Test Manager

At Hachette Learning (formerly Hodder Education), there's one thing we're certain about. No two students learn the same way. That's why our approach to teaching begins by recognising the needs of individuals first. Our mission is to enable every learner to fulfil their unique potential by empowering those who teach them. From our expert teaching and learning resources to our digital educational tools that make learning easier and more accessible for all, we provide solutions designed to maximise the impact of learning for every teacher, parent and student.

Aligned with our parent company, Hachette Livre, founded in 1826, we're proud to deliver high-quality learning solutions on a global scale. We make it easier for everyone to unlock a new world of learning.

Hachette Learning is a division of Hachette, one of the largest publishing groups in the UK, with 12 publishing divisions and over 60 imprints. Everyone here is proud to be in the business of opening doors and minds.

Overview

We are looking for a highly experienced Test Manager with strong hands-on testing expertise and proven ability to manage QA processes. This role requires direct involvement in testing platform/server updates, bug fixes, new feature functionality and usability to ensure they meet our quality standards. In addition to hands-on testing, you will also be responsible for developing and managing QA processes, governance, and best practices while introducing and implementing automated testing strategies. The ideal candidate will be able to balance hands-on testing with leadership in driving overall QA effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the QA efforts across multiple projects and platforms
• Guide internal and external teams, including product owners, architects, project managers, and developers, ensuring alignment with project requirements and adherence to testing standards.
• Collaborate with product managers, product owners, PMO, and developers on test planning and execution, participating in stand-ups to track progress and resolve issues, and ensuring high-quality deliverables through comprehensive testing before release.
• Establish a consistent QA framework and process that applies to all projects, covering functional and non-functional requirements.
• Implement QA governance with a strong focus on defect reporting frameworks, clearly communicating testing policies across the organisation and with external partners.
• Apply Agile and Scrum methodologies to ensure all teams consistently follow the defect reporting process and maintain adherence to testing standards throughout the project lifecycle, promoting effective collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Develop and lead a strategy for automating bug testing where possible to improve efficiency and reduce manual testing overheads.

Technical Skills

• Proficient in QA processes and project management, with hands-on experience using e.g. JIRA, Jenkins, Postman for API testing, JMeter for performance testing, and CI/CD tools to optimise testing and development workflows.
• Knowledge of data warehouse (DWH) and ETL testing, including batch processing and scheduling, as well as a range of databases from SQL to non-SQL, Microsoft Technologies and Azure DevOps.
• Ability to interpret design and architecture documentation and translate them into effective test scripts and plans.
• Ability to maintain comprehensive and accurate QA documentation.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify issues quickly and develop effective solutions.

Personal Attributes

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively
• Excellent communication skills, with experience in working with cross-functional teams
• Able to work as part of a team
• Agile and Flexible
• Able to prioritise effectively
• Self-motivated

Preferred Qualifications

• Significant experience in QA Testing, preferably in digital platform or software development environments.
• Experience with QA automation tools and techniques.
• Familiarity with educational platforms and/or ed-tech environments is a plus.

Our staff are our greatest asset, and our benefits reflect this:

• 28 annual leave days per year, increases to 29 days after 2 years' service and goes up to 30 days after 5 years' (+ bank holidays)
• Private medical insurance
• Generous pension schemes
• Rent deposit loans
• 2 community days per year
• Summer hours (finishing at 1pm on Fridays during the summer months)
• Retail discounts through Hachette rewards
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Eye care vouchers
• Wide-ranging training library
• Development programmes (including mentoring)
• Up to 70% off book purchases
• A charity bookshelf
• 12 Staff-led employee networks that are voluntary, including Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing and religious networks
• Season ticket loans
• And much more!

The role will be based at our London office, Carmelite House, with a blend of in-office (3 days) and homeworking (2 days) per week.

Hachette employs people on the basis of their abilities. We aim to attract and develop talent from a base as broad as the world of readers we want to reach, with a wide and representative range of age, faith, disability, race, gender, sexuality and socio-economic, regional and cultural backgrounds.

If you are shortlisted and need us to make any adjustments to help you attend for interview, please let us know.

The Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews and undertaking junior roles. For more information visit www.booktradeentrysupport.org