Principal Test Specialist

Shape the Future with the National Wealth Fund At the National Wealth Fund, our mission is to swiftly and effectively mobilise trusted sector insights and investment expertise to unlock billions in private finance for projects across the United Kingdom. Providing £27.8bn of capital and an expanded mandate, we are ready to help the market invest with confidence, continue to drive forward the Government's growth ambitions. We are looking for skilled and results oriented individuals who are motivated to help us build the National Wealth Fund into an industry-leading institution. Job PurposeLocation: Hybrid working with a minimum of 3 days per week in the Leeds office Salary: Up to £55,000 Deadline to Apply: 4th August 2025. Early submission is encouraged, and applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the recently formed Quality Assurance function at the National Wealth Fund. You will be joining a very small team and be instrumental in implementing and shaping an automation approach across multiple platforms in this greenfield function. The Principal Test Specialist will report into the QA Test Manager and will be solely responsible for building upon our recently built automation framework to provide substantial test coverage of several solutions. There will also be occasions where manual testing is required / applicable. Collaboration within cross-functional, multi-disciplinary teams, alongside software developers and change delivery teams is essential, leading to the creation and execution of test plans, test cases and reports on both functional and non-functional requirements in a blend of agile and waterfall environments. You will be responsible for defining and adhering to standards and procedures across multiple deliveries to validate the suitability of the software in test. The role holder will deal with a complex matrix of both internal and external stakeholders which will require very strong stakeholder engagement and management skills. Due to the small size of the QA Team at NWF, you will need to be comfortable working on your own initiative with minimal supervision, leading testing activities across multiple deliveries. You will also need to be comfortable coaching and supporting more junior members of the team and colleagues across the wider business. Key Accountabilities

• Being the lead test specialist across multiple deliveries, responsible for influencing the quality assurance test capability in a positive manner
• Defining and conducting manual and automated tests, adhering to standards and procedures to validate the suitability of the software in test
• Defining, creating and building an automation framework across front end and back-end systems, embedding and continually expanding and improving the test suite/s across multiple platforms
• Leading the creation of test approaches, test plans and artefacts, along with execution and reporting across both functional and non-functional requirements in a blend of agile and waterfall environments
• Driving innovative practices and advocating for continuous improvement and refinement of test techniques
• Working closely with key stakeholders to set standards and influence organisational decisions on test techniques, tooling, design and execution
• Managing stakeholder expectations, with a focus on complex problem solving and influencing senior team members across Data, Information Security and Technology
• Act autonomously, seeking guidance on complex judgements and decisions
• Working alongside external delivery partners across multiple projects
• Participating in and contributing to Agile ceremonies, being a key player in 3 Amigos and other ceremonies, leading and guiding on any improvements in ways of working
• Supporting the QA Test Manager in introducing and embedding improvements and helping shape and continuously improve the QA function
• Compiling bug reports and offering constructive feedback to software development teams, whether they be internal or external
• Preparing test reporting output suitable for a blended audience
• Being pivotal in leading engagement and knowledge sharing of QA activities across the Fund
• Coaching and mentoring colleagues in testing techniques, design and execution and testing best practices

Essential Knowledge

• Expert level understanding of all test phases across the SDLC and the application of them
• ISTQB tester accredited, with significant testing experience in both manual and automation testing
• Proven experience in leading testing activities
• Excellent working knowledge of Agile and Scrum methodologies
• Experience in Microsoft Power Platforms and testing Dynamics 365 (ideally Sales and Customer Insights)
• Experience in C# programming language for test automation
• Experience of using testing tools such as Azure DevOps (Test Plans, Repos), Jira or ALM to capture testing artifacts and results
• Expert level experience in test automation of front and back-end systems and applications (design, build, execute, maintain), able to define and implement an automation framework alone
• Experience in integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines
• Ability to influence stakeholders and technical resources to assist them in delivering business outcomes
• Experience in UI testing, Database testing and API testing (ideally using Postman)
• Experience of working with SQL and other Data technologies
• Experience in Behaviour Driven Development (BDD)
• Experience in both Agile and Waterfall deliveries, with demonstrable hands-on experience of participating and contributing to Agile ceremonies and Waterfall project meetings.

Desirable Knowledge

• Knowledge of MS Azure and 4th Generation Banking platforms
• Knowledge and understanding of business processes associated with financial service organisations, ideally in Corporate Banking
• Knowledge of Playwright
• Knowledge of utilising AI capabilities within the testing space
• Experience in leading and co-ordinating User Acceptance Testing activities, including achieving stakeholder buy-in, user training, adoptability and execution, ensuring adherence to quality standards.

Mandatory Skills

• Strong communication, engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to communicate findings to technical and non-technical colleagues
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to articulate technical solutions in a business context
• Clear business acumen, patience, pragmatism, strong judgemental and problem-solving skills to solve problems and make recommendations
• Excellent attention to detail
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and third-party suppliers, especially where testing occurs across multiple parties and vendors
• Ability to confidently deal with challenging situations
• Self-motivated, well organised and comfortable with continuous improvement, working to agreed objectives, targets and timescales with minimal supervision and able to prioritise own work effectively
• Experienced in coaching more junior members of the team and coaching business users in relation to User Acceptance Testing activities
• Expert in leading test activities.

A career with us offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact and work on cutting-edge technologies that will drive the UK’s future. We value diversity in our people and inclusion is at the heart of what we do. We offer competitive benefits and unique learning opportunities from combining both private and public sector skills and experience. Please note, referencing and background checks are carried out for all roles here at the National Wealth Fund.