Job Description

Programme Test Assurance Manager/Consultant

Location: Basingstoke - Full-time onsite

Clearance: Active DV Clearance required

Contract: 18-month contract

IR35 Status: Outside IR35

Rate: £600 to £700 per day

We're supporting a major defence programme seeking an experienced Programme Test Assurance Manager to lead assurance and acceptance activities across a highly complex, multi-workstream delivery environment.

This is not a traditional test management role. The focus is on programme-level capability assurance, acceptance governance, integration readiness, and delivery confidence across infrastructure, systems, and software domains operating at significant scale.

You'll work across multiple Agile delivery teams, suppliers, and technical disciplines to ensure the programme delivers operational capability that is assured, accepted, and deployment-ready.

Key Responsibilities

Lead programme-wide test assurance and capability acceptance activities across complex delivery streams

Provide independent assurance across infrastructure, systems integration, software, and operational capability delivery

Coordinate assurance activities across multiple Agile / SAFe teams and suppliers

Manage dependencies, risks, integration points, and acceptance criteria across the programme landscape

Ensure governance, readiness, and evidence frameworks support formal capability acceptance

Drive alignment between engineering, delivery, test, security, and operational stakeholders

Oversee assurance reporting, quality metrics, and programme-level delivery confidence

Support release and operational readiness activities within secure and highly regulated environments

Champion best practice assurance approaches within Agile and scaled delivery models

Required Experience

Proven experience operating as a Programme Test Manager, Test Assurance Manager, or Capability Assurance Lead within large-scale defence or secure government programmes

Strong experience working within Agile and SAFe delivery environments

Demonstrable experience managing assurance across:

Infrastructure

Systems integration

Software delivery

Multi-supplier ecosystems

Experience operating within highly complex programmes involving multiple teams and interdependencies

Strong understanding of capability assurance and acceptance, beyond traditional testing execution

Experience engaging with senior stakeholders across engineering, delivery, and operational functions

Excellent governance, risk management, and reporting capability

Essential

Active DV Clearance

Willingness to work full-time onsite in Basingstoke

Defence, MOD, or secure government programme experience

Desirable

Experience within large-scale transformation or mission-critical environments

Knowledge of operational acceptance and service transition frameworks

Previous experience within complex systems integration programmes