Principal Test Engineer at Discovery Limited

Key Purpose

• Our Test Engineers play a critical role in Vitality’s successful business model by planning and executing tests on products and features to validate that they are fit for purpose.
• The Principal test engineer leads and plans testing across large or multiple teams, providing expertise in many technical areas or specialisms with very deep knowledge in a particular technical area. They are responsible for maintaining and designing test automation frameworks for use as templates. They are expert in two specialisms (one of which is automation) and are working towards competency in a third specialism. They are required to influence both internally and externally with third parties based on testing standards and governance.

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to 

• Implement the Software Test Life Cycle: -the process used to test software and ensure that quality standards are met. It includes test analysis and design, test estimation, test planning and approach, test execution, defect management, and reporting.
• Recognised as an expert in a core subset of the testing practices employed by the teams and provide technical management and guidance.
• Seek to minimise the creation of technical debt in the resolution of complex problems, for example; assurance of automation standards and KPIs being achieved.
• Test analysis and design: Designs descriptive and prescriptive tests (both automation and manual) which are written to consider full system integrations i.e., multi journey impacting multiple systems and services; introduce the test automation framework and educate colleagues as to usage.
• Test estimation: Produces low level test estimations on large and complex projects with a high degree of accuracy (as agreed to with the Test manager) e.g., impacting multiple systems; new technologies and/or services, major architectural changes; multiple dependencies across multiple teams, no precedent for the work; complex data preparation.
• Test planning and approach: Clearly defines large and complex pieces of work. Writes test plans and defines test approaches. Coordinates all test activities. Ensures the sign off of all test plans and approaches within their journey.
• Test execution: Has overall responsibility for test execution and progress for multiple projects within their journey. Ensures the planning and implementation of continuous integration and test execution using pipeline tools.
• Defect management: Has overall responsibility for defect management and triaging of defects reported across projects within their journey.  
• Reporting: Has overall responsibility to ensure stakeholders are informed of test progress and defects and test outcome reports for projects within their journey. Writes outcome reports for assigned projects. 

Adhere to Testing Standards:  adhering to the Group test strategy that defines the required testing standards and practices.

• Recognised as the subject matter expert on adherence to standards and champions a modern test engineering standard approach at Vitality.
• Encourage and reinforce the correct application of standards and leading by example. 
• Provide input into the development of new standards and testing artefacts improvements plus develop and/or write inhouse standards as well as standards for third party tools.
• Actively keep up to date with industry standards and ensure in-house standards are aligned with industry standards.
• Review and sign off on new standards to ensure they are in line with the Vitality way of working and current leading practice.

Engage stakeholders:

• Work with stakeholders to develop an understanding of the needs and requirements of both internal and external stakeholders in order to achieve the desired outcomes. The core team of stakeholders includes project managers, user experience (UX) designers, solution architects, developers, systems or business analysts, other testers, product owners, and heads of journey.
• Working with senior management, internal stakeholders and 3rd parties to understand the business requirements and technology design, discuss and agree product launch requirements and ensure integration across multiple journeys.
• Brief and make presentations to senior IT management, participate in and advise strategic and business planning processes.
• Define future requirements and identify opportunities for future optimisation. 
• Identify and surface issues and solutions.

Build and transfer skills and knowledge Take responsibility for developing personal skills and expertise aligned to role, encourage and coach test engineers to build a competent team.

• An expert in two specialisms (one of which is automation), working towards competency in a third specialism.
• Research and recommends upcoming technologies to fill existing gaps or modernise Vitality’s test framework
• Identifies critical areas of future learning and development required by test engineers to remain current, and oversee the organisation of relevant training for test engineers.
• Coaches and mentors senior test engineers;
• Presents and participates in internal development sessions (lunch & learn / forum / test centre of excellence / test automation community of practice learning circles) as requested by senior test engineers;
• Reviews available external programmes and makes recommendation;
• Collaborate within and across teams: Work effectively together with others across varying areas of expertise to achieve the required results.  

Personal Attributes and Skills

• Client Service Orientation
• Result driven
• Change Readiness
• Time Management
• Communication (written, verbal and listening)
• Creativeness
• Innovation
• Interpersonal skills - Ability to build relationships with people from all different backgrounds
• Values Driven
• Optimistic
• Learns on the Fly
• Resilient
• Instils Trust
• People Savvy
• Problem Solver
• Treats others with care, dignity and respect
• Ensure that the business case prevails
• Understand that people are Discovery's greatest asset
• Builds an environment for optimal performance
• Sets ambitious goals and implement the highest standards

Education and Experienc

Education

• Matric
• ISTQB Advanced Test Manager Certificate

Knowledge

• Knowledge of SDLC and STLC
• Knowledge of Testing Methodologies and Testing Tools
• At least 10 years experiencing as a Test Engineer
• Experience with Test Automation