability for controlling the work undertaken by the testers and business SMEs on allocated work streams.

Key Responsibilities

• Overall responsibility for test planning, monitoring, control and delivery of User Acceptance testing activities and tasks, applying functional and business expertise on change deliveries, to ensure 'product' is fit for purpose.
• Collaborating with internal/external stakeholders, development teams, business and project teams to collect / refine requirements (US) and ensure traceability of those requirements (US) in to test, devising and agreeing test objectives, strategies and plans aligned to the overall programme delivery dates.
• Driving progress and providing regular updates to key stakeholders, maintaining test process / output reporting to enable a view on progress vs timelines.
• Supporting and facilitating creation of appropriate test data within the delivery teams, managing cross team environment dependencies and data usage compliance.
• Reviewing test environment configuration, availability and security, ensuring smooth execution of E2E testing, including cross team dependencies.
• Identifying areas suitable for automation testing and working with peers in other business areas to to deliver.
• QA testing artefacts / process (Test plans, Exploratory charters, traceability and use of test tools) ensuring alignment with agreed methods.
• Setting up and supporting all test resources to be able to plan, analyse and execute Exploratory Testing tightly aligned to Acceptance Criteria within User Stories.
• Assess and agree estimates / timescales / plans / scope and approach as part of PI and Sprint planning, ensuring SME resources are available
• Working with Test Managers and Test Leads, managing & planning for both Test Execution and Defect Management dependencies
• Supporting the Business Acceptance Test Manager to set up a robust defect triage process that supports individual ARTs and Squads
• Highlighting any potential risks or issues associated with realising the test schedule to key QA / Delivery stakeholders. Ensuring ownership and follow through to resolution.
• Adhere to Corporate Policies and Procedures, including GDPR, Code of Conduct, Audit process and any controls related to delivery of Testing

Skills and Experience

• Proven test leadership / management experience, including leading the development of Agile QA delivery
• Independent, self-motivated, highly organised with a high degree of emotional intelligence and the ability to communicate at technical and non-technical levels.
• Effective project and change management skills, managing concurrent deliveries.
• Builds and maintains effective relationships with key stakeholders, acts as central point of contact and expertise for owned workstreams / ART's when required.
• Comfortable working in an ambiguous and highly fluid environment.
• Ability to identify improvement and change, challenging the status quo and stimulate creative thinking, putting forward ideas for innovation.
• Test strategy planning and resource management, issue and risk management, change control processes and configuration management skills.
• Strong understanding of all test phases (types) and their relevance and place in setting up a best-in-class QA capability for a workstream or ART.
• High level of expertise in technologies and tools specific to the function, able to coach others. (Specifically: Jira, Zephyr Scaled, Confluence, Test Scripting, Exploratory Charters)
• Hands on experience working on large scale complex projects, and of working in fast paced regulatory or transformational environments to strict deadlines
• Experience managing testing teams across different geographic locations
• Strong Business or User Acceptance Testing bias, reflecting demonstrable successful
• Management of UA and business test resources.

What We Will Offer You

This is an exciting time to join the Transformation Programme, we're in our 3rd year and writing the next chapter, which will revolutionise how we do business in the future. The expectation of the business is high, we work at pace and you'll be busy, however, this is a great opportunity to work with a highly talented team and showcase your expertise.

Here at Allianz helping you achieve a good work life balance is important to us, we believe in supporting hybrid work patterns, our aim with this is to help innovation, creativity and you to excel. You'll combine working from our Guildford or Bristol office with working from home. We have a fantastic benefits package which includes a range of flexible benefits for you to choose from - including: retail discounts, discounted insurance cover and our newly launched ElectriX car purchase scheme. That's on top of enjoying all the benefits you'd expect from the world's number one insurance brand, including:

• Holidays 25 days + bank holidays, with the opportunity to buy / sell up to 5 days
• Annual performance related bonus
• Generous pension contributions and Life Cover up to 4 x salary
• A discount of up to 50% on a range of insurance products, including Car, Home and Pet
• Retail Discounts
• Excellent career development and training

Our Ways of WorkingDo you need some flexibility with the hours you work? Let us know as part of your application and if it's right for our customers, our business and for you, then we'll do everything we can to make it happen. Here at Allianz, we are signatories of the ABIs flexible working charter. We believe in supporting hybrid work patterns, which balance the needs of our customers, with your personal circumstances and our business requirements. Our aim with this is to help innovation, creativity, and you to thrive - Your work life balance is important to us. Our Purpose and ValuesWe secure your future Be Brave | With Heart | Everyone Counts | Inspiring Trust

Our purpose and values are more than just words on a website - they are the why and how of Allianz. They influence everything we do and guide us how to do it. Created by our people, for our people, they shape our culture, bring us together, and inspire us to be the best. Building an inclusive culture for us all to succeed. Diversity & InclusionAt Allianz, we value diversity and inclusion and back this up with our accreditations. Allianz is EDGE certified for gender inclusion, members of the Women in Finance Charter, a Disability Confident employer, Stonewall Diversity Champion members, signatories of Business in the Community's Race at Work Charter, and an Armed Forces Covenant gold standard employer.We recognise the strength of neurodiversity in the workplace, and the far-reaching benefits of embracing a spectrum of thinking styles and innovative capabilities. We proudly welcome applications from neurodivergent and disabled candidates, and can offer tailored adjustments to remove barriers and set you up for success in your career.At Allianz, we encourage our people to advocate for what they need, we listen, and we act - this could include providing assistive technology, ergonomic specialist equipment, mentoring and coaching, or flexibility in the way you work, among a wide range other adjustments. Join us - Let's Care for Tomorrow.

48627 | IT & Tech Engineering | Professional | Non-Executive | Allianz UK | Full-Time | Permanent