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Mark Wilson

Quality Assurance and Test Manager

Works remotely from Leeds

  • 53.797563
  • -1.544227
  • Suggested rate € 700 / day
  • Experience 7+ years
Propose a project The project will begin once you accept Mark's quote.

This freelancer is available part-time (3 days per week) but hasn't confirmed their availability in over 7 days.

Part-time, 3 days per week

Propose a project The project will begin once you accept Mark's quote.

Location and workplace preferences

Location
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Remote only
Primarily works remotely

Verifications

Freelancer code of conduct signed
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Verified email

Languages

  • English

    Native or bilingual

Categories

Skills (7)

Mark in a few words

Professional consultant for over 30 years at senior level in both private and public sectors, working
exclusively in assurance and quality.
• Expertly devised, operated and improved test management and governance controls, most latterly leading UAT on behalf of over 2,000 users at Humberside Police.
• Has significant senior level Test Consultant experience, including functional and non-functional software testing, hardware asset testing and functional UAT.
• Has successfully expedited many high-value projects using both agile and waterfall life cycles.
• Devises and uses metrics to make measurable improvements.
• Assiduous attention to detail yet instinctive creator
Creative and unconventional, I’ve worked for over 30 years in senior roles with blue-chip clients, exclusively in in the field of IT Quality Assurance. Seeking opportunities with major clients to devise and improve QA processes, and test complex products better.

Experience

Rubenoid Solutions

About me  - As a freelancer

Leeds, UK

May 2022 - Today (10 months)

I'm currently looking for opportunities to help high-profile organisations build systems better through focus on quality, QA and Testing. But I'm also enjoying more of my parallel career in music and have a new website and a re-vamped solo act.

Marjolo Solutions

UAT Manager  - As a freelancer

November 2021 - April 2022 (5 months)

Successfully completed the UAT and Scenario Testing of a migration from a legacy to a new Record Management System for a major (2000 user) public sector client (Humberside Police). A key aspect of my approach was production of test scripts/packs and a Scenario Test Specification. I also successfully prioritised the business processes and concentrated the UAT on the high-traffic/highly configured areas, with very good defect detection rates. Because I was also the manager of defect resolution I was able to expedite the rapid correction and re-testing of the defects. I formed strong relationships with the client (both ranking and rank-and-file officers) and I believe the "soft" side of my skills was crucial in delivering a successful outcome.

Skipton Building Society

Test Process Consultant  - As a freelancer

Skipton BD23, UK

December 2018 - March 2019 (3 months)

Contract. Making UAT more effective and efficient by defining a formal process for Digital UAT and producing all the artefacts required to create a process from scratch. I tested the process and rolled it out for the monthly release i.e. I successfully used the process I'd created to test the digital output of this very successful financial institution (£20bn savings; £1 .5bn mortgages; £271M profit).

Redcentric

NHS Digital Programme Test Manager  - As a freelancer

Harrogate, UK

January 2017 - April 2017 (3 months)

Contract. Defining and operating a formal process for testing infrastructure for NHS Digital's peering exchange. Responsibilities
- Consulted to Redcentric PLC on a contract worth £3.5M
- Managed the testing of a major internet peering exchange for NHS Digital.
- Managed NHS Digital testing and assurance stakeholders
- Ensured NHS Digital contractual requirements for quality were met
- Set-up and rolled out PMO controls for Prince 2 product planning
- Established and rolled-out standards for product deliverable specifications, document review and milestone acceptance criteria
- Managed achievement of milestone requirements for testing and assurance
- Designed and established new Test Planning, Execution and Reporting mechanisms
- Produced Test Strategy, test plans, test specifications, test metrics and test reporting which were accepted by the customer, to schedule. Headline achievements:
- Overcame resistance from engineers unwilling to use formal test methods.
- Produced first ever practical, effective and comprehensive test specification/ execution/defect reporting tools for infrastructure testing for Redcentric

MASTEK

UK Quality Manager

Leeds, UK

October 2008 - April 2016 (7 years and 6 months)

Major permanent role. Head of Quality for global-reach Indian software developer.
- Owned the quality management and quality assurance function at the highest level in the UK, where the vast majority of Mastek's global income is generated.
- Used knowledge and experience of building complex IT systems to evangelise, consult with, mentor and audit high-value programmes and projects.
- Assured and established the governance of multiple high-value programmes with UK customers worth £64,000,000 in 2016.
- Ensured programmes were tested in compliance with contractual and internal requirements for quality.
- Audited all high-value programmes for compliance and business risk
- Ensured all major projects had lowest possible business risk profile and the lowest possible defect rate.
- Authored multiple technical specifications and plans
- Expert on product and process metrics Managed major public sector clients (NHS Digital, Home Office); managed major private sector clients (British Telecom, Morrisons Supermarkets PLC, International Personal Finance PLC, North P&I

British Telecom

Quality Manager  - As a freelancer

Leeds, UK

August 2003 - November 2007 (4 years and 3 months)

