* Test Lead - **Active SC Clearance Required””
* £500/day – Inside IR35
* Hybrid Working - Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Blackpool
* 3–6 Months (with strong extension potential)
We’re seeking a hands-on Test Lead to join a major public sector programme driving large-scale, data-led transformation. This role combines technical leadership with active delivery—you’ll be leading test strategy, managing a small team, and directly contributing to the testing of complex ETL processes, data warehouses, and large-scale data systems.
Make sure to read the full description below, and please apply immediately if you are confident you meet all the requirements.
What You’ll Be Doing
* Leading and managing a test team: overseeing day-to-day activities, allocating work, and ensuring quality delivery across multiple streams.
* Providing mentorship and coaching to junior and mid-level testers, raising capability, and embedding best practices.
* Hands-on testing of Big Data, ETL workflows, APIs, and UIs—personally executing test cases and validating data accuracy and transformations.
* Designing, building, and maintaining manual and automated test suites using tools like Playwright, Pytest, and Behave.
* Developing and managing comprehensive test plans, scripts, and reports, ensuring traceability back to requirements.
* Driving quality across Agile teams by reviewing user stories, defining test conditions, and ensuring both functional and non-functional coverage.
* Promoting a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing, encouraging collaboration across delivery teams.
What You’ll Bring
* Proven experience managing and leading testers in Agile delivery environments, including workload management and coaching.
* Strong hands-on expertise in Big Data, Data Warehousing, and ETL testing—comfortable interrogating data and validating complex transformations.
* Solid Python skills, with experience applying frameworks like Pytest and Behave to build scalable automation.
* A balance of strategic leadership and practical delivery—able to plan, coordinate, and lead, while also directly executing tests when required.
* Demonstrated ability to foster a team culture of quality, accountability, and professional development.
* You will need active SC Clearance for this role - Unfortunately unable to accept any other applications for this role.
This is an ideal role for someone who enjoys leading from the front—balancing management responsibilities with direct technical contribution.