QA Architect

The QA Architect is responsible for defining, governing, and evolving the organisation-wide testing strategy, frameworks, and standards across all technology initiatives.

The role ensures that all solutions are designed, implemented, and delivered with robust quality assurance practices aligned to the firm's strategic goals, risk appetite, and regulatory requirements.

Working across technical teams and service delivery, the QA Architect will ensure testing is integrated throughout the delivery lifecycle.

The role will be responsible for ensuring test frameworks are applied to a range of technology initiatives, reducing the risk of bugs and issues in Production environments.

The role will provide leadership in test design, tooling, and governance. Ensuring consistency and efficiency across all IT services and projects.

• Define and maintain the IT testing strategy covering functional, non-functional, security, performance, and integration testing
• Establish testing frameworks and standards to be adopted across all delivery teams
• Act as the Design Authority for testing, ensuring all solutions meet defined quality standards before going live
• Embed robust testing governance aligned to the IT delivery lifecycle (CAB, Go/No-Go, Technical Design Review

• Design end-to-end test architecture, including environments, tooling and automation frameworks
• Provide oversight of test design artefacts such as:

Test strategies and plans

Test scenarios and scripts

Test data management approaches

• Lead the adoption of test automation frameworks across regression, API, and performance testing
• Drive continuous testing and integration with dev pipelines
• Implement test strategies aligned to DevOps tooling

• Testing scope aligns with business risk and priorities
• Defects are managed effectively and transparently
• Quality gates are met prior to production release
• Support project teams with test planning, execution, and reporting
• Review and challenge delivery teams to ensure quality outcomes are achieved

• Define and track testing KPIs, such as:
• Test coverage
• Defect density
• Execution success rates
• Use insight to drive continuous improvement in testing practices

• Champion modern testing practices such as:
• Shift-left testing
• Risk-based testing
• Test data management and reuse
• Identify opportunities to improve speed and increase quality outcomes
• Build and mature the organisation's testing capability