QMO Test Specialist

Overview of role

We are seeking a highly skilled and collaborative QMO Test Specialist to provide flexible quality leadership, serving as a Test Lead for large, complex programs or as a Quality Assurance Practice Lead within the QMO’s centre of excellence, depending on organizational priorities and delivery needs.

When assigned as a program Test Lead, the role leads end-to-end test planning, coordination, and quality oversight, aligning product teams, delivery partners, and stakeholders around risk-based testing and integrated solution readiness. When focused on practice leadership, the role advances quality assurance standards, governance, capabilities, and continuous improvement across an assigned product portfolio.

The balance between these responsibilities may shift over time, with assignments focused on program delivery, practice leadership, or a combination of both to support measurable quality outcomes.

Project Delivery - Quality Management

Develop and maintain program-level test plans that define scope, objectives, test types, resources, environments, data, schedules, dependencies, entry and exit criteria, and deliverables.

Apply the organizational test strategy and tailor the approach to program risk, delivery model, architecture, and business impact.

Determine the required functional and non-functional test coverage, including integration, regression, performance, security, operational readiness, and user acceptance testing.

Estimate testing effort, cost, resource demand, and timelines, and communicate assumptions and constraints.

Align test resources, product teams, vendors, and business stakeholders on roles, responsibilities, deliverables, and expectations across all test phases.

Provide authoritative guidance on quality and testing practices and promote consistent application of standards across the program.

Oversee test execution and readiness, monitoring coverage, traceability, defects, dependencies, risks, and evidence of results.

Review and consolidate test artifacts, including test plans, status reports, quality assessments, and test completion summaries produced by delivery teams.

Facilitate cross-team communication and decision-making to address quality issues, integration risks, and delivery impediments.

Identify, assess, and communicate quality and testing risks, and coordinate practical mitigation and contingency actions.

Provide evidence-based quality recommendations at delivery checkpoints and support accountable leaders in release-readiness and go/no-go decisions.

Continuous Improvement of Quality Practices

Partner with product teams to assess, maintain, and improve quality practices within the assigned portfolio.

Define, implement, and govern scalable quality standards, templates, controls, and ways of working that align with organizational strategy.

Analyze quality metrics, process performance, defects, and delivery trends to identify systemic risks and improvement opportunities.

Recommend fit-for-purpose testing tools, frameworks, and practices, considering enterprise standards, maintainability, value, and compliance obligations.

Facilitate quality assessments and maturity reviews, agree on improvement actions with product teams, and monitor progress.

Develop concise, actionable reporting on quality trends, risks, and outcomes for delivery teams and leadership.

Promote knowledge sharing and communities of practice to improve consistency and adoption across teams.

Create and maintain practical guidance and training materials, and lead learning sessions for quality processes, templates, and tools.

Experience and Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Eight or more years of progressive experience in software testing, quality engineering, quality assurance, or test management.

Demonstrated success leading testing and quality activities for large, complex, multi-stream projects or programs involving multiple product teams and integrated systems.

Advanced knowledge of test strategy, planning, estimation, risk-based testing, traceability, defect management, test reporting, and completion assessment.

Experience coordinating functional and non-functional testing, including system, integration, regression, performance, security, operational readiness, and user acceptance testing.

Working knowledge of test automation principles, tools, and frameworks, with the ability to assess appropriate use and interpret results; hands-on automation development is an asset rather than the primary focus of the role.

Experience defining or governing quality practices, measures, templates, and controls across product or delivery teams.

Ability to analyze quality data, identify trends and systemic issues, and translate findings into practical recommendations for teams and leaders.

Strong understanding of Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid delivery models and how testing and governance should be adapted to each.

Excellent analytical, problem-solving, facilitation, stakeholder-management, and written and verbal communication skills.

Ability to influence without direct authority, resolve ambiguity, and coordinate decisions across technical, business, vendor, and leadership groups.

ISTQB, PMP, PMI-ACP, or comparable quality, testing, or delivery certifications are considered assets.