Test Lead

Location: Farnborough, UK (Hybrid Working Policy)

Clearance: High level of security clearance - (DV - Developed Vetting)

UNLEASH YOUR POTENTIAL

Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people and our community. Our mission and our values guide the way we do business. The foundation of our Leidos culture is our Values, Beliefs and Expectations by which we select, recognise and reward employees. They create the environment that drives us toward our mission.

Inspired to make a difference, we are committed to solving the world’s toughest problems. Passionate about customer success by being determined to understand and respond to our customers’ needs as if they were our own. United as a team, we are bound together by our conviction that ethics and integrity is core to how we operate.

Because of a key strategic development and a new exciting business opportunity, we have a requirement for a security-cleared Software Engineer based in the UK working at our Farnborough site and remotely.

WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING?

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Testing Lead Engineer to join our IT delivery team, supporting complex systems integration projects within a SAFe Agile framework. We are looking for someone with a passion for Test, ideally from a Systems Integration background. The successful candidate will lead a cross-functional test team, ensuring high-quality delivery through structured test planning, execution, and reporting using Jira and Zephyr.

This role demands strong leadership, excellent communication skills, and a deep understanding of Agile testing practices. You will be responsible for driving test strategy, managing test resources, and ensuring alignment with programme goals and Agile release trains.

The work will span both cloud-based and server-based applications, requiring a flexible and adaptive approach to testing across varied environments and technologies.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Test Leadership & Strategy

• Define and own the test strategy across Agile teams and programme increments.
• Lead the test planning process, ensuring alignment with SAFe Agile ceremonies and sprint goals.
• Champion quality assurance throughout the development lifecycle, embedding testing into Agile workflows.
• Collaborate with Product Owners, Scrum Masters, and Release Train Engineers to ensure test coverage and readiness.
• Ensure testing approaches are tailored appropriately for both cloud-native and on-premise systems.
• Work with the customer to achieve formal acceptance of Requirements Verification

Team Management

• Manage and mentor a team of test engineers, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
• Allocate resources effectively across sprints and programme increments.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, provide coaching, and support career development.
• Facilitate daily stand-ups, retrospectives, and test-specific Agile ceremonies.

Test Execution & Reporting

• Oversee the creation and execution of manual and automated test cases using Jira and Zephyr.
• Ensure traceability of requirements to test cases and defects.
• Monitor test progress, defect trends, and provide real-time reporting to stakeholders.
• Drive defect triage and resolution in collaboration with development teams.
• Ensure test coverage across cloud-based and server-hosted components.

Agile Practices

• Actively participate in PI Planning, sprint reviews, and system demos.
• Promote Agile testing principles such as early testing, continuous feedback, and test-driven development.
• Support the integration of testing into CI/CD pipelines where applicable.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Liaise with business analysts, developers, and end users to clarify requirements and acceptance criteria.
• Communicate test status, risks, and issues to programme leadership and external stakeholders.
• Represent the test function in governance forums and quality assurance reviews.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience as a Test Lead or Senior Test Engineer in Waterfall and Agile environments, preferably in the Defence sector.
• Strong understanding of SAFe Agile methodology and its application in complex IT integration programmes.
• Hands-on experience with Jira and Zephyr for test management and reporting.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in systems integration testing, including interfaces, data flows, and end-to-end scenarios.
• Demonstrated experience testing both cloud-based and server-based applications.
• Familiarity with test automation tools and practices is desirable.

Desirable Qualifications

• SAFe Agilist or SAFe Practitioner certification.
• ISTQB Advanced Test Manager or equivalent.
• Experience in regulated environments (e.g., defence, finance, healthcare).
• Exposure to DevOps and CI/CD practices.

Are you ready to make an impact? Begin your journey of a flourishing and meaningful career, share your CV with us today!

At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers’ success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainably. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community. Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide the way we do business.

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What we do for you:

At Leidos we are PASSIONATE about customer success, UNITED as a team and INSPIRED to make a difference. We offer meaningful and engaging careers, a collaborative culture, and support for your career goals, all while nurturing a healthy work-life balance.

We provide an employment package that attracts, develops and retains only the best in talent. Our reward scheme includes:

•    Contributory Pension Scheme

•    Private Medical Insurance

•    33 days Annual Leave (including public and privilege holidays)

•    Access to Flexible benefits (including life assurance, health schemes, gym memberships, annual buy and sell holidays and a cycle to work scheme)

•    Dynamic Working

Commitment to Diversity:

We welcome applications from every part of the community and are committed to a truly diverse and inclusive culture.  We foster a sense of belonging, welcoming all perspectives and contributions, and providing equal access to opportunities and resources for everyone.  If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages please let us know, and we will respond in a way that best fits your needs.

Who We Are:

Leidos UK & EUROPE – we work to make the world safer, healthier, and more efficient through technology, engineering and science.

Leidos is a growing company delivering innovative technology and solutions focused on safeguarding critical capabilities and transformation in frontline services, our work in the United Kingdom includes addressing some of the most complex problems in defence, healthcare, government, safety and security, and transportation.

What Makes Us Different:

Purpose: you can use your passion and abilities at Leidos to keep the people you care about safe. We are at the forefront of machine learning, AI, cyber security and solutions. Using your skills in the technology frontline by helping to build a safer world.  You can inspire change.

Collaboration: having flexibility to do your job is one of our core benefits, enabling you to become part of our extraordinary team.  We have been empowering our people to work flexibly for years.  Whether you work from home, the office or on customer sites, we will give you the digital tools and the flexibility to work smarter and align your needs and ours.         

People: Leidos empowers people from every background to be themselves and gives you the tools to learn new skills by enabling growth whilst developing. We believe that extraordinary people need opportunities to grow, to be inspired and to inspire others. At Leidos, we invest in technical academies, career rotations and a career development plans that enhance your future.

At Leidos, we don’t want someone who "fits the mold"—we want someone who melts it down and builds something better. This is a role for the restless, the over-caffeinated, the ones who ask, “what’s next?” before the dust settles on “what’s now.”

If you’re already scheming step 20 while everyone else is still debating step 2… good. You’ll fit right in.

Original Posting:

Pay Range:

£56,800.00-£72,800.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.