Test Manager

Test Manager – Services Australia

RFQ ID : LH-02018

RFQ closing date : Monday, 17 March 2025
• 11:59pm, Canberra time

Buyer : Services Australia

Estimated start date : 20 April 2025

Initial contract duration : 12 months

Extension term details : 24 months

Experience level : EL1 equivalent

Location of work : ACT, QLD, SA, VIC

Working arrangements:
Hybrid

Canberra Preferred. Office location is capital city of selected states. The expectation is in the office for first 6 weeks before a flexible working arrangement will be considered, usually a minimum of 3 days/week onsite. One or more Reduced Activity Periods (RAP) may be implemented. Candidates will not be required to undertake work for the Buyer during a RAP. The Buyer will not be liable to pay any charges during a RAP, except for days worked by candidates with prior written approval of the Buyer.

Maximum hours:
40 hours per week

Security clearance:
Must be able to obtain Baseline

Job details:
Test Managers oversee the whole testing practice and manage the deployment of testing resources and testing approaches. Test Management defines overall testing strategies and manages effective planning, monitoring, and execution of all testing activities. Test Managers are responsible for performing objective assessments of the software products to enable developers and managers to make appropriate corrective decisions. The role assists with the implementation and definition of overall testing strategies. Test Managers ensure that test activities are effectively planned, monitored, and completed in accordance with agreed test guidelines and business requirements. A key component of the role involves dealing with external software vendors as stakeholders. Test Managers exercise a considerable degree of independence, with decision-making substantially dependent on their high-level judgement and consideration of wider agency implications, with work being performed under the general guidance of senior staff. In performing a leadership role, Test Managers drive innovation, change in workplace practices and organise work in the context of competing priorities and strategic direction.

Key duties and responsibilities:
Duties may include some or all of the following:

1. Manage the timely delivery of testing outcomes and the quality of testing processes.
2. Plan, develop, and manage test cases for different types of testing at various stages of testing on appropriate testing platforms.
3. Liaise with project teams to ensure appropriate methodology and testing tools are used for testing processes.
4. Review complex test cases from team members to ensure quality.
5. Contribute to the approach for scripting, test data requirements gathering, and test data gathering.
6. Define and document requirements for test environments.
7. Develop and manage team improvement initiatives and projects, including team tools and process changes.
8. Identify, analyse, manage, and report on trends of defects, programming errors, and inconsistent operational characteristics.
9. Conduct complex testing to ensure the ICT service functions as per requirements.
10. Undertake test effort estimation and manage resources to ensure project deliverables are met.
11. Lead and support operations of the team, including monitoring business performance, setting priorities, and managing resources and workflow.
12. Lead and manage staff, including overseeing the management of performance, attendance, health, and wellbeing.
13. Develop staff capability through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning to increase performance, engagement, and retention.
14. Contribute to and influence ICT strategy resolving conflicts as needed.
15. Monitor and manage work output and quality, against established performance standards through interpretation of quality analysis and reporting.
16. Report on the achievement of business outcomes, key performance indicators, and quality assurance to manage performance.
17. Proactively share knowledge and expertise, and provide assistance and mentorship to less experienced colleagues.
18. Prepare and review a range of written material including technical and corporate documentation.
19. Assist with the management of finances, resources, and budget requirements and issues within area of responsibility.
20. Collaborate with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders to achieve project outcomes.
21. Engage and partner with other agencies and service providers to build service delivery capability.
22. Attend interagency meetings and forums to influence business outcomes and share information.
23. Encourage innovation, continuous improvement and manage and support change.
24. Manage team contribution to costing process.
25. Exercise delegation in accordance with legislation and guidelines.

The one-page pitch should demonstrate how the contractor's experience and skills address the criteria, focusing on how their background aligns with the key duties, responsibilities and technical skills in the job details. They should prioritise the most important aspects of their experience and skills that align with the RFQ requirements.

Technical skills:
Skills for the Information Age (SFIA) required:

• Testing TEST - Level 6
• Methods and tools METL - Level 5
• Performance management PEMT - Level 5
• Specialist advice TECH - Level 5
• Stakeholder relationship management RLMT - Level 4

About the organisation:
Services Australia is at the frontline of government service delivery, supporting millions of Australians, and is front and centre of a vision to be a world leader in government service delivery. It's using cutting-edge technology to build world-class platforms and capabilities to help Australians get on with their lives. The services required will enable the agency to supplement its existing ICT and digital workforce to ensure a high quality of technology and digital development for the Buyer with the flexibility to ramp resourcing up and down as needs require. Engaging a flexible ICT workforce will enable the Buyer to augment its requirements for the major work programs being undertaken.

Criteria:
The buyer has specified that each candidate must provide a one-page pitch to address all criteria specified. This is equal to 5000 characters.

Essential criteria:

1. Methods and tools: Level 5 (SFIA)
   Provides advice, guidance and expertise to promote adoption of methods and tools and adherence to policies and standards. Evaluates and selects appropriate methods and tools in line with agreed policies and standards. Contributes to organisational policies, standards, and guidelines for methods and tools. Implements methods and tools at programme, project and team levels including selection and tailoring in line with agreed standards. Manages reviews of the benefits and value of methods and tools. Identifies and recommends improvements.
2. Performance management: Level 5 (SFIA)
   Forms, maintains and leads workgroups and individuals to achieve organisational objectives. Determines and delegates objectives and task responsibilities to individuals or teams including people management responsibilities as appropriate. Sets the quality, performance and capability targets in line with organisational goals. Monitors performance and working relationships and provides effective feedback to address individual issues. Encourages individual development of skills and capabilities in line with team and personal goals. Facilitates the development of individuals by adjusting workload, targets, and team capacity. Plays an active role in formal organisational processes such recruitment, reward, promotion and disciplinary procedures.
3. Specialist advice: Level 5 (SFIA)
   Provides definitive and expert advice in their specialist area. Actively maintains recognised expert level knowledge in one or more identifiable specialisms. Oversees the provision of specialist advice by others. Consolidates expertise from multiple sources, including third-party experts, to provide coherent advice to further organisational objectives. Supports and promotes the development and sharing of specialist knowledge within the organisation.
4. Stakeholder relationship management: Level 4 (SFIA)
   Deals with problems and issues, managing resolutions, corrective actions, lessons learned, and the collection and dissemination of relevant information. Implements stakeholder engagement/communications plan. Collects and uses feedback from customers and stakeholders to help measure the effectiveness of stakeholder management. Helps develop and enhance customer and stakeholder relationships.
5. Testing: Level 6 (SFIA)
   Develops organisational policies, standards, and guidelines for testing. Plans and leads strategic, large and complex testing activities. Leads activities to manage risks and opportunities associated with testing. Adapts or develops organisational testing capabilities and methods to solve complex business and engineering problems in tools and testing. Promotes a culture of quality throughout the organisation and drives adoption of and adherence to testing policies and standards.

Additional requirements:

1. Provide Security Clearance Number or application number.
2. Complete the Seller Conflict Of Interest Declaration. Include specified personnel conflicts (eg director/owner/partner/account manager of a seller providing ICT Labour Hire, and include seller name).
3. Seller to validate and provide details of Candidate's previous worked history either as a contractor or employee for the Buyer including its former agencies such as the Department of Human Services.