Nov 2023 – Sep 2025 · 1 yr 10 mos · London Area, United Kingdom · Remote

• Test Manager – Home Office (Contract)
• 📍 London, UK | 🗓 Nov 2023 – Present | Remote
• Leading the quality assurance (QA) and testing strategy for a range of critical government projects, ensuring that all systems meet high security, regulatory, and operational standards.
• Key Responsibilities:
• 🔹 Test Leadership & Strategy:
• Managing a team of testers, QA engineers, and automation specialists, ensuring all testing processes align with government security and compliance standards.
• Developing test plans, test strategies, and test frameworks to improve automation efficiency and software delivery.
• 🔹 Integration & External System Testing:
• Overseeing the integration of third-party systems and external APIs into existing government platforms.
• Ensuring that external integrations meet functional, security, and performance requirements.
• 🔹 Governance & Compliance:
• Ensuring all testing activities comply with ISO 9001, GDPR, and UK government guidelines (GDS standards).
• Conducting risk assessments and defining mitigation strategies for test coverage gaps and compliance risks.
• 🔹 Performance & Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT):
• Leading performance testing initiatives, ensuring systems meet predefined scalability and load benchmarks.
• Conducting Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT) to verify that systems are production-ready.
• 🔹 Stakeholder & Vendor Collaboration:
• Acting as the key liaison between developers, business analysts, and third-party vendors.
• Providing regular updates and risk assessments to senior stakeholders and project sponsors.
• Managing third-party relationships to ensure the successful integration and testing of external components.
• 🔹 Documentation & Reporting:
• Maintaining comprehensive test documentation, including test cases, test execution results, and defect reports.
• Delivering presentations on testing progress, risk evaluation, and system readiness to senior stakeholders.

Sep 2022 – Mar 2023 · 6 mos · Coventry, England, United Kingdom

• Led end-to-end testing for a large-scale NHS data transformation project, ensuring data integrity, compliance, and seamless migration from legacy systems to a modern cloud-based infrastructure. This role involved validating data extraction, transformation, and integration across multiple NHS platforms while ensuring strict GDPR and NHS Digital compliance.
• Key Responsibilities:
• 🔹 Test Planning & Strategy:
• Developed a comprehensive test strategy covering ETL validation, integration testing, and performance benchmarking.
• Established risk-based testing to focus on high-impact patient records, clinical data, and financial transactions.
• Defined test entry/exit criteria to ensure structured execution and traceability.
• 🔹 Data Migration & Integration Testing:
• Managed end-to-end validation of data migration, ensuring accuracy and consistency post-transfer.
• Conducted automated & manual data validation using SQL, Python scripts, and reconciliation tools.
• Verified system-to-system integrations, ensuring upstream/downstream applications functioned post-migration.
• 🔹 Stakeholder Engagement & Communication:
• Acted as a bridge between technical and non-technical teams, ensuring clear test objectives.
• Provided real-time reports on defect trends, test execution status, and risk assessments.
• Conducted regular stakeholder reviews, delivering insights on test progress and compliance status.
• 🔹 Leadership & Process Optimization:
• Led a team of QA engineers & data analysts, ensuring testing was efficient and aligned with business goals.
• Implemented automated reconciliation scripts, reducing manual validation time by 40%.
• Optimized test execution workflows, cutting defect resolution time by 30%.
• 🔹 Compliance & Audit Readiness:
• Ensured full NHS Digital, GDPR, and security compliance, passing audits with zero critical issues.
• Maintained detailed documentation for test execution, defect logs, and compliance reports.

Feb 2022 – Dec 2023 · 1 yr 10 mos · London, England, United Kingdom

• Test Manager – DEFRA (Contract)
• 📍 London, UK | 🗓 Aug 2023 – Nov 2023
• Led end-to-end test management for critical environmental software systems, ensuring compliance with ISO 9001 standards and best practices in quality management.
• Key Responsibilities:
• 🔹 Test Strategy & Automation:
• Developed and maintained a scalable test automation framework, ensuring seamless integration with CI/CD pipelines.
• Implemented SonarQube for code quality assurance, enforcing best coding and testing practices.
• Created robust test scenarios to ensure full coverage of business requirements.
• 🔹 Defect Management & Reporting:
• Led defect triage meetings, analyzing and prioritizing issues based on business impact and severity.
• Used Jira and Confluence for defect tracking, test case management, and reporting.
• Provided data-driven insights on test execution trends and defect resolution timelines.
• 🔹 Performance & Post-Release Testing:
• Designed and executed performance testing scripts using JMeter and k6 to ensure system scalability.
• Conducted post-release validation tests to assess the effectiveness of patches, upgrades, and fixes.
• 🔹 Stakeholder & Business Engagement:
• Acted as a bridge between technical teams and senior business leaders, ensuring that all testing activities aligned with business goals.
• Regularly presented testing progress reports, risk assessments, and compliance updates.

