Nest Pensions
Test Programme Manager

How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Job Title: Test Programme Manager
We are seeking an experienced Test Programme Manager to work in partnership with the wider delivery team. The Test Programme Manager will be responsible for the following:
- Owning the programme-wide test strategy, ensuring it supports business objectives, customer outcomes and the wider transformation roadmap.
- Providing strategic direction across multiple testing and quality workstreams, ensuring a joined-up and effective programme capability.
- Defining and embedding the quality vision, governance framework and assurance approach across the programme.
- Identifying, managing and delivering cost efficiencies while assessing and mitigating associated risks.
- Establishing the target operating model for the Testing and Assurance function, aligned to strategic priorities and organisational goals.
- Leading, developing and line managing the Test and Assurance team, currently comprising 10 colleagues.
- Overseeing test planning approaches across the change portfolio and setting quality standards, decision-making criteria, risk tolerances and assurance frameworks for major programme milestones and releases.
- Ensuring sufficient evidence and assurance is in place to support key go/no-go and deployment decisions.
- Driving continuous improvement through industry best practice, emerging technologies, automation and AI-enabled quality assurance approaches.
- Ensuring alignment between testing strategies, solution architecture and supplier delivery models.
- Building strong relationships across the business and with our Scheme Administrator, TCS.
- Delivering updates through governance forums
The minimum criteria for this role are:
- Experience of an ever shifting and demanding business environment.
- Experience in senior Test Management, Test Programme Management, Quality Assurance or Quality Engineering leadership roles.
- Experience establishing programme-wide quality strategies, governance models and assurance frameworks.
- Proven experience providing assurance and strategic leadership across large, complex transformation programmes.
- Experience in senior governance forums and demonstrable experience influencing senior stakeholders
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and strategic suppliers across multiple workstreams.
- Experience working across Agile, Waterfall or hybrid delivery environments and Knowledge and use of industry leading tools.
- Ability to shape new ways of working in the delivery of change across functional teams and with our scheme administration provider TCS.
- Ability to analyse and review complex plans at a detailed level including interactions and dependencies between workstreams.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Financial services experience would be an advantage, but not essential.
Flexible and agile working
Everyone's personal situation is different.
To make the most out of hybrid working, we've introduced different ways of working, which include (subject to role requirements):
- hybrid of office (Canary Wharf, London) and home working (there will be an expectation to attend the office, once - twice a week, or more, as required)
- reduce or vary working hours
- reduce or vary the days worked
- work compressed hours
- job share
Directorate/Department Overview
The Testing and Assurance Team is part of the Service and Experience Change Programme team residing in the Services and Solutions directorate with responsibilities covering technology, change management, operations, data, analytics and customer insights.
The Testing and Assurance Team plays an integral role in the development lifecycle of projects and programmes delivered by NEST. The team is ~10 people with a core responsibility of providing quality assurance of testing carried out by our 3rd party scheme administrator TCS and testing execution on a needs basis. The department is responsible for ensuring:
- contracted suppliers deliver appropriate solutions that meet NEST’s requirements, including both functional and non-functional requirements;
- support and oversight of supplier testing processes, execution of user acceptance testing of the supplier solution and quality assurance; and
- contracted suppliers implement those solutions using appropriate methodologies and technologies in-line with an agreed project plan, including key milestones, active management and mitigation of associated risks and issues.


Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
This role will sit withing the Service and Experience Change Programme team.
Organisational Overview
Nest is an award-winning workplace pension scheme, the largest in the country. Set up by the government to give every worker in the UK somewhere to save, our first-class responsible investment practice and governance are the backbone of what we do, supported by all the functions you’d expect to find in a thriving business. We’re committed to creating a workplace where you can be your authentic self and offer an inclusive and flexible working environment.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Everyone is welcome to apply for our roles and we particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnicity, LGBTQ+, and disabled candidates.
Everyone is welcome to apply for our roles, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment because of their age, disability, gender identity, marital status, national origin, pregnancy or caring responsibilities, race, religion/belief, sex, sexual orientation or socio economic background.
We also recognise the importance of diversity of thought and other forms of neurocognitive variation.
Nest is a Disability Confident Leader, which is the highest level of the Disability Confident Scheme. If you have a disability, please declare that you’re applying through the scheme.
We aim to offer an interview to those applicants who apply through the Disability Confident Scheme and best meet the minimum criteria. However, there may be some circumstances where this is not possible due to the volume of applications.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Location