Job Description

Who are we?
Glacier by Sanlam brings together leading experts and respected financial services companies to meet clients' investment needs. We deliver focused investment services through specialist teams, partner with acclaimed financial intermediaries and pride ourselves on our superior products and solutions and high quality service. We offer a comprehensive range of investment solutions, designed to assist in the creation and preservation of wealth. Our offering encompasses local investments, including fixed term investments and investments with guarantees, international investments, retirement saving solutions, and retirement income solutions. While each solution has its own distinct purpose, they all share the world-class quality and commitment that have come to distinguish Glacier.
What will you do?
The Test Lead in the Middle-office team is accountable for defining, implementing, and overseeing the testing strategy for applications supported by the Glacier Middle Office BAU team. These applications enable internal Glacier staff to perform critical administrative functions. The Test Lead ensures that all testing activities align with Glacier's QA standards and tools, and that applications meet functional, performance, security, and compliance requirements. This role is pivotal in delivering a seamless and reliable user experience across the platform.This role ensures that applications meet functional, performance, security, and compliance standards to provide Glacier's end users with a seamless and reliable user experience. This role will be based at the Glacier Head Office in Cape Town.
Key outcomes
The following outcomes will be expected to be achieved by the Test Lead Middle Office:

• Define and execute test strategies and plans for Internal Applications used in processing and core back-office services.
• Lead and mentor a team of testers, ensuring effective task allocation, progress tracking, and skills development.
• Collaborate with developers, business analysts, and product owners to ensure comprehensive test coverage and alignment with business requirements.
• Design and execute manual and automated test cases for functional, regression, performance, and security testing.
• Ensure testing activities comply with financial regulations and data privacy standards (e.g., FAIS, POPIA, GDPR).
• Monitor and report on test progress, defect metrics, and release readiness.
• Drive continuous improvement in testing processes, tools, and methodologies.
• Support production stability through proactive involvement in IT operations and post-implementation reviews.
• Coordinate reference and test data availability across environments.
• Participate in strategic initiatives, design workshops, and proof-of-concept efforts.
• Act as a testing liaison across teams and contribute to recruitment and capability assessments.

Mentorship and coaching

• Lead and mentor testing teams to foster a culture of continuous learning and high performance.
• Provide effective resource and task management to support team development and delivery goals.
• Facilitate clear and impactful communication across teams and stakeholders to ensure alignment and engagement.
• Guide teams in identifying and mitigating risks proactively to maintain quality and delivery standards.
• Define, track, and report on quality metrics and KPIs to drive accountability and improvement.

What will make you successful in this role?
Qualifications and experience

• Matric / Grade 12
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Systems, or a related field.
• ISTQB or equivalent certification (preferred).
• Minimum 5 years of experience in software testing
• At least 2 years in a lead role (advantageous).
• Experience in financial services or investment platforms (highly desirable).

Technical Experience

• Strong SQL skills and experience working with relational databases.
• Experience with API testing tools (e.g., Postman, Swagger).
• Familiarity with performance testing tools (e.g., JMeter, LoadRunner).
• Understanding of CI/CD pipelines and integration with testing frameworks.
• Experience with defect tracking and test management tools (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps).
• Strong knowledge of SDLC and STLC methodologies.

Tools and technologies

• Testing & API Tools
• Performance Testing: JMeter, LoadRunner
• Collaboration & Documentation: SQL, Confluence, Miro

Competencies

• Problem-solving and analysis skills
• Ability to perform well under pressure
• Planning and organizing
• Decision-making ability
• Attention to detail

Attributes

• Honesty, integrity, and respect
• Positive, enthusiastic attitude
• Professional work standards
• Ability to motivate self and others

Personal Attributes
Organisational savvy - Contributing through others
Manages complexity - Contributing through others
Plans and aligns - Contributing through others
Optimises work processes - Contributing through others
Build a successful career with us
We're all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future - your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping our employees to realise their worth. Through its five business clusters - Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office - the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.
Core Competencies
Cultivates innovation - Contributing through others
Customer focus - Contributing through others
Drives results - Contributing through others
Collaborates - Contributing through others
Being resilient - Contributing through others
Turnaround time
The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers.
Our commitment to transformation
The Sanlam Group is committed to achieving transformation and embraces diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace as we believe that these are key components to ensuring a thriving and sustainable business in South Africa. The Group's Employment Equity plan and targets will be considered as part of the selection process.