Jul 2021 – Mar 2022 · 8 mos · London, England, United Kingdom

• Technical Test Manager – National Crime Agency (ATOS) (Contract)
• 📍 London, UK | 🗓 Aug 2021 – May 2022
• Managed multi-SCRUM teams, ensuring consistent QA automation and testing standards across cloud-based law enforcement platforms.
• Key Responsibilities:
• 🔹 Test Automation & DevOps Integration:
• Designed and implemented a cross-team Test Automation Framework using Selenium WebDriver, SpecFlow, and NUnit.
• Established CI/CD pipelines for automated test execution in Azure DevOps.
• Integrated automated testing with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions, streamlining deployments.
• 🔹 Cloud-Based Testing & Database Management:
• Managed testing for cloud-native applications, including blob storage, Cosmos DB, and Azure microservices.
• Conducted performance, security, and integration tests for cloud-hosted environments.
• 🔹 Stakeholder Collaboration & Risk Management:
• Provided technical test reports, risk mitigation plans, and real-time test execution insights to key stakeholders and government agencies.
• Worked closely with business analysts, developers, and project managers to ensure smooth test execution.
• 🔹 Defect Management & Reporting:
• Implemented a comprehensive defect management process, ensuring all critical defects were identified and resolved before deployment.
• Regularly analyzed defect trends, ensuring quality improvements across software iterations.

Oct 2019 – Jul 2020 · 9 mos · Reading, England, United Kingdom

• Led end-to-end testing for a secure case management system, built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, with a bespoke Windows tablet application for field staff and a SharePoint portal for external stakeholders. Ensured data security, system stability, and compliance with government security protocols.
• Key Responsibilities:
• 🔹 CRM Dynamics & Application Testing:
• Conducted end-to-end CRM Dynamics testing, validating entities, workflows, and role-based access controls.
• Led functional and regression testing for Windows 8.1 & 10 tablet applications, ensuring field staff could securely access and update case data.
• Performed SharePoint portal testing, validating user authentication, data accessibility, and stakeholder interactions.
• Designed and executed test scenarios for CRM Reports, ensuring accurate data visualization and complex test data set creation.
• 🔹 Test Automation & CI/CD Integration:
• Developed business logic automation tests using SpecFlow, enhancing test coverage and reliability.
• Designed and maintained automated test pipelines, ensuring seamless continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD).
• Created unit tests based on CRM entities and workflows, improving defect detection rates in early development stages.
• Implemented automated test data generation, reducing manual efforts and ensuring realistic test environments.
• 🔹 Agile Delivery & Stakeholder Management:
• Managed SCRUM PBIs and tasks using TFS (Azure DevOps) Scrum Board, ensuring efficient sprint execution.
• Provided detailed test execution reports using Microsoft Test Manager, improving visibility into test progress and defect trends.
• Designed and enforced branching strategies for automation testers, ensuring version control best practices.
• Delivered live demonstrations of the test framework strategy to senior management, securing stakeholder buy-in.
• 🔹 Team Leadership & Best Practices:
• Trained and mentored junior testers on best practices in test automation, SpecFlow BDD, and CRM Dynamics testing.

Oct 2015 – Jul 2019 · 3 yrs 9 mos · London

• 🔹 Test Automation & Framework Development:
• Designed and developed a scalable Test Automation Framework using Selenium WebDriver, SpecFlow, and NUnit within Visual Studio 2015/2017 for CRM Dynamics 365.
• Developed C# automation test scripts, ensuring robust test coverage across CRM workflows, business logic, and UI interactions.
• Implemented BDD using SpecFlow, improving collaboration between QA, developers, business teams
• Automated Postman REST API tests using JavaScript, ensuring seamless integration testing between CRM Dynamics 365 and external systems.
• 🔹 Azure DevOps & CI/CD Integration:
• Configured and administered Azure DevOps (TFS) for Agile SCRUM project management, enabling automated tracking of test execution and defect resolution.
• Integrated automated testing into CI/CD pipelines, allowing continuous validation of application updates and deployments.
• Implemented TFS Builds & Release Management, ensuring automated test execution at every development stage.
• Acted as the Azure DevOps administrator, configuring repositories, work item tracking, and branching strategies.
• 🔹 Data Migration & ETL Testing:
• Led data migration testing, ensuring the accuracy and consistency of ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes during CRM upgrades.
• Validated data transformation logic, ensuring seamless integration with Azure-hosted data environments.
• Worked with SQL Server and Azure Storage solutions to verify data integrity across environments.
• 🔹 Test Strategy & Governance:
• Developed a comprehensive Test Roadmap, Automation Proof of Concept (PoC), ROI analysis, and Test Strategy, aligning QA objectives with business goals.
• Defined test plans, governance models, and execution guidelines, ensuring compliance with industry standards.
• Collaborated with internal teams and third-party suppliers to ensure best QA practices were followed.
• 🔹 Agile Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement:
• Mentored teams on Azure DevOps workflows, Agile SCRUM methodologies, and BDD best practices.

