The main activity of the test leader is organizing test activities or leading a team of test related people. There are different gradations of test leading with management focus.
- Test manager - the test manager leads multiple, or a larger virtual, on-shore and/or outsourced test team(s).
- Is responsible for planning, organization and reporting of overall test activities
- Usually leads a number of test leads and/or test coordinators
- Manages multiple (sub) test projects or a test program
- Is guardian of the high level test planning and dependencies between test projects
- Plans and follows-up the work of the test team members
- Has overall test budget responsibility
- Reports on quality and test progress to upper management or a program manager
- Performs risk analysis and risk mitigation
- Has a procurement/vendor relationship
- Can hire and fire staff
- Can define cross project test standards and processes
- Manages stakeholders expectations for quality
- Performs no test analysis or execution
- Test lead - the test lead leads a virtual, on-shore and/or outsourced test team.
- Is responsible for planning, organization and reporting of test activities
- Leads directly or indirectly a team of people involved in testing (1-10)
- Manages one test project or occasionally multiple smaller test projects at the same time
- Makes the high level and detailed test planning
- Defines the scope by means of test requirements
- Plans, schedules and follows-up the work of the test team members
- Has some kind of budget responsibility
- Reports on quality and test progress to the test team manager and/or the project leader
- Drives risk analysis and risk mitigation
- Interviews and advises on future staff
- Can define project test standards, processes and guidelines
- Manages stakeholders expectations for quality
- Performs no or exceptionally test analysis or execution
- Test coordinator – the test coordinator coordinates the test team next to operational test activities.
- Is responsible for planning, organization and reporting of test activities
- Leads a rather small team of test people (between 2-5)
- Manages one test (sub) project for 20 to 50% of his time next to operational test activities
- Makes the detailed test planning
- Defines the scope by means of test requirements
- Schedules and follows-up the work of the test team members
- Has no budget responsibility
- Reports to a test lead, test manager and/or to a project leader
- Participates in risk analysis and mitigation
- Can work out test guidelines
- Prepares and executes tests for 50 to 80% of his time (beta testing, performance, usability testing, functional testing, …)
- Can perform test automation by means of test tools
- Can maintain test environments
- Test environment coordinator – the test environment coordinator coordinates the set-up and maintenance of test environment(s)
- Manages set-up and maintenance in the test environments and perform daily system checks
- Manages the resolution of issues in the test environments
- Leads a technical test environment team
- Manage the allocation and booking of the test environments
- Plans and coordinates the refreshing or restoring of data in the test environments
- Can have budget responsibility
- Provides regular & timely news updates on test environment issues and changes being deployed in the test environments to the test team members and/or the project leader
- Participates in risk analysis and mitigation
- Can hire and fire test environment team members
- Manages the test environment landscape documentation process ensuring that process and procedures are checked and updated regularly
- Can perform technical tasks as part of the test environment team
- Test method/tool team manager – the test method/test tool manager leads the test method or test tool team
- Manages the development, selection, implementation and maintenance of test tools or a test methodology
- Leads a team of test tool smiths or test method experts
- Manages the allocation and booking of the test tool smiths to automate testing
- Plans and coordinates the implementation and maintenance of the test tools/method
- Can have budget responsibility
- Reports on updates to the test tools and methodology to the test team members and/or the project leader
- Participates in risk analysis and mitigation
- Manages tools and method vendor relationships
- Can hire and fire test tool smiths/experts or test method experts
- Can define test tool or method standards, processes and guidelines
- Can perform test tool or method tasks as part of the test tool or test method team
