• Testing
  • Designs, creates, and executes comprehensive test strategies, aligned with the SDLC, and plans for systems and product releases.
  • Develops project plans, resource plans, and budgets for QA activities in support of product releases.
  • Works with project team to estimate and plan the QA activities during the planning phase.
  • Supervises all QA activities and deliverables using internal and external resources.  
  • Certifies the quality of and reports findings against defined criteria.
  • Ensures issues related to product quality are identified, logged, and tracked, examining root causes for defects from a quality perspective to eliminate future rework or issues.
  • Works with development, support, and training teams to examine the root cause of defects and to drive the resolution of identified quality issues.
  • Researches, recommends, develops, and maintains processes for software and system testing.
  • Defines meaningful metrics and measurements to assess the overall quality of the product.
  • Defines the quality requirements for test environments, including preparation, software configuration, and test data setup.
  • Applies creativity and strategic insight as necessary to adapt QA testing methodology to specific projects circumstances.
  • Presents test results to stakeholders.
  • Oversees the testing automation strategy, test data management strategy, test environments and test automation framework architecture.
  • Oversees the development of test automation frameworks for all applications that automation currently supports.
  • Defines, implements, and manages processes with regard to automated testing.
  • Provides metrics on business process and code coverage for automated test suites.

·         Management Competencies

• Leads and manages Neiman Marcus Service Delivery QA  team, coaches and mentors, conducts performance assessments and identifies professional development opportunities
• Supports and leads active problem management spotlight issues following ITIL processes
• Engages with partners to plan, schedule, evaluate and deliver quality assurance services.
• Suggests innovations, process and system changes to improve processes and business results
• Participates as an operations/support expert in partner meetings, identifies and brings other appropriate subject matter experts as needed
• Keeps abreast of new and updated QA technologies, methods and processes
• Assists with the preparation, monitoring and control of IT financial expenditures
• Participates in DR QA activities for all applications defined within the scope of the contract

• Service Provider Oversight
  • Develops strong knowledge of all relevant contractual documents to fully understand scope, responsibilities, obligations, and deliverables
  • Manages the relationship with Provider to ensure the effective delivery of outsourced services to Neiman Marcus for areas of responsibility
  • Conducts regular service reviews; manages and audits Provider performance and productivity relative to Service Level Agreements. Ensures Provider is compliant with all agreements.
  • Works with Provider to identify opportunities for service improvement, approves service improvement plan, establishes timelines for completion, and validates successful implementation
  • Authorizes all work resulting in financial expenditures and ensures that all required Neiman Marcus approvals are obtained prior to delivery
  • Serves as the primary liaison regarding communication between Neiman Marcus and Provider relative to QA service delivery changes, incidents, problems and recovery efforts; partners closely with the IT Vendor Management Organization
  • Maintains focus on the delivery of high quality, efficient quality assurance practices.
  • Contacts Provider with corrections, plan/program changes and any details/information necessary to resolve conflicts between Neiman Marcus and Provider
  • Develops and distributes written communications as needed to the Provider
  • Reviews and monitors Provider problems, QA process and change management processes, and escalation procedures
  • Participates in the development and leads the oversight of all QA strategy, process, change management, governance and execution of the Neiman Marcus Enterprise Applications Quality Assurance practice. reviews change requests, facilitates change meetings, applies change approvals
  • Meets frequently in regularly-scheduled management meetings with the Provider, internal development and AMS support teams to see continuous improvement of QA practices and processes to deliver the highest quality deliverables in the shortest amount of time and at the lowest possible cost.
  • Interface with the Vendor Management Organization and management as needed to analyze Provider performance
  • Reviews technical QA procedures documents created by Provider at regular intervals to confirm accuracy and currency

·         Reporting

• Establishes metric/performance reporting; tracks Provider performance and ensures viability of service levels
• Defines, reviews and approves Provider reporting on assets, availability, capacity, etc.; implements improvements where necessary
• Implements, maintains and matures service level reporting
• Ensures that IT the timely completion of all related security and compliance deliverables

·         Stakeholder Interactions

• Provides early warning to stakeholders regarding chronic degraded or missed service levels
• Measures, monitors and manages Neiman Marcus satisfaction and provides remediation
• Provides direction and leadership in developing client Neiman Marcus processes
• Ensures development team has completed proper knowledge transition to service delivery and Provider for any new functionality or processes.
• Works with business partners in the development of effective User Acceptance Testing strategies, tactics and delivery.

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS(Scope):

INTERNAL:

EXTERNAL:

Interacts routinely with vendors, service providers, consultants/advisors and professional organizations.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES: 

ESSENTIAL: 

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in a computer or information management field with ten or more years’ experience in an Information Technology role
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Business Management, Computer Science or related field strongly preferred
• Strong understanding of QA test methodologies (including Waterfall and Agile) and the SDLC, with prior QA Lead experience
• Experience performing all aspects of test management including test execution, environment preparation and management and defect tracking and analysis across multiple initiatives
• Strong knowledge of unit, system, integration, and regression testing best practices and methodologies and automation
• Experience with manual and automated regression testing
• Experience managing QA team and managing stakeholder expectations
• Demonstrated experience with IT service management, service provider oversight, ITIL practices, financial forecasting and analysis, budget and personnel administration, project planning and management, and contract/vendor negotiation and administration.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills (oral and written)
• Strong understanding of ITIL, AGILE, and Waterfall methodologies
• Expert knowledge of multiple problem management methodologies.
• Proficiency with general purpose PC software including spreadsheets, word processing, communications and collaboration tools.
• Proficiency with Project, Document, Collaboration applications (Atlassian Suite)

• Five plus years’ experience working in a complex, large volume retail Omni-channel environment with the following applications
• Preferred experience with Merchandising & Planning, Finance, Accounting, Stores, Supply Chain, Credit and Customer Order Management.
• The applications in scope include legacy custom applications and package solutions, such as Oracle Retail, Oracle e-Business Suite and Human Resources, Manhattan and Cornell Mayo Associates.
• Experience managing a testing services vendor in an outcome based model
• Experience validating data using Structured Query Language (SQL)
• Experience building a QA Center of Excellence (COE)