Manager, Quality Assurance

Job Description

The QA Manager plays a strategic role in directing and overseeing the delivery of high-quality products and services across the Ecobank Group by coordinating all aspects of the quality assurance process. This involves leading the planning, implementation, and execution of rigorous quality testing strategies to ensure alignment with business objectives and standards.
Key responsibilities include driving the quality assurance framework to meet established benchmarks for reliability and usability. The QA Manager collaborates with cross-functional teams to identify, assess, and mitigate potential risks early in the development lifecycle, ensuring the delivery of robust solutions that enhance customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
This role entails designing, reviewing, and validating detailed test plans and test cases derived from business requirements. By leveraging advanced testing methodologies, tools, and frameworks, the QA Manager ensures comprehensive coverage of all system features, functionality, and integrations.
As a leader, the QA Manger directs efforts to foster a culture of quality, innovation, and continuous improvement. They mentor and guide team members, coordinate process optimization initiatives, and champion the adoption of cutting-edge testing practices to support evolving business needs, strategic objectives, and technological advancements.

III. JOB PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES     
The overall scope of responsibility for this position includes:
•    Establish and evolve formal QA processes in alignment with industry best practices and trends.
–    Align processes with globally recognized standards like ISTQB guidelines and ISO/IEC 25010.
–    Guide the team in incorporating early-stage testing practices, enabling defect identification earlier in the software development lifecycle.
–    Work with developers, product managers, and operations teams to ensure QA processes are integrated into development workflows.
–    Guide the team in adopting practices like test-driven development (TDD), or behaviour-driven development (BDD) to align with modern Agile and DevOps principles.
–    Lead the team in understanding and implementing QA processes, offering coaching and mentorship as needed.
–    Oversee adherence to internal policies and external regulatory requirements to mitigate risks associated with non-compliance.
–    Stay updated and continuously learn about advancements in QA methodologies, tools, and technologies to guide the team effectively.
–    Regularly monitor QA industry trends, such as Agile, DevOps, CI/CD, and AI-powered testing, and integrate them into the team’s processes.
–    Organize regular retrospectives and process audits to identify opportunities for refinement and innovation.
•    Serve as the primary liaison for all QA-related activities during product releases, providing expert guidance and fostering collaboration between teams.
–    Act as the go-to person for all QA-related queries, updates, and decisions during product release cycles.
–    Collaborate with stakeholders such as project managers, developers, business analysts, and product owners to ensure alignment on release goals and quality expectations.
–    Provide regular updates on QA progress, defect trends, testing milestones, and risks to leadership and project stakeholders.
–    Organize and lead discussions between QA, development, operations, and business teams to align on goals, timelines, and deliverables.
–    Ensure all necessary testing (e.g., functional, regression, UAT is completed and documented before clearance to present at the Change Advisory Board
–    Quickly address last-minute challenges, such as failed tests or unexpected defects, to avoid release delays.
•    Define and enforce comprehensive test strategies, ensuring coverage for all test types, including functional, integration, and user acceptance testing (UAT).
–    Understand Business and Technical Requirements: Collaborate with product owners, business analysts, and technical teams to ensure a deep understanding of business objectives and technical specifications.
–    Scope of Testing: Clearly outline what needs to be tested, the types of tests required, and the goals of each testing phase. Functional, integration, regression, and UAT.
–    Risk-based Prioritization: Identify high-risk areas of the application and prioritize testing efforts to focus on the most critical functions.
–    Determine the team members and timelines needed for efficient execution of the test strategy
–    Functional Testing:
Verify that all features and functionalities of the application meet the defined requirements.
–    Involve end-users to validate that the application meets their needs and expectations.
–    Oversee test case creation, SIT execution, and defect tracking to ensure adherence to the strategy.
