Test Manager

When you join Kainos, you get to think beyond limitations to make an immediate and positive impact – like transforming digital services for millions of citizens or helping Fortune 500 companies get live and thrive on Workday.

You’ll be part of a people-first culture that is growing around the world. We’re a creative, committed, and diverse group of individuals who succeed as a team.

At Kainos your ideas are heard and valued and you’ll leave a legacy that you can feel proud of.  Join us and discover how our people write our story.

Kainos Smart is a unique cloud-based automated testing tool for implementations of Workday. 

Kainos is a trusted Workday implementation and certified solution partner, providing management, integration, support and testing services for its cloud-based software. We are Workday’s largest QA testing partner and have a team of consultants, which provide services to customers around the world. Kainos has developed a range of tools to expedite Workday delivery. Designed specifically for the business user, Kainos Smart automates the testing of critical functional areas within Workday.

Main purpose of the role & responsibilities in the business:

As a Test Manager at Kainos, you’ll be responsible for delivery of Kainos test commitments to clients. You will ensure they are delivered to agreed timelines and that the use of our automated test tool, Smart, is optimised for test event in your region. You’ll use your Workday expertise to engage directly on high profile projects, to handle any significant functional challenges, and will be an important senior liaison and escalation for our clients. You will work at Executive level with client stakeholders in setting strategy and direction in testing.

As an expert in a team of consultants, you will manage relationships with our customers, and shape and deliver solutions that are aligned to customer needs, fit for purpose and commercially viable.  You’ll provide excellent consulting and guidance to customers, truly understanding their business.

You’ll be an expert in your capability, using your technical and professional expertise to mentor and guide your team members in that capability, providing thought leadership and innovation building and improving specialist knowledge in your capability or capabilities at Kainos as well as the broader Workday community.

With exceptional technical acumen and a positive, business facing attitude – the successful candidate will be a key part of a developing business set for significant growth over the coming years.

Minimum (essential) requirements:

• Extensive commercial experience within a software testing environment, preferably with a client facing role in a Senior Test Management, or Test Leadership position.

• Test strategy development and execution at a senior level within significant product deployments.

• Management of a test team or Professional Services team within the ERP space.

• Developed knowledge of the trends in information technology, especially ‘Cloud’ computing and SaaS concepts.

• Experience in the implementation of on-premise or cloud-based business applications such as CRM, ERP, BI or HCM.

• Working knowledge of HCM, Financials or Payroll applications.

• A computer science or related degree to at least a 2:1 level.

• A developed understanding of quality assurance / automated testing.

• Deep understanding of Workday products either/or HCM as well as your specialist Capability (Product Lead in the Workday ecosystem is ideal but not mandatory).

• Excellent customer focus, able to assess customer needs, build relationships and manage customer expectations. You will be able to intervene effectively and resolve customer escalations appropriately.

• Excellent communicator, able to communicate with customers and colleagues with impact and credibility. Sound ability to formally present to senior Client audiences and at conferences e.g. Workday Altitude.

• Strong commercial awareness and complete understanding of project and business dynamics.

• Broad business and technology experience and a good awareness of industry trends and their potential impact on product.

• Ability to work to tight deadlines and make sensible decisions under pressure taking a balanced view of customer demands and Kainos commercials.

• Ability to widen and maintain a network of external contacts.

• Excellent consulting skills e.g. leading largescale workshops with multiple stakeholders, liaising confidently and effectively with senior executives.

• An emerging capability expert driving thought leadership e.g. production of blog posts.

• An emerging role model within Kainos and wider Workday ecosystem.

• Regular participant in sales activities and responsible providing input to work estimates.

• Understanding of risk management and able to manage risk within the capability.

• Support the operations function ensure that our consultant pool is used in the most commercially advantageous way, balancing development needs and personal preferences.

• Commercial understanding of utilisation within a services organisation and the importance of these targets.

• Able to rotate through various Workday delivery services specifically Consulting and Application Management Services.

• For Application Management Services, able to deliver work to meet defined Service Level Agreements.  

• Able, if required, to travel to customer sites in the same region (minimal out of region travel may also be required).

Desirable:

• Experience with Adaptive Insights or other related planning tool.

• Workday Financials Certification. 

People management:

Your role may or may not involve managing people. Where you do have direct reports your responsibilities may include: 

• Agreeing, setting and reviewing your and your team’s goals aligned to Kainos, Workday BU and your Capability. 

• Providing support so that your and your team’s goals can be achieved.

• Reviewing and refining goals for relevance and to keep performance on track. 

• Reviewing performance against goals and provide feedback. 

• Conducting 1:1 monthly and/or project completion feedback meetings.

• Requesting and providing regular feedback in Workday.

• Completing End of Year reviews and agreeing the outcomes for the year.

• Identifying training to support your and your team’s development.

• Pursuing and supporting you and your team members’ career paths and progression.

• Reviewing weekly workload forecasting (staff allocations and timesheet checks) and utilisation.

• Actively being involved in recruitment/interviews.

• Reviewing attrition and retention metrics.