Associate Director, Software Quality and Test

External Job Description

Parexel is in the business of improving the world’s health. We do this by providing a suite of biopharmaceutical services that help clients across the globe transform scientific discoveries into new treatments.  We believe in our values, Patients First, Quality, Respect, Empowerment & Accountability.

This role will work within our innovative Data & Technology group that continues to evolve to meet business needs, fuel Parexel's growth and enable improved support for stakeholders, including customers and ultimately patients, who will benefit from Parexel's integrated processes and systems.

This role will be based in the UK and can be fully home based and remote working anywhere in the UK only.

As the Associate Director, Software Quality Engineering and Test you will be responsible for leading the strategic transformation, modernisation and operational delivery of Quality Engineering (QE), testing, automation and quality assurance capabilities across Parexel’s global Data & Technology (D&T) organisation.

You will be accountable for evolving the organisation from traditional manual testing practices toward a modern Quality Engineering operating model emphasising automation, continuous testing, quality intelligence, shift-left principles, risk-based quality assurance, DevOps integration and scalable enterprise quality practices. You will provide strategic leadership for enterprise testing and QE services supporting clinical, regulatory, safety, operational and enterprise technology platforms across regulated and non-regulated environments.

You will also drive enterprise wide QE standards, automation strategies, tooling roadmaps, governance models and delivery frameworks that improve product quality, accelerate delivery, reduce operational risk and enhance inspection readiness.

Key Accountabilities:

Quality Engineering Strategy & Transformation

• Own and execute the enterprise Quality Engineering strategy across Data & Technology, positioning QE as a strategic business enabler across Parexel.

• Lead the transition from traditional testing to modern Quality Engineering, automation-first delivery, shift-left testing and continuous quality practices.

Enterprise Testing & Quality Delivery

• Oversee enterprise-wide testing and QE delivery across regulated and non-regulated systems, ensuring consistent methods, standards and engineering best practices.

• Establish standards for test planning, execution, automation, traceability, evidence management, defect governance, quality gates and release readiness.

Automation & Engineering Excellence

• Own enterprise automation engineering frameworks, standards and tooling strategies that increase automation coverage, reusability and efficiency.

• Ensure automation capabilities support regulated validation, evidence, traceability and inspection readiness requirements where applicable.

Vendor & Global Delivery Management

• Lead globally distributed QE delivery teams, including vendor-supplied resources, offshore teams and strategic partners.

• Establish supplier governance models, KPIs, service expectations and performance reviews to ensure delivery quality, productivity and compliance.

Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure QE practices align to regulatory expectations, GxP requirements and enterprise quality standards where applicable.

• Collaborate with Validation Assurance and Compliance teams to support validated systems, inspection readiness, audits and remediation activities.

Leadership & Organisational Development

• Build, lead and develop high-performing global QE and testing teams across multiple functions and geographies.

• Establish capability strategies, career pathways, competency models and succession plans supporting automation, engineering and modern QE skill development.

Stakeholder Engagement & Executive Partnership

• Partner with Business, senior D&T, Quality, Engineering and Operational leaders to align QE strategy with enterprise objectives.

• Influence technology and delivery strategies through quality-driven insights, metrics and executive recommendations.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Lead enterprise quality improvement programmes focused on efficiency, effectiveness, customer experience and speed to market.

• Develop data-driven approaches to quality measurement, operational optimisation, standardisation and simplification of testing processes.

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Quality Engineering or related discipline required.

• Master’s Degree in Technology, Engineering, Business or related discipline preferred.

• Relevant certifications such as ISTQB, PMP, SAFe, ITIL, Lean Six Sigma or equivalent preferred.

Skills:

• Strategic leader with proven ability to drive organisational transformation, large-scale change, operational excellence and continuous improvement across complex global environments.

• Deep Quality Engineering expertise spanning enterprise testing methodologies, automation frameworks, tooling ecosystems, Agile, DevOps, CI/CD and modern engineering practices.

• Strong capability in regulated system delivery, GxP environments, vendor governance, global delivery models and risk-based quality oversight.

• Advanced leadership, coaching, people management, budget/resource management and organisational capability-building skills.

• Exceptional stakeholder management, executive communication, influencing, negotiation, business acumen and ability to balance innovation, speed, quality and compliance.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Advanced level experience in Quality Engineering, software testing, technology quality assurance or related disciplines, including leadership of enterprise QE transformation and automation-first testing strategies.

• Strong leadership and people management experience, with proven ability to lead large global QE organisations, vendor delivery models and cross-functional enterprise initiatives.

• Strong experience supporting enterprise platforms, digital products, cloud technologies, SaaS platforms and complex technology ecosystems in global engineering environments.

• Experience operating in regulated environments, with strong use of metrics, KPIs and operational performance management to drive quality outcomes.

• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, operational planning and workforce strategies, influence executive leadership and leverage AI-enabled testing or intelligent automation capabilities where appropriate.

In return we will be able to offer you a structured career pathway and encouragement to develop within the role including awareness and understanding of the industry.  You will be well supported and in return for your hard work you will be rewarded with a competitive base salary, car allowance, bonus and holiday as well as other leading benefits you would expect with a top company in the CRO Industry.

Apply today to begin your Parexel journey!

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