Lead Test Engineer - £500 p/d - Outside IR35 - 6‑Month ContractHybrid: 1-2 Days On‑Site per WeekBirmingham

We're looking for a Lead Test Engineer to take ownership of programme‑level testing for a large multi‑modal payments transformation, covering bus, rail, tram and retail channels.This is a role where you will define strategy, implement best practice, strengthen assurance, and enable testing at scale through integration and automation.
The Role
You will lead the creation and implementation of a full end‑to‑end testing capability across a major PAYG (Pay‑As‑You‑Go) payments programme.Your focus will include:
Programme‑Level Test Strategy

Define and deliver a robust, outcome‑driven test strategy
Shape SIT, UAT, OAT, NFR test approaches
Provide clear risk management and mitigation across the programmeIntegration Testing Model

Lead testing across multiple suppliers, systems, devices and back‑office services
Establish defect lifecycle management
Validate cross‑system customer journeys
Ensure environment planning and ownership are clearly definedAutomation Framework & Expansion

Deliver an early automation MVP
Integrate automation into CI/CD
Build scalable and repeatable regression capability
Drive roadmap for increased automation coverage and reduced manual testingAssurance & Reporting

Establish programme‑level quality assurance
Create metrics, reporting cadence and visibility of risks and progress
Provide recommendations for future optimisation

What you need to do now

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