Head of Testing

Head of Testing (Manchester / Cheltenham / London)

About Finova

Finova is the UK's largest financial services technology provider, supporting one in every five mortgages nationwide. Our agile, cloud-native solutions enable over 60 banks, building societies, specialist lenders, equity release providers and a network of 2,400+ brokers to stay ahead in a competitive market.

Built on open architecture and backed by deep industry expertise, our platform is designed to scale. Each year, we process over £50 billion in loans, manage nearly £50 billion in savings, and support the digital servicing of more than 650,000 UK borrower accounts.

Be part of a team that's driving innovation, enabling growth and shaping the future of UK lending.

For Lenders

Finova offers a flexible, modular technology suite designed to help lenders move faster, scale efficiently and deliver standout digital experiences.

Financial Institutions use Finova to launch products faster, process applications up to 50% more efficiently and reduce operational costs - all while staying fully compliant in a fast-moving market.

About the role

We're looking for a senior testing leader to take full ownership of quality across Finova's three platforms; Enterprise, Apprivo and MSO. This role exists to bring clarity, credibility and consistency to how testing is understood, planned and executed, both internally and with customers.

Over the next 12 months, your impact will be measured by the confidence you build in our testing strategy, the uplift in modern and automated testing practices, and the strength of customer trust in our testing teams. You will be the senior authority shaping testing theory, defining principles, and ensuring testing is embedded early in delivery.

This is a highly visible, customer-facing position with accountability for leading a 50-strong testing organisation and transforming our approach into one that is modern, automation-led and recognised by customers as expert and advisory not just execution-focused.

What you'll be doing End-to-end ownership of testing & quality

• Own testing and quality outcomes across all platforms (Enterprise, Apprivo, MSO).
• Establish clear testing principles, standards and risk thresholds for the organisation.
• Embed testing early in design and delivery decision making.
• Act as the senior owner for testing related risk, trade offs and escalations.

Customer facing testing leadership

• Represent Finova as a credible, senior testing authority in customer engagements.
• Clearly explain and defend testing strategies, rationale and decisions to customers.
• Provide assurance on coverage, risk and readiness for complex changes, migrations and high risk releases.
• Step in directly where customer confidence needs rebuilding or reinforcement.

Testing strategy, theory & approach

• Define and communicate Finova's overarching testing philosophy and theory.
• Ensure teams can articulate both why and how testing is performed.
• Translate theory into practical, scalable and repeatable delivery models.

Test planning & execution assurance

• Oversee and assure test strategies and test plans for major deliveries.
• Support teams in designing robust, proportionate plans aligned to customer risk appetite.
• Ensure clear communication of test coverage and outcomes to customers.
• Intervene when planning or execution quality is weak or inconsistent.

Automation & modern testing transformation

• Lead the transition to automation led, engineering focused testing practices.
• Demonstrate fluency across automated testing technologies used across multiple stacks.
• Balance automation with appropriate manual and exploratory testing approaches.

People & capability leadership

• Lead, mentor and develop a 50 person testing organisation, including customer facing roles.
• Build capability to operate confidently with both customers and delivery partners.
• Upskill teams in automation, modern testing theory and customer communication.
• Foster a culture of professionalism, ownership and continuous improvement.

About you

You will be a strong fit for this role if you are:

• Customer centric and confident operating directly with senior stakeholders.
• Technically credible, with deep understanding of modern testing practices, automation and testing theory.
• Pragmatic and calm under pressure, able to make balanced decisions around risk and trade offs.
• An exceptional communicator, capable of turning complex testing concepts into customer ready assurance.
• A transformational leader, passionate about elevating teams, maturing practices and driving measurable improvements in quality.

What We Offer Hybrid working:

At Finova, we believe the best outcomes come from working together - and having the flexibility to work in a way that suits both our people and our business. We operate a hybrid working model, with most teams spending around three days a week in the office and with our customers. This time together helps us stay connected, collaborate more effectively, and solve complex challenges as a team. We also know that flexibility matters. Our approach is designed to support a healthy balance, combining in person collaboration with the freedom to work remotely where it makes sense.

Holiday

25 days holiday plus bank holidays, bank holiday trading and holiday purchase options, the opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to 4 weeks per year.

Looking After You

Life Assurance, Group Income Protection, Private Medical Insurance, a pension scheme via Salary Exchange, an Employee Assistance Programme, and access to a Virtual GP.

Family Friendly Policies

Enhanced maternity and paternity pay, as well as paid time off for fertility treatments and pregnancy loss.

Extra Perks

Cycle to Work Scheme, discounts on shops, restaurants, and gym memberships, free fresh fruit daily, and opportunities to join colleague networks and social groups.

Giving Back

One paid volunteering day annually and the Give As You Earn scheme to support your favourite charities.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you're passionate about this role but don't meet all the criteria, please reach out-we'd love to discuss how your skills and experiences align with our needs.