At Honda we embrace inclusion in our various policies, so whilst our contracts state that the hours are as required to fulfil the role with a minimum of 35 hours per week, we offer flexibility for when you work. The regular office hours are 08:00 - 16:00 Monday to Thursday with a half hour lunch break & 08:00 - 13:00 on a Friday. However, we offer flexibility of when you work with our daily flex-time start of between 07:00 and 11:00 providing that there is no business requirement. Whilst there is no contractual right to work from home, the flexibility we offer is that you can request to work from home 2 days per week, again providing there is no business requirement to attend the office., The Test and Release Manager will be responsible for managing the testing and release processes of our software products. This role involves coordinating with internal teams and internal and 3rd party suppliers to ensure that all software releases are thoroughly tested, meet quality standards, and are delivered on time minimising risk to the business. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in managing software testing, release management, and project coordination. Releases will include defect fixes as well as changes. This role will lead a team to deliver and manage quality testing, working with the other section managers in the team to coordinate the delivery of releases based on agreed priorities and drive improvements. Main Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and implementation of a Honda Finance Europe (HFE) Test Strategy and HFE Release Strategy.
• Lead the development and implementation of test plans, and schedules for software releases.
• Manage coordination with 3rd party suppliers and operations teams to ensure smooth and timely releases, consistently driving improvements.
• Manage the end-to-end release process, including planning, scheduling, and deployment.
• Monitor and report on the progress of testing and release activities to senior management.
• Identify and mitigate and escalate risks as appropriate associated with software releases.
• Ensure that all releases comply with quality standards and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain and improve release management strategy, procedures, processes and tools.
• Provide leadership and guidance to the testing and release team.
• Collaborate with stakeholders at all levels to define release goals and priorities.
• Lead on issue resolution related to testing and release processes.
• Work as part of Business Solutions Management team to ensure working in alignment with the rest of Honda, especially on intercompany projects.
• Management of business test packs ensuring that they are always maintained and updated.
• Review and propose changes to the Business requirements to ensure they are testable
• Support the Business Solutions Department Manager on other projects as directed and required.
• Provide weekly/monthly reporting on testing activities.
Team Management
• Lead, mentor and develop a team of Test Analysts, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment
• Conduct regular performance reviews and provide feedback.
  
  Excellent verbal and written communication skills; expertise in understanding, setting and managing customer expectations.
• Good Test Management and Testing experience.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of business needs, with the ability to establish and maintain a high level of customer trust and confidence.
• Ability to communicate needs and schedules to IT and Users, as well as ensure that plans are in place and standards are adhered to.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate a team and to apply skills and techniques to solve problems.
• Ability to present and explain technical information in a way that establishes rapport, persuades others and gains understanding.
• Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills at all management levels.
Desirable
• Solid understanding of the software development process, including requirement gathering, analysis/design, development tools/technologies, release/version control, testing methodologies and deployment management.
• Experience of Test Automation.
• Experience in the Automotive Finance Industry.
  
  Honda is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in the workplace for all employees, temporary workers, contractors, applicants and visitors. Honda also encourages respect for the individual differences and talents of others while making full use of one's own abilities, based on Honda's philosophy of respect for the individual.
At Honda, we value and celebrate diversity and are committed to being a fair, non-discriminatory company that promotes and welcomes the uniqueness and differences of people around the world. We recognise that a diverse workforce allows for different ideas and perspectives, and we encourage everyone to share them. We strive to foster a culture of belonging that is consistent with Honda's core values and lived out in the way we work and respect each other. For us at Honda, diversifying our workforce means increasing its overall strength by providing people with equal opportunities - regardless of personal characteristics or previous careers. This commitment flows directly from the Honda philosophy and the belief that we are all working towards a common goal. Honda recruits, hires, trains and promotes the most qualified/experienced individuals at all levels without regard to race, origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other protected characteristic. Job Segment: Testing, Work from Home, Temporary, Law, Technology, Contract, Automotive, Legal