Jun 2015 – Sep 2015 · 3 mos · London, United Kingdom

• Led QA and automation testing for a high-profile content management system (CMS) project in a fast-paced Agile Kanban environment. Managed the end-to-end testing lifecycle, ensuring seamless deployments, automation efficiency, and Agile test execution.
• Key Responsibilities:
• 🔹 Test Automation & Framework Development:
• Designed and implemented a Selenium WebDriver automation framework using Visual Studio 2015, SpecFlow, and NUnit, ensuring scalable and maintainable test automation.
• Developed C# automation test scripts within SpecFlow feature files, aligning with BDD (Behavior-Driven Development) methodologies.
• Integrated automated UI and functional testing into CI/CD pipelines, improving test efficiency and reducing manual effort.
• 🔹 Continuous Integration & Deployment (CI/CD):
• Managed deployments across QA, STAGING, PRE-PROD, and RROD environments using Octopus Deploy, ensuring smooth release cycles.
• Collaborated with DevOps teams to automate testing in release pipelines, minimizing production failures and deployment risks.
• Conducted regression testing for every release, ensuring that all features functioned as expected post-deployment.
• 🔹 Functional & Non-Functional Testing:
• Led CMS application testing, verifying content workflow management, user access roles, and dynamic content rendering.
• Performed data validation testing within XML documents, ensuring accuracy and integrity in backend data processing.
• 🔹 Agile & Test Management:
• Actively participated in daily stand-ups, sprint planning, sprint retrospectives, and backlog grooming, ensuring QA alignment with Agile teams.
• Managed user stories and defect tracking across multiple environments using Rally (Agile Central).
• Provided testing estimates, resource planning, and risk assessments during sprint planning meetings.
• Delivered detailed test reports and metrics before sprint retrospectives, helping teams improve development quality.

Apr 2013 – Jun 2015 · 2 yrs 2 mos · Waterloo, London

• Technical Test Manager – NHS e-Noting Project (Contract)
• 📍 London, UK | 🗓 April 2013 – June 2015
• Managed end-to-end testing for the NHS e-Noting project, ensuring seamless implementation of electronic patient records. Led test automation, Agile QA processes, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring compliance with NHS standards and regulations.
• Key Responsibilities:
• 🔹 Test Strategy & Leadership:
• Developed and implemented a Test Strategy covering functional, integration, and regression testing.
• Managed QA resources, ensuring test execution aligned with sprint goals and NHS requirements.
• Defined test governance and established reporting metrics for tracking QA effectiveness.
• 🔹 Test Automation & CI/CD:
• Created a Page Object Model Test Automation Framework using Selenium WebDriver, SpecFlow, and NUnit in Visual Studio 2012.
• Developed C# BDD automation scripts within SpecFlow feature files.
• Integrated automated testing into CI pipelines using TeamCity, enabling continuous testing.
• 🔹 Functional & Database Testing:
• Conducted testing for SharePoint CMS applications, validating content workflows and security.
• Created and executed SQL stored procedures to generate test data and validate data integrity.
• Ensured CRM report accuracy by testing data mappings and business logic rules.
• 🔹 Agile & Stakeholder Engagement:
• Represented QA in Agile SCRUM teams, participating in daily stand-ups and retrospectives.
• Led BDD workshops, securing stakeholder buy-in for test automation strategies.
• Provided detailed test execution reports to project managers and NHS leadership.
• 🔹 Defect Management & Release Support:
• Managed defect triage and prioritization in Microsoft Test Manager.
• Oversaw service transition for NHS software releases, ensuring a smooth deployment with minimal issues.

