Testing Strategy Lead

The Ontario Pension Board (OPB) administers the Public Service Pension Plan (the PSPP), a major defined benefit pension plan sponsored by the Government of Ontario. With over 106,000 members and almost $40 billion in assets, the PSPP is one of Canada’s largest pension plans. It is also one of the country’s oldest, successfully delivering the pension promise since the early 1920s. Learn more about OPB.

About the role:

An exciting opportunity is available to be part of OPB’s pension modernization program, a multi-year business program encompassing all pension administration operations. This program will transform our business processes and systems to meet the evolving needs of our clients and stakeholders, deliver operational efficiencies, and enhance employee experience with the tools they use to deliver services.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Pension Modernization, the Testing Strategy Lead will play a pivotal role in the successful delivery of OPB’s pension modernization program, providing enterprise-wide leadership and expertise across testing, quality validation and solution readiness. As the primary business lead for testing, you will help shape the strategy and oversee the frameworks, methodologies, standards and best practices that guide testing across the modernization portfolio. Through this work, the Testing Strategy Lead ensures solutions are thoroughly validated, business requirements are met, implementation risks are mitigated, and successful implementation is supported.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and ongoing maintenance of the program-wide testing framework, methodologies, standards, governance processes, controls and reporting practices, and promote their consistent application across the program.
• Develop and oversee comprehensive testing strategies, plans, schedules and validation approaches, and lead the planning, coordination, execution and evaluation of end-to-end testing activities, including system integration testing (SIT), user acceptance testing (UAT), regression, conversion and operational readiness testing.
• Serve as the organization’s senior subject matter expert on testing lifecycle management, governance and quality validation, providing expert advice to business and technology stakeholders on testing approaches for complex business processes, integrations and data migration activities.
• Partner closely with the vendor and internal stakeholders to coordinate testing activities, align testing deliverables with program objectives, and support the timely resolution of testing issues, defects and risks.
• Monitor testing progress, risks, dependencies, defects and readiness metrics; identify, assess and mitigate testing-related risks and issues; and provide leadership in resolving complex defects and quality concerns.
• Assess testing outcomes and provide recommendations regarding solution acceptance and deployment readiness, helping ensure solutions meet business requirements, implementation risks are mitigated and operational readiness is achieved.
• Partner with business, technology and change management teams on business readiness and knowledge transfer, providing coaching and guidance to testing participants and supporting continuous improvement of testing practices, governance and automation capabilities.

Key Qualifications:

• University degree in a related discipline or equivalent experience.
• Relevant professional certifications in testing, information technology, or related disciplines are considered an asset.
• Extensive progressive experience in testing, including the development of test strategies and governance, integration and UAT, defect management, vendor management, and leading large-scale technology implementations.
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.
• Strong knowledge of the testing lifecycle, including SIT, UAT, regression, conversion and operational readiness testing.
• Familiar with automated testing strategies and platforms and the ongoing maintenance of test scripts to support accelerated testing timelines.
• Practical knowledge of Agile and Waterfall delivery methodologies, with experience applying testing practices within large-scale technology implementations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and assess testing risks, dependencies, defects and quality concerns and support their effective resolution.
• Strong planning and organizational skills, with the ability to develop comprehensive testing plans and schedules and coordinate complex testing activities across multiple stakeholders and workstreams.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with business, technology, change management and vendor partners.
• Strong communication and advisory skills, with the ability to translate complex testing considerations into clear guidance and recommendations for business and technology stakeholders.
• Sound judgment and decision-making skills, with the ability to evaluate testing outcomes, assess solution readiness and provide recommendations regarding solution acceptance and implementation readiness.
• Continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to identify opportunities to strengthen testing practices, governance and automation capabilities.

Compensation:

• The target hiring salary for this position is $130,000. A candidate’s placement in the range is based on skills, knowledge, experience, and internal equity, with consideration for how the candidate is developing, meets, or exceeds the role’s requirements . This position is eligible to participate in OPB’s Annual Incentive Program, subject to its terms and conditions.

Additional Information:

• This posting is for an existing vacancy.
• The competition will remain open until a successful candidate is selected or until the competition is closed. We thank all applicants, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
• No artificial intelligence tools are used to screen, assess, or select applicants for this position.
• The identified final candidate will be required to complete a background screening.
• OPB is committed to providing accommodation for people with disabilities in its recruitment process. Please advise OPB if you require an accommodation, and we will work with you to meet your needs. OPB is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusiveness that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome and encourage applications from those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.