Portfolio Test Manager Banking (Dubai)

Portfolio Test Manager

Reporting Structure:

• Direct reporting to the TCoE Delivery Head (Onsite).
• Close alignment and collaboration with the Bank's Portfolio Delivery Manager in Technology for day-to-day operations and strategic alignment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic QA Leadership & Portfolio Governance:
• Develop and implement comprehensive, risk-based QA strategies for the Bank's transformation and upgrade programs across key banking applications at the portfolio level.
• Establish and enforce standardized QA governance frameworks, ensuring alignment with project timelines and business objectives.
• Collaborate with the Bank's Portfolio Delivery Manager to define and prioritize QA activities, ensuring seamless integration with the Bank's project delivery lifecycle.
• Payment Systems Expertise:
• Ensure thorough test coverage across all relevant payment modules, including SWIFT, ISO 20022, UAE Funds Transfer System, NPSS, Image Check Clearing System (ICCS), UAE Direct Debit System (UAEDDS) and other critical payment processing components.
• Maintain a deep understanding of the Bank's specific payment systems architecture and configurations.
• Test Automation and Efficiency:
• Architect and implement a robust automation-first approach, developing and deploying scalable test automation frameworks to enhance regression testing efficiency, accuracy, and repeatability.
• Optimize testing workflows to minimise disruption to the Bank's ongoing operations.
• Generate comprehensive automation benefit realization reports, demonstrating ROI and impact on project delivery timelines.
• Collaboration and Communication:
• Work closely with the Bank's development, business, and QA teams to define, execute, and validate test plans.
• Proactively communicate testing progress, risks, and dependencies to the Bank's Portfolio Delivery Manager and other relevant stakeholders.
• Facilitate clear and effective communication between internal and client teams, ensuring alignment on quality objectives and project deliverables.
• Defect Management and Compliance:
• Analyze defect dashboards to identify trends, highlight potential risks, and proactively communicate critical issues to relevant teams.
• Define early defect resolution process in defect life cycle to minimize the impact on testing schedule and production rollout.
• Ensure all QA activities adhere to relevant regulatory compliance standards and banking best practices. (eg. PCI, DSS)
• Continuous Improvement:
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance testing methodologies, tools, and best practices, contributing to the Bank's ongoing pursuit of operational excellence.
• Document all testing procedures and create a knowledge base to enhance the transfer of information.

Key Requirements:

• Extensive Banking Payments Experience:
• Minimum 15+ years of proven experience in software testing and quality assurance, strongly emphasising banking payments, transaction processing, and financial systems.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate the complexities of large-scale banking environments.
• Technical Proficiency:
• Hands-on experience with test management tools, knowhow of automation frameworks (like webdrive.io, BDD, CT integration, etc.) and automation types as API, web and mobile to generate automation ROIs.
• In-depth knowledge of banks core applications like core banking (Retail and Corporate), or Trade finance & treasury or UAE payments including payment protocols, message formats (SWIFT, ISO 20022), and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Agile and DevOps Expertise:
• Proven experience working in Agile and DevOps environments, with a strong understanding of continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.
• Ability to integrate testing processes into the client's existing CI/CD pipelines.
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills:
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to troubleshoot complex payment processing issues, ensuring timely resolution.
• Ability to quickly adapt to the client's internal systems and processes.
• Stakeholder Management and Communication:
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders at the Bank.
• Ability to provide clear and concise reports to the client's portfolio delivery manager.