Lead Test Manager

Job Description:

Your impact

Are you ready to lead test teams and define assurance strategies across some of the UK’s most complex programmes? At Leonardo, our Test Managers provide vision, leadership, and delivery oversight, ensuring that test activities are resourced, governed, and executed to the highest standards.

Your work at Leonardo UK will see you take the lead in solving customer problems in an agile, innovative and team-centric manner. The role may involve a blended hybrid working model, with a mixture of working from home and working on site at one of our Leonardo offices to ensure close collaboration with the wider team and with our customers.

What you will do as a Lead Test Manager

• Provide leadership to test teams, including line management, workforce planning, and career development.

• Shape and oversee delivery strategies for testing across multiple projects and programmes.

• Take responsibility for test outcomes across cost, schedule, quality, and security.

• Represent testing at programme boards, customer reviews, and senior leadership meetings.

• Own test governance, assurance, and reporting processes at programme level.

• Support bids, proposals, and business winning activities with authoritative input on test strategy.

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, knowledge sharing, and standardisation across the test community.

• Mentor Principal and Senior Test Engineers, building the next generation of leaders.

What you’ll bring

• Significant leadership experience across test teams and programmes.

• Proven ability to deliver test and assurance solutions at scale.

• Excellent stakeholder management and the ability to represent testing at senior levels.

Core areas (must have):

• Leadership of large engineering or test teams, including multi-level line management

• Experience managing test delivery across complex systems and secure environments

• Strong understanding of test governance, quality assurance, and accreditation requirements

• Familiarity with ITIL, service management, and engineering governance frameworks

• Experience with budgets, schedules, and resource planning for test programmes

Desirable:

• Experience shaping divisional test roadmaps and contributing to enterprise strategy

• Recognised leadership or project management qualifications (ILM, PRINCE2, ITIL, APM)

• Exposure to test management in Agile/SAFe environments

• Familiarity with automation, CI/CD integration, and DevSecOps principles at programme level

• Experience engaging with customers, regulators, and external partners on test strategy
  

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Location

This role can be based at one of our UK sites, Bristol, with hybrid/custom working options where appropriate.

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.

• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.

• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).

• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.

• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.

• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.

• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.

• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

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Primary Location:

GB - Bristol - Coldharbour Lane

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working:

Hybrid