Test Manager - Government Biometric Kiosk Solution at Secure Technology Solutions Limited, Remote, £450-£700 per day

Contract Type: Fixed-term Contract (9 months, extendable)
Daily Rate: £450-700 per day
Location: Predominantly remote with periodic UK travel
Security Clearance: SC Clearance required
Start Date: ASAP

About the Opportunity

STSL is delivering a mission-critical biometric self-service solution for a UK government department. We're seeking an experienced Test Manager to take end-to-end ownership of testing strategy, execution, and quality assurance for this high-profile project.

This is a hands-on role where you'll be the principal testing authority, working directly with government stakeholders, third-party suppliers, and our development team. You'll lead testing for cutting-edge biometric technology using modern cloud infrastructure and established industry standards (ISO 29119, ISO 19795), collaborating directly with government QA teams while shaping quality practices for a greenfield deployment.

The Role

You will have overall accountability for test strategy, planning, and execution across all project phases. This is not a team management role - you'll be the hands-on testing lead working collaboratively to deliver comprehensive quality assurance.

Key Responsibilities:

· Develop and implement ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119-compliant test strategy and detailed test plans for government approval

· Lead end-to-end testing across multiple environments (development through live deployment) including functional, non-functional, integration, and acceptance testing

· Manage integration testing with government systems and third-party APIs; coordinate UAT/OAT with operational staff

· Establish and operate defect triage with severity classification and SLA tracking; enforce quality gates and success criteria

· Oversee test automation in CI/CD pipelines and conduct biometric system performance validation

· Produce comprehensive test documentation and reports for government stakeholders

Technology Stack: Azure cloud (App Services, SQL, DevOps, Functions), .NET/C#, WPF, Vue.js, biometric recognition (facial verification), Windows IoT Enterprise kiosks, RESTful APIs with OAuth/mTLS

Essential Requirements

Experience & Testing Knowledge:

· 8+ years in software testing with minimum 4 years in test management/lead roles

· Mandatory: Experience delivering projects for UK government or public sector clients

· Strong knowledge of ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 software testing standards

· Proven track record with comprehensive test strategies for complex, multi-stakeholder projects

· Experience across all test levels (unit, integration, system, UAT, OAT) with risk-based testing approaches

· Understanding of government security requirements (OFFICIAL/OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE), formal acceptance procedures, and milestone-based delivery

Technical Skills:

· Mandatory: Extensive experience with enterprise test management platforms (Azure DevOps highly desirable; Jira/Xray, TestRail, or qTest acceptable)

· Strong API testing and integration testing in multi-system environments

· Cloud platform testing experience - Azure highly desirable; AWS or GCP acceptable if skills are translatable

· Performance and load testing (JMeter, k6, LoadRunner, Gatling, or equivalent)

· Test automation frameworks (Playwright, Selenium, Postman, REST Assured, or equivalent)

· Security testing methodologies (SAST, DAST, OWASP Top 10, penetration testing)

· WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility testing and understanding of testing for vulnerable or low-digital-skill user populations

Stakeholder & Communication:

· Excellent stakeholder management with demanding government clients

· Proven ability to coordinate multi-party testing with third-party suppliers and lead UAT/OAT with operational staff

· Strong written communication for government-standard test documentation (plans, strategies, reports)

Desirable Skills

· ISTQB Advanced Test Manager certification

· Experience testing biometric or identity verification systems

· Knowledge of ISO 19795 biometric performance standards

· Hardware integration testing (kiosks, peripherals, embedded systems)

· NCSC guidance and ITHC processes

· Business continuity and disaster recovery testing

· Experience with pilot programmes and phased rollouts

What We're Looking For

We need someone who is proactive and self-motivated , able to work independently and take ownership. You should have a pragmatic, risk-aware approach that balances thoroughness with delivery timelines, be detail-oriented with strong problem-solving abilities, and be security-conscious when handling sensitive government data. Flexibility in agile or hybrid delivery methodologies and a genuine commitment to quality and continuous improvement are essential.

Working Arrangements

Working Pattern: Full-time (5 days/week)
Right to Work: Indefinite UK right to work required (no sponsorship available)

Success Measures

You'll be successful in this role when you achieve:

· Government-approved test strategy delivered within contractual timelines

· Zero critical defects at UAT sign-off

· Successful completion of acceptance testing with all critical criteria satisfied

· Full ISO compliance evidenced in test documentation

· Positive stakeholder feedback on collaboration and delivery quality

· On-time delivery enabling pilot and production rollouts

How to Apply

Submit your CV highlighting: government/public sector project experience, ISO 29119 knowledge, Azure DevOps or equivalent platform expertise, test management achievements, and stakeholder management examples.

Recruitment Process: Initial screening call (30 mins) → Technical interview with Project Manager and Technical Lead (60-90 mins) → Practical scenario/case study (if required) → References, offer, and SC clearance initiation

STSL is an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity and inclusion.

Pay: £450.00-£700.00 per day

Work Location: Remote