Contract (extended multiple times). Heading up Quality on multiple releases of the largest civilian IT project in the world. Consultant on the NHS Spine Programme providing the National Care Records Service, a £600 million programme with over 500 staff and up to 1 million users. As well as the Spine, I worked on the Secondary Uses Service (SUS) and Payment By Results (PBR). Contract renewed 8 times.
- Wrote the successful Bid schedule on quality;
- Produced and maintain the BT programme quality plans and quality system documentation;
- Procured major supplier quality plans and quality system documentation;
- Achieved ISO 9001/TickIT, BS 15000/ITIL and CMMI level 2/3 certification;
- Audited BT and its major suppliers for compliance with contractual quality requirements and relevant standards and manage corrective actions to conclusion; Test Management
- Reviewed BT and supplier test strategies, test plans, test specifications for compliance to contractual requirements for test quality and for compliance with best practice and standards;
- Devised the Test Readiness Review process and chair system testing Test Readiness Reviews;
- Devised the process for accepting supplier major software releases (Factory Acceptance Test), chair the acceptance meetings and audit supplier software releases;
- Participated in defect control and software bug-fix release meetings to ensure all defects were impacted and implemented;
- The BT system release note became the model for all the NHS's major suppliers' release notes.
- The Test Readiness Review process was adopted by the NHS for their own TRRs and most of my processes were used later by Morrisons Supermarkets plc

DWP (Jobcentre Plus)

Business Analyst  - As a freelancer

Sheffield, UK

May 2003 - July 2003 (2 months)

Contract I did via Gone Daddy Discs Ltd. Designing change and release management procedures for content management (using Sharepoint) of the second largest Intranet in Europe. My consultancy provided the mechanisms for the maintenance of web-enabled operational instructions and guidance for 90,000 users delivering Jobcentre and Benefits services to millions of customers.

Holbeck Building Society

Test Manager  - As a freelancer

Leeds, UK

September 2002 - December 2002 (3 months)

Contract I did via Gone Daddy Discs Ltd. Migration of data and functionality from ICL mainframe to Oracle/UNIX client server for mission-critical financial systems for major UK building society. Test strategy, test plans, test execution, test reporting, defect management. Managed Mortgage and Investments business streams simultaneously. Managed a team of testers who had not been managed before.

The Accident Group

Test and Configuration Manager  - As a freelancer

Manchester, UK

March 2002 - September 2002 (6 months)

Contract I did via Gone Daddy Discs Ltd. £7 million project to build enterprise-wide intranet-based JD Edwards ERP and CRM system for market-leading accident insurance group. Acted as translator and conduit between the client and the supplier. Functional and non functional testing; test strategy, test plans, test execution, test reporting, defect management; software build/release management.

EDS/HM Government

Test & Configuration Manager  - As a freelancer

Sheffield, UK

July 2001 - December 2001 (5 months)

Contract I did via Gone Daddy Discs Ltd. Functional and non-functional testing of a major release of the Employment Service's CFS system. Test strategy, test plans, test execution, test reporting, defect management; software build/release management. Browser-based Java / Tuxedo /Oracle) 850-user training/funding system.

Compaq Computer/HM

Change & Configuration Manager  - As a freelancer

Leeds, UK

July 1999 - April 2001 (1 year and 9 months)

Contract I did via Gone Daddy Discs Ltd. Helping Compaq to deliver a managed IT service to HM Government Highways Agency. Provided configuration and change management (allied to incident/problems and asset management) and business process change. Implemented ITIL for Compaq and the Highways Agency and procured replacement for Support Magic (Magic Total Service Desk). Contract renewed three times.

Prescription pricing Authority

Quality Management Consultant  - As a freelancer

Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

March 1999 - May 1999 (2 months)

Contract I did via Gone Daddy Discs Ltd. Re-designing documented IT quality management system (ISO 9001/TickIT) for this NHS agency. Procuring replacement document management and QA database.

Equifax - EQUIFAX IBÉRICA

Equifax Quality Manager  - As a freelancer

Bradford, UK

September 1998 - February 1999 (5 months)

IT Quality management system consultancy for one of world's largest personal data providers.

Northern Electric

Quality Manager  - As a freelancer

Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

May 1997 - August 1998 (1 year and 3 months)

Contract I did via Gone Daddy Discs Ltd. Designed and implemented software development/support quality management system for major utility supplier with objective of gaining ISO 9001/Tick certification within 6 months (gained ISO 9001/TickIT certification within 5 months). Also responsible for IT policy on data quality. Contract extended four times.

University of Leeds

Quality Management Consultant

January 1994 - January 1997 (3 years)

Providing self-starting quality management consultancy to academic (and some private sector clients), including quality management systems and ISO 9001 certification for University of Leeds research (Dept. Textile Industries; Institute for Transport Studies; Keyworth Institute) and teaching (Department of Mechanical Engineering); business analysis for internet-based document management system, quality management system and Investor In People consultancy for IBS Ltd. (Leeds

University of Leeds

Quality Consultant

August 1989 - December 1996 (7 years and 4 months)

I did my first IT job here as a Quality Engineer doing NAMAS accreditation for software test lab (CAD-CAD neutral formats) and then did one of the first ISO 9001/TickIT certifications. I devised a model for applying ISO 9001 to academic research and got two major departments registered to ISO 9001. I did various bits and pieces with commercial clients in Leeds before going into contracting at Northern Electric PLC in 1997.

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts

    University of Leeds

    1981

    BA (Hons), History

  • Post-graduate Diploma, Computing and Communications Engineering

    Leeds Polytechnic

    1989

    Post-graduate Diploma, Computing and Communications Engineering

  • Master of Science in Software Engineering

    Scrum Alliance

    2013

    Certified Scrum Master, Software Development

  • 10 'O' Levels and 4 'A' Levels

    St Wilfrid's RC High School, Featherstone

    1977

    10 'O' Levels and 4 'A' Levels

Certifications 

  • National Police Vetting
    NPPV2
    2021