Test Manager

Location: Canberra, ACT (Hybrid – on-site at 1 National Circuit, Barton with flexible arrangements by agreement)
Clearance Required: NV1 Security Clearance (must already hold – Client will not upgrade)
Contract Duration: Initial to 30 June 2026, with 1 × 12-month extension option
Hours: Up to 40 hours per week
Classification: EL1 Equivalent

This role is a full-time opportunity to join the Local Peoples team permanently, with your first project supporting the Department of Health and Aged Care's Human-Centred Design (HCD) team. Local Peoples is a preferred partner for the Australian Federal Government's Department of Health and Aged Care's Human Centred Design (HCD) Centre of Excellence (CoE). Beyond this project, you would be contributing to impactful co-design projects that improve services, policies, and products for communities across Australia.

About the first project:

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) is seeking an experienced Test Manager to lead and deliver high-quality testing outcomes across large-scale ICT programs. The Test Manager will be responsible for defining and implementing test strategies, managing test teams, driving automation, and ensuring program assurance through to executive stakeholders.

This role requires an accomplished leader with proven expertise in program-level test management, multi-vendor environments, and automation strategy, combined with excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Test Strategy & Governance

Develop and implement a comprehensive Program Test Strategy across multiple streams.

Define the Master Test Plan aligned with program milestones and release schedules.

Establish and enforce testing policies, standards, and quality assurance frameworks.

Planning & Management

Lead test planning with test leads across streams.

Manage allocation of resources, test environments, and scheduling.

Define entry/exit criteria and oversee adherence at all phases.

Execution & Assurance

Oversee SIT, UAT, performance, security, and integration testing.

Manage defect triage, prioritisation, and resolution.

Provide assurance that solutions meet business, security, and compliance requirements.

Stakeholder Engagement & Reporting

Report on test outcomes, risks, and quality metrics to Program leadership.

Collaborate with business, technical teams, and vendors to align testing with objectives.

Facilitate workshops and reviews for key test deliverables.

Continuous Improvement & Leadership

Mentor and guide test leads and testers (manual, automation, performance).

Drive process optimisation and implement automation strategies.

Promote a culture of quality-first delivery.

Essential:

10+ years in ICT testing, with at least 7+ years in program-level test leadership roles.

Proven success managing test programs in multi-vendor, multi-stream environments.

Strong expertise in structured methodologies, test management tools, automation frameworks, and CI/CD.

Experience delivering SIT, UAT, performance, and security testing at scale.

Strong risk and quality management skills with proven reporting to executives.

Excellent stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and communication skills.

Leadership experience building, mentoring, and managing diverse test teams.

Desirable:

Government sector experience and familiarity with Commonwealth ICT frameworks.

Strong knowledge of enterprise ICT infrastructure, cloud, applications, data migration, and integrations.

Demonstrated experience in implementing automation, regression, and performance testing to improve efficiency and coverage.

Hybrid role – based in Canberra with flexibility by agreement.

Up to 40 hours per week.

NV1 clearance required prior to commencement.

Start Date: 3 November 2025

End Date: 30 June 2026

Extension: 12 months available

Who are Local Peoples?

Local Peoples is a strategic research and design studio based in Melbourne and Canberra.

Our mission is to design healthy, resilient and resourceful communities. We are proud to be a certified B-Corporation with a strong focus on our social, environmental and economic impact.

We work across brand and digital design, place and experience design,, content and community engagement. Our key partners include state and local government, social enterprises, universities and large commercial organisations. All are experiencing complex challenges right now and we believe that design research, thinking and delivery can help to solve these challenges and make positive change for people and the planet.

We produce , a publication and community of 100K+, which focuses on design-led social innovation and impact.

Why join Local Peoples?

Representative and inclusive - we are dedicated to building an inclusive and accessible workplace for people from diverse backgrounds

Impact driven - work towards achieving real impact for people and the environment

Fantastic culture - driven by a welcoming, supportive and collaborative team environment

Professional support for design excellence- benefit from being a part of one of Australia's fastest growing design and delivery communities

Flexible working arrangements - including the ability to work remotely

Market rate salaries - attractive remuneration packages in line with the market rate

Flexible employment types - including the preference for permanent, but will consider contracting

Local Peoples proudly supports the LGBTQ+ community, neurodiverse individuals, and First Nations people. We are committed to creating inclusive spaces where everyone, regardless of their identity, feels valued and respected. Together, we strive for equality and a positive future for all.

Local Peoples works, creates, and plays on the lands of the Wurundjeri, Bunurong, and Wathaurong peoples of the Kulin Nation, land which has never been ceded. We thank them for caring for this land for over 40,000 years and recognize and pay our deepest respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land