Test Team Manager - MESMPE

Location: Bangalore India

Thales is a global technology leader trusted by governments institutions and enterprises to tackle their most demanding challenges. From quantum applications and artificial intelligence to cybersecurity and 6G innovation our solutions empower critical decisions rooted in human intelligence. Operating at the forefront of aerospace and space cybersecurity and digital identity were driven by a mission to build a future we can all trust.

Present in India since 1953 Thales is headquartered in Noida and has other operational offices and sites spread across Delhi Gurugram Bengaluru and Mumbai among others. Over 2200 employees are working with Thales and its joint ventures in India. Since the beginning Thales has been playing an essential role in Indias growth story by sharing its technologies and expertise in Defence Aerospace and Cyber & Digital sectors. Thales has two engineering competence centres in India - one in Noida focused on Cyber & Digital business while the one in Bengaluru focuses on hardware software and systems engineering capabilities for both the civil and defence sectors serving global needs. The Group has also established an MRO (Maintenance Repair & Overhaul) facility in Gurugram to provide comprehensive avionics maintenance and repair services to Indian airlines and support the growth of the local aviation industry.

The Test Team Manager leads and coordinates the offshore testing team dedicated to MES (APRISO) and MPE applications. Acting as the primary liaison between India and France this role ensures that testing activities are properly planned executed to quality standards and reported in a timely manner. The manager is accountable for the overall quality of test deliverables and for continuous improvement of the testing practice.

• Lead organise and develop the offshore test team (4 resources: functional testers and automation engineers)
• Define the test strategy and approach in alignment with the France MES/MPE teams
• Ensure quality completeness and traceability of all test deliverables
• Report test campaign progress metrics and risks to the project management team
• Drive continuous improvement of testing processes and tooling

Key Responsibilities

• Plan and schedule test campaigns (functional regression automated) across MES and MPE perimeters
• Define and maintain test plans test strategies and acceptance criteria in collaboration with France teams
• Coordinate day-to-day test activities across the offshore team managing priorities and blockers
• Ensure proper management of test environments test data and associated tooling
• Monitor and report on test coverage defect trends and team velocity using agreed KPIs
• Facilitate defect triage sessions and ensure timely resolution with development teams
• Manage non-conformances and escalate critical blockers to project management
• Organise knowledge transfer sessions and ensure team skills development
• Contribute to the selection and evolution of test tools (Jira Robot Framework etc.)
• Participate in project reviews and steering committees as representative of the test team
• Build test data referential strategy and manage the consistency of the datasets used by testing team
• Train and convince entity testing team to adopt a common test methodologies

Required Skills

Technical Skills

• Test management and QA methodologies (V-model Agile ISTQB)
• Knowledge of MES ERP or industrial software ecosystems
• Test management tools: Jira Squash or equivalent
• Familiarity with test automation frameworks (Robot Framework or equivalent)
• Understanding of CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Risk-based testing and defect lifecycle management

Behavioural & Soft Skills

• Strong leadership and team management in a remote/offshore context
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English (C1)
• Structured rigorous and process-oriented approach
• Ability to work across time zones and coordinate with French stakeholders
• Proactive problem-solving and escalation management
• Strong stakeholder management and reporting skills

Education & Experience

Education

Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science Software Engineering or equivalent

Required Experience

Minimum 7 years of experience in software testing including at least 3 years in a team lead or management role.

• Proven track record of managing QA teams in industrial manufacturing or MES contexts
• Experience working in offshore or distributed team setups
• Hands-on experience with functional and automated testing methodologies
• ISTQB Foundation or Advanced certification is a strong assetExperience with APRISO or comparable MES platforms is highly desirable

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At Thales were committed to fostering a workplace where respect trust collaboration and passion drive everything we do. Here youll feel empowered to bring your best self thrive in a supportive culture and love the work you do. Join us and be part of a team reimagining technology to create solutions that truly make a difference for a safer greener and more inclusive world.

Required Experience:

Manager