Oct 2012 – Apr 2013 · 6 mos

• Working as part of an agile team working in a Kanban/Pull based approach involving daily scrums, sprint planning, sprint retrospectives,user stories.
• Showcasing new functionality at the end of each sprint to stakeholders in fornightly sprint showcases.
• Automating Exam pipeline user stories using Selenium Webdriver and COYPU with Visual Studio 2012, Specflow and Nunit
• Creation of selenium automation tests as part of Specflow feature files written in C#
• Working closely with the business Analyst to ensure all user stories are complete,consistent and clear to write test scenarios.
• Running builds in Team City to test against latest code sets.
• Working within SQL Server to create test data required for running test scenarios.
• Co-ordination of User Acceptance Testing involving responsibility of end to end user acceptance testing and liaising with stake holders closely to provide good levels of user confidence.

Feb 2012 – Oct 2012 · 8 mos · Thame, Oxfordshire

• Working on key RAC projects using an agile TDD approach.
• The role primarily involved creating an automation suite of selenium C# tests using both Selenium RC on one work stream and Selenium 2 (Web Driver) for regression on another work stream.
• Initial Set up of Selenium automation was done from scratch on projects and making key decisions regarding automation technologies to be used were made.
• Extensive use of Visual Studio 2010 and MS Test to create framework for Selenium unit tests, run and monitor test results.
• Jira used as agile task and defect tracking tool on a daily basis to ensure task completion was updated and defects logged and checked against.
• Using Specflow written in Gherkin Given When Then scenarios to be understood by all as framework for automation scripts
• Involved in deployments to test from development environments using Team City and Octopus Deployment
• Automation acceptance tests run against development builds as part of Continuous Integration
• Involved in daily scrum meetings, sprint planning and retrospective meetings
• Preparing Test reports at end of each release cycle
• Providing estimates for all testing.

Nov 2011 – Oct 2025 · 13 yrs 11 mos · United Kingdom · Remote

• Founded Tricky Defects as a specialist consultancy focused on advancing test automation excellence through both professional services and technical education. The business provided end-to-end automation solutions, training, and workshops designed to help organisations modernise their QA practices and engineering teams build robust, maintainable test frameworks.
• Under my leadership, Tricky Defects delivered:
• Comprehensive automation services — framework design, implementation, and optimisation for enterprise-scale systems
• Hands-on training and workshops across C#, Java, and JavaScript, tailored for both beginners and advanced automation engineers
• Custom automation courses focused on frameworks such as Selenium, Playwright, and API testing to accelerate real-world skill development
• Advisory and coaching programs that helped QA leaders embed automation strategy, CI/CD integration, and best practices across teams
• The consultancy became known for bridging the gap between theory and execution — empowering QA professionals to evolve into technically proficient automation engineers, and enabling companies to achieve faster, more stable, and cost-effective releases through intelligent test automation.

Nov 2011 – Sep 2014 · 2 yrs 10 mos · Www.trickydefects.com

• Director and Founder of Tricky Defects
• Designed and created training videos for testers wishing to learn Selenium java and C#
• Video Courses
• Offering online courses teaching you the Selenium fundamentals.
• Offering Class room taught courses teaching you the Selenium fundamentals.
• Classroom Courses
• Device Testing offering testing of mobile and tablet devices. We see this as a key area for test automation to bring value over the coming years.
• Automation Consultancy and Management

Jun 2011 – Nov 2011 · 5 mos · Ipswich, United Kingdom

• Responsible for Insurance and Risk management System Test execution and GAP analysis test script production for Willis E-Broking system (WEBS).
• Created a data driven framework in Java Junit4 for use in the Selenium Remote Control .
• Use of Selenium Remote Control and IDE to automate existing System Test Scripts and.regression test pack.
• Script creation in Junit4 to create Data Driven tests to drive data from master test spreadsheet into application and return values back into results spreadsheet.
• Writing of java code from scratch with re-usable methods.
• Use of Ant Reports and Hudson to improve Selenium results reporting
• Use of Xpath to locate elements not easily recognized by selenium.
• Test scripts production for Front end GAP analysis for Willis E-broking system in Quality Center Version 10.0
• Understanding of Requirements for Premiums, Return Premiums, Claims, Refund Claims , Cash Calls, Cash Call returns, Reinstatements, Reinstatement returns
• Testing of financial reports and control spreadsheets
• Test Reports for testing produced in Quality Center Version 10.0
• Involved in weekly defect meetings
• Working with offshore teams in Nashville and Manilla working to different time zones
• Involved in testing end to end WEBS system including receipts, applications, applications to deduction, disbursements
• System Test execution of Front and back end Willis E-broking system
• Testing balancing of General Ledger