–    Hold team members accountable for delivering high-quality results within the defined timelines.
–    Implement a structured feedback loop to continuously refine test cases.
–    Regularly update stakeholders on testing progress, risks, and outcomes to ensure transparency and alignment.
–    Work with developers, architects, and business analysts to ensure test coverage is aligned with development and business goals.
–    Automation Strategy:
Incorporate automated regression testing wherever possible to ensure efficiency and reusability.
–    Identify Gaps:
Regularly review test coverage and results to identify gaps or areas of improvement.
–    Refine Processes:
Adjust and enhance the test strategy based on lessons learned, project feedback, or changes in technology.
–    Team Development:
Train and guide the QA team to improve their testing skills and ensure effective implementation of the test strategy.
•    Implement advanced QA methodologies, including shift-left testing, automation-first strategies, and risk-based testing approaches.
–    Early Involvement:
Guide the QA team to engage with developers, product managers, and stakeholders during the requirements gathering and design phases.
–    Collaboration:
Foster close collaboration between QA, development, and DevOps teams to incorporate testing into development processes.
–    Example: Pair programming, static code analysis, and early unit test reviews.
–    Education:
Train team members on the principles of shift-left testing and its benefits to project success.
–    Risk Assessment:
Guide the team in evaluating the application’s risk areas based on factors such as business criticality, complexity, user impact, and change frequency.
Example: Critical payment systems or frequently updated APIs may need priority testing.
–    Mentorship:
Guide team members on how to balance manual and automated testing while adhering to the shift-left and risk-based approaches.
•    Oversee the preparation, validation, and SIT execution of test cases, scripts, plans, and procedures.
–    Lead the QA team in understanding the scope and requirements of the project to create comprehensive test cases.
–    Ensure alignment between test cases and business requirements, functional specifications, and user stories.
Quality Standards:
–    Set standards for writing clear, reusable, and detailed test cases
Review and Approve:
–    Conduct reviews of test cases, scripts, and plans prepared by the team to ensure accuracy and completeness.
–    Provide constructive feedback to team members to improve the quality of test documentation.
Traceability:
–    Ensure test cases are traceable to requirements to validate that all functionality is being tested.
–    Coordinate with cross-functional teams to ensure readiness for system integration testing (SIT) and QA validations.
–    Identify and address blockers or challenges during SIT and QA validation activities.
Standardization:
–    Develop and enforce templates and guidelines for creating test plans, test cases, and SIT test execution reports.
Regression Testing:
–    Guide the team in maintaining an effective regression test suite to verify that new changes do not negatively impact existing functionality.
Collaboration:
–    Act as a bridge between the QA team and other departments to ensure smooth communication and alignment of objectives.
Signoffs:
–    Oversee the preparation of test summary reports and secure approvals for testing phases before presenting to the Change Advisory Board
–    Ownership:
–    Encourage team members to take ownership of their assigned test scenarios while maintaining accountability for overall QA quality
Test Management System:
–    Ensure the team effectively uses test management tool; TMS for test case preparation and reporting.
 •    Ensure quality assurance and defect management are tightly integrated with development cycles using test management tools (TMS Defect Tool)
Defect Prioritization:
–    Collaborate with cross-functional teams to prioritize defects based on severity, impact, and risk.
–    Guide the team in identifying critical blockers versus lower-priority issues
Root Cause Analysis:
–    Lead efforts to conduct root cause analysis for defects to prevent recurrence and improve development practices.
–    Single Source of Truth:
–    Ensure all QA activities, from test planning to defect tracking, are centralized in the Test Management System tool for traceability and reporting.
Feedback Loops:
–    Use insights from defect trends and testing outcomes to guide improvements in development and testing practices.
–    Provide actionable feedback to developers to reduce defect injection during future sprints.
–    Provide ongoing coaching to ensure that defects are logged with clear descriptions, steps to reproduce, and supporting evidence.

