Job Description

About the Trust

We're one of the UK's biggest charities and we care for 2,000 miles of canals, rivers, docks and reservoirs because we believe life is better by water. We're looking for people who support our cause and want to make a difference for future generations. Could this be you?



Along with our waterways we also manage museums, archives and the country's third largest collection of historic buildings, as well as the nature and wildlife that calls our canals home. All of this enables us to provide wellbeing opportunities for millions of people each year.



Our role and opportunity



Looking for a new data migration opportunity that offers professional development, flexible working, creative autonomy, and prioritises wellbeing?

The Test Lead is responsible for overseeing the entire software testing lifecycle, ensuring that IT solutions are delivered on time, within scope, and at the highest quality. While no coding/building is required, this role involves coordinating and managing the efforts of multiple teams, including developers, testers, and business stakeholders, to streamline the test processes and ensure that all deliverables meet the defined requirements and quality standards.

A substantial focus of the role will be to support our ERP transformation project. The ideal applicant will be able to business need and requirements; translating this into a whole test and release solution: test strategy, planning, reporting, monitoring, etc.

The highly engaged IT team has a defined information strategy, encompassing some very exciting projects using the latest technologies, all covering a very diverse business in an organisation that is doing something good in the world. This makes the work fun, and at the same time provides opportunities for self-development, challenge and variety.

Location & coverage

You will be offered on a remote working basis, with a requirement to attend our main hub spaces as and when required for team working and collaborative meetings.

Relevant hubs include:

Leeds & Birmingham.

The regularity & flexibility of travel will be discussed further at interview stage.

About the role

Key accountabilities:

Testing & Test Management - to lead cross functional teams in the development of test strategies, test plans and test scripts ensuring that the tests align to business requirements and the application will meet the business needs. To create training and education modules/courses for key stakeholders across all functions to build understanding and commitment to testing activities in application implementations. Define, implement, and manage comprehensive testing strategies for both functional and non-functional requirements. Oversee the preparation, execution, and reporting of all testing phases, including unit, integration, system, regression, and user acceptance testing (UAT). Coordinate with development teams to ensure all test cases are created and executed in alignment with project timelines. Maintain and manage the defect tracking process, ensuring all defects are documented, prioritised, and resolved efficiently. Identify and manage testing risks, resolving issues to ensure timely delivery. Continuous Improvement: Implement best practices in release and testing processes, identifying opportunities for automation and process improvements. Collaboration: Foster a collaborative environment where development, testing, and operations teams work together to optimise processes.

About you

Educational Background:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Management, or a related field.

Experience:

Established experience in release management and software testing. Solid experience in test management, with hands-on involvement in both manual and automated testing. Experience with test management tools like JIRA, HP ALM, or similar.

Technical Skills:

Understanding of software development methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, etc.). Familiarity with testing frameworks and automation tools (e.g., Selenium, JUnit). Strong knowledge of version control systems (e.g., Git) is an advantage. Experience with cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP) is an advantage.

Soft Skills:

Strong problem-solving and analytical skills. Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders. Attention to detail and ability to maintain high standards of data accuracy. Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.

If you have any questions about the role please contact CRT.recruitment@canalrivertrust.org.uk



We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

What we offer

In addition to your salary of 45,000 - 50,000 (depending on experience), you will benefit from a competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, great holiday entitlement and numerous other employee benefits, including several salary sacrifice benefits, all of which can be found here (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits).

Competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, where we will double your contribution to a maximum of 10%. 25 days paid holiday (plus paid Bank Holidays), increasing with years of service to up to 30 days after 5 years, plus holiday purchase scheme. Home working status with 'hub' facilities available should you need the flexibility to work outside of home. Free access to specialist counselling on a range of issues, e.g. health, financial, well-being and domestic matters. Access to a range of employee benefits including store discounts, boating holiday discounts and holiday purchase scheme. 2 days paid volunteering leave per annum, allowing you to volunteer for a local community project etc. Free fishing facilities across our canal network.

We care passionately for our waterways, and as importantly, for those who look after and use them. We strongly believe that a diverse workforce brings with it a diversity of ideas, thinking and ways of working which enhances what we do as a Trust. We are striving to represent the diverse communities that we are a part of and welcome applicants from across all sectors of the community.



All candidates will be treated on the basis of their merits, skills and abilities and solely by being assessed against the requirements for the job.



At the Trust, we empower our people to flow and thrive both on and off the water. Our colleagues enjoy a variety of benefits that enhance their lives while working in a place that positively impacts others. We take pride in our people, protecting heritage and preserving wildlife, and we're all about the future of our colleagues and the future generations who love and use our network. Inspired by people, we harness the different ways of working and thinking, ensuring our teams grow and reach their full potential.



Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.

Find out more about us on our website:

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us