Nov 2010 – May 2011 · 6 mos · Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom

• Leading QA effort on Spine project managing offshore resources in an agile SCRUM methodology. Responsible for delivering all documentation and test activity management during function, system and integration test phases.
• Managing and co-ordinating test activities for offshore testing resources in India
• Created Spine 2 Test Strategy and agreed sign off with Stakeholders as per Terms of reference document
• Oversee selenium Test Analyst creating and running automation test scripts for use on web based part of the system.
• Create Test Plans for function test, system and integration test phases
• Administrator for Quality Center Version 10.0
• Responsible for delivering Test Reports in Quality Center using dashboard facility
• Defect Management in Quality Center
• Liaise with business analysts closely to understand business requirements
• Liaise closely with client Connecting For Health to provide visibility of testing and sign off of Test Documents
• Involved in Daily Stand up meetings including chairing stand up meetings when required
• Involved in Daily Prioritization meetings during test execution phases
• Test Database updates using advanced Sql queries in SQL Server 2005 such as Unions, Joins, Triggers
• Create Project Plans for management
• Report and present to project at weekly progress meetings
• Management of Test environment
• Work closely with technical and development teams to ensure bug resolution and build releases
• Oversee end to end testing of all the interfaces and systems as part of SIT Testing
• Assist with writing of test scripts from functional specification documents
• Working with third party development team to ensure entry criteria into Systems Test Environment adequately met and to ensure effective defects resolution.
• Produce Completion report at the end of System and Integration Test Phase
• Produce weekly defect reports to project testing progress for project team

Jun 2009 – Oct 2010 · 1 yr 4 mos · Cardiff, United Kingdom

• Test Lead for Welsh Clinical Portal involving:
• Produce System Test Completion Reports for each release
• Manage testing resources for both System Test Phase and User Acceptance Phases
• Report and present to project at weekly project board meetings
• Liaising with technical teams regarding Test environment creation
• Liaise with technical and development teams to ensure Test Data requirements are met
• Testing in an agile SCRUM methodology involving fortnightly sprint and daily scrum meetings.
• Review of System Test scripts based on Use Cases
• Work very closely with Clinical Design Team to ensure gaps in knowledge filled in the absence of completed use cases or inadequate use case design
• Active participation in weekly defect priority meetings involving programme manager,project manager and development manager
• Create defect logging template in Microsoft Team Foundation Server and review defect life cycle process
• Interrogate data for Integrated Health Records solution using Microsoft SQLServer 2000
• Produce Completion report at the end of System Test Phase and User Acceptance Testing
• Produce weekly defect reports to project testing progress for project team
• Work with development manager schedule build deployment plan and testing cycle
• Co-ordinate User Acceptance Testing
• Work with users to create User Acceptance Scripts
• Witness User acceptance testing
• Manage User Acceptance Testing defects and change requests
• Produce User Acceptance Testing completion report at the conclusion of UAT Testing

Jul 2008 – Jun 2009 · 11 mos · Bocam Park, Bridgend

• Test Lead for Welsh Clinical Portal and Integrated Health Records projects.
• Role involving co-ordinating testing for both System Test and User Acceptance Test Phases.
• Creating Informing Health Care Test Strategy for the organization
• Creating detailed Test Tools Evalution document and presenting to project board
• Creating System Test Plan for all releases worked on over the course of 14 months
• Produce System Test Completion Reports for each release
• Manage testing resources for both System Test Phase and User Acceptance Phases
• Report and present to project at weekly project board meetings
• Liaising with technical teams regarding Test environment creation
• Liaise with technical and development teams to ensure Test Data requirements are met
• Testing in an agile SCRUM methodology involving fortnightly sprint and daily scrum meetings.
• Review of System Test scripts based on Use Cases
• Work very closely with Clinical Design Team to ensure gaps in knowledge filled in the absence of completed use cases or inadequate use case design
• Active participation in weekly defect priority meetings involving programme manager,project manager and development manager
• Create defect logging template in Microsoft Team Foundation Server and review defect life cycle process
• Interrogate data for Integrated Health Records solution using Microsoft SQLServer 2000
• Produce Completion report at the end of System Test Phase and User Acceptance Testing
• Produce weekly defect reports to project testing progress for project team
• Work with development manager schedule build deployment plan and testing cycle
• Co-ordinate User Acceptance Testing
• Work with users to create User Acceptance Scripts
• Witness User acceptance testing
• Manage User Acceptance Testing defects and change requests
• Produce User Acceptance Testing completion report at the conclusion of UAT Testing

Jan 2007 – Jan 2008 · 1 yr