•    Ensure compliance with organizational policies, including Unified Testing & Automation policies, procedures, and standards.
•    Represent QA in Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings, IT incidents, and service-related discussions.
Post-Incident Reviews:
–    Participate in post-incident reviews to identify gaps in QA processes and propose actionable improvements.
–    Gather feedback from Change Advisory Board, Incident, and Service discussions to refine QA processes and address stakeholder concerns.
Preventive Measures:
–    Implement lessons learned from incidents and service discussions to prevent recurring issues.
–    Collaborate with the QA team to ensure readiness for Change Advisory Board meetings
•    Ensure adherence to regulatory and audit requirements, maintaining zero open audit exceptions
Documentation Standards:
–    Guide the team in maintaining accurate, comprehensive documentation of all QA activities to facilitate audits.
–    Ensure proper version control and traceability of testing artifacts, including test cases, defect logs, and signoffs.
Regular Reviews:
–    Lead periodic mock reviews of QA processes and documentation to verify alignment with regulatory and audit standards.
Preparation for Audits:
–    Act as the primary point of contact for internal and external auditors regarding QA processes and artifacts.
–    Ensure all required documentation is up to date, organized, and readily accessible for audits.
Proactive Issue Resolution:
–    Identify and address any issues or potential exceptions before they escalate to formal audit findings.
–    Use feedback and findings from audits to refine QA processes and enhance compliance measures.
•    Encourage knowledge sharing to keep the team updated on the latest QA methodologies and technologies.
•    Complete 5+ trainings on platforms like Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, or internal HR courses.
Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Internal HR Courses:
–    Leverage widely recognized platforms like Udemy and LinkedIn Learning for structured, on-demand learning, and utilize internal HR courses for company-specific knowledge and compliance training
–    Ensure that the selected courses enhance both technical and soft skills required for leading a QA team effectively
Personalized Learning Path:
–    Develop a personalized training plan that supports both career advancement and the QA team’s needs. For example, training on automation tools to enhance test efficiency, or leadership courses to improve team management skills.
Organizational Alignment:
–    Focus on courses that align with the company’s goals and objectives, ensuring that the skills learned will directly contribute to improving the QA team’s performance and meeting business objectives.
Lead by Example:
–    Demonstrate a commitment to learning by completing these courses and sharing insights with the team.
–    Organize internal knowledge-sharing sessions or mentorship opportunities to share newly learned skills and strategies
Course Certifications:
–    Collect certifications or completion badges for courses to demonstrate formal development. These can be included in performance reviews, career development discussions, and team recognition programs.
•    Conduct quarterly SOP reviews to ensure all systems and services have signed and up-to-date SOPs.

IV. JOB CONTEXT     
The QA Manager is responsible for overseeing and coordinating all aspects of quality assurance activities within the organization to ensure the delivery of high-quality software solutions. This role requires close collaboration with cross-functional teams, including IT Project Management, IT Service Management, IT Operations, and Application Support teams, to establish and maintain a robust quality assurance process throughout the software development lifecycle.
The QA Manager will play a pivotal role in liaising with business stakeholders to ensure that User Acceptance Testing (UAT) aligns with business needs. This includes assisting in the design of comprehensive and effective UAT scripts, supporting the execution of UAT, and providing detailed insights to ensure stakeholders fully understand test outcomes prior to software deployment in the live environment.

V. JOB SKILLS/EXPERIENCE    

Experience & Qualification        

    A minimum of 5+ years of experience in QA Function and any relevant field.
    A bachelor’s degree in software engineering, computer science or any analytical field of study with at least 5 years of experience in business system analysis or equivalent.
    Post graduate degree is an added advantage.
    Proven experience in managing functional support teams and driving operational excellence.
    Test and Development, Implementation, and Project Management experience 
    Working experience or general knowledge of the ITIL framework is highly desirable 
    Demonstrated ability to quickly understand complex systems 
    ISTQB Certified Foundation and Test Analyst, Advanced Level.
    ITIL v4
    PMP
    DevOps Foundation Certification
    Test Automation Certification (Selenium, Test Complete)

Skills, Capabilities & Direct attributes     

    Ability to develop and communicate a clear and comprehensive strategy aligned with Group Technology organizational goals and industry best practices.
    Strong understanding of quality assurance principles and processes, including risk management, defect tracking, and test reporting.
    Effective communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work with diverse constituencies and foster a cooperative work environment.
    Ability to think creatively and innovatively to solve problems and improve processes.
    Strong analytical skills to assess the functional requirements, identify problems, and implement effective solutions.
    Sound knowledge of IT Service Management (ITSM) frameworks and practices.
    Ability to actively drive problems to resolution
    Sound decision making and critical thinking skills
    The ability to mentor and coach team members
    Strong interpersonal skills, including strong verbal, written communication skills and excellent listening skills
    Ability to work collaboratively with teams
    Ability to work on many tasks simultaneously in a high-pressure environment
    Must be organized, have an eye for detail, and be able to put ideas into a tangible form
    The candidate should be result-oriented. 
    Fluency / knowledge in French is a plus.