JOB PURPOSE
The Test Analyst will take a leading role in testing the primary care applications. This testing will be done in accordance with the NWIS Test Framework. This may include developing testing strategy, plans etc., Systems and Integration Testing (SIT), Regression Testing and Performance Testing activities and deliverables, depending on the priorities and stage of development. The role also requires hands on testing to build application expertise and ensure project deadlines are met. The Test Analyst will also need to work closely with NWIS Project Managers, Lead Test Analyst and clinical and technical stakeholders.
1. Communication and Relationship Skills
The Test Analyst must be able to:-
a. Develop and maintain relationships with customers and suppliers, where appropriate providing them with advice support and training.
b. Represent NWIS or the project they are engaged in at relevant meetings when required.
c. Communicate with staff (e.g. developers and infrastructure specialists) on complex technical, business and clinical matters relating to testing.
d. Liaise, as necessary, with staff (external and internal to the NHS) to resolve faults and clarify user requirements in order to ensure that systems under test meet the agreed requirements and will allow the associate services to be delivered.
2. Knowledge, Training and Experience
The Test Analyst must have a relevant degree (or equivalent), or extensive experience of software testing in a highly complex, healthcare technical environment. The Test Analyst should hold the ISTQB foundation certificate in software testing and be able to demonstrate and maintain a sound knowledge of relevant NHS clinical and business processes.
The Test Analyst will be required to:-
a. Demonstrate and maintain knowledge and expertise of test methodologies and relevant industry standards.
b. Demonstrate and maintain knowledge and expertise in test tools e.g. Visual Studio, Team Foundation Server.
c. Demonstrate and maintain knowledge of working within an Agile Methodology.
d. Acquire and maintain a detailed knowledge of the systems to be tested and the business and clinical processes the system is intended to support.
e. Demonstrate and maintain the level of knowledge necessary to carry out their duties in areas such as:
• Microsoft SQL Server
• Team Foundation Server
• XML
• Soap UI
• Writing and executing SQL queries
• Server operating systems such as Windows Server, Unix/Linux.
f. Have a working knowledge of the Prince 2 project management.
3. Analytical and Judgemental Skills
The Test Analyst will be required to:-
a. Analyse and resolve complex IT and testing issues.
b. Analyse the testing needs of the project in line with the NWIS Test Framework and Patient safety strategy and produce the Test Strategy, Plan and scripts for the various test phases.
c. Analyse complex business and clinical processes to produce Test Strategies, Test Plans, Test Cases and Test Scripts that reflect the working practices of the areas where a system is to be deployed.
d. Analyse and document the requirements for non-functional testing.
e. Set up XML Messages to test the interfaces and interpret results of the messages particularly where failures have occurred.
f. Test Webservices using SoapUI.
g. Analyse Business Requirements and specifications in order to prepare comprehensive Traceability Matrices for the systems under test.
4. Planning and Organisational Skills
The Test Analyst will be required to:-
a. Organise their own work effectively and work on their own initiative.
b. Prepare detailed plans for carrying out testing including the analysis of cross project dependencies and intra-project dependencies.
c. Carry out the tasks identified in the relevant test strategy and plans and advise project managers of their progress.
d. Have a methodical approach to their work with an attention to detail.
5. Physical Skills
The Test Analyst will need to demonstrate standard keyboard skills.
6. Responsibility for Patient /Client Care
Whilst the Test Analyst will not have direct involvement in the clinical care of patients / clients, the role is fundamental to the clinical safety of systems designed to plan and facilitate the care of patients.
7. Responsibility for Policy / Service Development Implementation
The Test Analyst must be able to:-
a. Design and maintain appropriate controls for the management of system defects to ensure the quality of systems implemented as part of service developments.
b. Contribute to the on-going development of the Test Framework for national systems as developed by NWIS.
c. Write test strategies and plans based on a detailed knowledge of complex requirements.
d. Write, report and present the outcome of testing in accordance with the test strategy.
8. Responsibility for Financial and Physical Resources
The Test Analyst will be responsible for:-
a. Advising on the design of test environments including servers, software and integration tools.
b. Assisting in the budget planning of projects with respect to testing requirements.
9. Responsibility for Human Resources
The Test Analyst will be responsible for:-
a. Ensuring that other members of the testing team, and themselves, are adequately trained in relevant training methods and tools.
b. Training non-test staff to undertake testing tasks.
10. Responsibility for Information Resources
Develop and maintain means of recording and managing defects and issues arising from testing and perform complex analysis on this information to produce reports for development and project staff.
11. Responsibility for Research and Development
The Test Analyst must:
a. Research and evaluate testing tools (e.g. Visual Studio, Team Foundation Server) in order to improve the delivery of testing services.
b. Implement relevant tools to support the delivery of testing.
c. Routinely test applications to ensure that systems are stable, meet the business requirements and the users expectation.
12. Freedom to Act
The Test Analyst is responsible for prioritising their own workload to ensure targets are met, referring to manager only when necessary.
13. Physical Effort
The Test Analyst will spend the majority of the working day operating a PC, communicating with colleagues and clients via the telephone and /or email, and will be required to attend meetings.
14. Mental Effort
The Test Analyst must be able to concentrate for long periods e.g. writing plans, test scripts and executing test scripts.
Additional information about the process
*This role would fall inside IR35*