Job Objective:
Establish, lead and operationalise the Software Quality Assurance (SQA) function within a telecommunications software development environment by designing test strategies, implementing quality governance frameworks and executing comprehensive manual and automated testing to ensure systems are reliable, scalable, secure and aligned to business and network operational requirements.
Reporting Line: IT Development Manager
Key Duties and Responsibilities
Quality Strategy and Governance
Establish and institutionalize the Software Quality Assurance (SQA) framework, policies, standards, templates and governance structures
Define and implement end-to-end testing processes aligned to SDLC practices in a hybrid (non-fully Agile) development environment
Develop and maintain test strategies, quality gates, test readiness criteria and release quality benchmarks
Create reusable testing templates, documentation standards, defect workflows and reporting structures
Define quality metrics and dashboards to track defect density, regression stability, release readiness and risk exposure
Test Planning and Execution
Review and validate business and technical requirements to ensure completeness, clarity and testability
Develop detailed test plans, test scenarios, manual and automated test cases and test data strategies
Ensure requirement traceability through structured traceability matrices
Establish and manage test environments (test beds) supporting white-box and black-box testing
Execute functional, integration, regression, system and user acceptance support testing
Lead non-functional testing including performance, load, security, resilience and usability testing for telecom-grade systems
Automation and Tooling
Identify and implement appropriate test management and automation tools
Design and develop automated test scripts for regression and critical workflows
Introduce CI/CD quality validation checkpoints where applicable
Ensure balanced adoption of manual and automation testing approaches
Defect and Release Management
Log, track, prioritise and drive resolution of defects through structured defect lifecycle management
Conduct root cause analysis on recurring issues and recommend preventive controls
Support release planning with risk assessments and quality sign-off recommendations
Conduct post-deployment sanity checks and regression validation
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Collaborate with developers, product owners, network engineers and operations teams to embed quality throughout the lifecycle
Champion quality culture and advocate for early defect detection (shift-left testing)
Support gradual transition toward structured Agile/Scrum practices where applicable
Provide mentorship and guidance on testing standards to development teams
Continuous Improvement
Identify opportunities to automate repetitive validation tasks
Continuously refine QA processes in line with telecom reliability and service availability standards
Participate in IT process improvement and quality governance initiatives
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology or related field
Minimum 5+ years' experience in Software Quality Assurance
Minimum 3+ years' experience in IT project environments
Strong working knowledge of SDLC, testing methodologies and hybrid Agile/Waterfall models
Hands-on experience in both manual and automated testing
Experience in non-functional testing (performance, load, security)
Professional Certifications (Preferred / Advantage)
ISTQB (Foundation/Advanced) or equivalent
CSTE / CSQA / CAST / CMSQ
Agile-related certifications (CSM, PMI-ACP, Agile PM) - Advantage
Experience and Skills
Experience testing APIs, microservices integration-heavy systems
Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and automation frameworks
Strong understanding of database validation and data integrity testing
Ability to define process from scratch and influence cross-functional stakeholders
Strong analytical and documentation skills
High ownership mindset and ability to work in an evolving structure
Strong communication and reporting skills
Experience working within telecommunications, networking systems, OSS/BSS platforms or distributed systems environments will be an advantage
Attributes
Client focused, relationship builder
Integrity, honesty with high ethical standards
Boundless, passionate and flexible
Personnel excellence, accuracy and attention to detail
Collaborative, achieve results through teamwork and partnerships
Excellent English written and verbal communication skills
Passion for technology and innovation
Ability to work under pressure, multi-task and think creatively
Efficient time management, fast learner in a fast-paced dynamic environment
A willingness to mentor, coach and train others