Senior UAT Test Lead with extensive experience leading large-scale testing initiatives within the financial services industry

We are seeking a seasoned UAT Test Lead with extensive experience leading large-scale testing initiatives within the financial services industry. The ideal candidate has a proven track record managing User Acceptance Testing (UAT) for complex banking applications, strong leadership capabilities, and the ability to work closely with business and technology stakeholders to ensure successful delivery.

Location: Hybrid - Toronto, ON (2 to 3 days onsite required)

Duration: 6-month contract + extensions

Start Date: ASAP

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end User Acceptance Testing (UAT) cycles for major banking products and system enhancements.
• Partner with Business SMEs, Product Owners, QA teams, and external vendors to define test scope, scenarios, and acceptance criteria.
• Develop and maintain UAT plans, schedules, test case documentation, defect triage plans, and reporting dashboards.
• Coordinate and manage UAT execution, issue resolution, and go-live readiness.
• Facilitate daily test status meetings, defect reviews, and readiness checkpoints.
• Ensure test traceability and compliance with enterprise testing standards.
• Provide leadership, mentoring, and direction to UAT team members.
• Escalate risks and blockers proactively to project leadership and stakeholders.

Must Haves

• 12+ years of testing experience within the financial services/banking industry.
• Strong UAT leadership experience, including planning, execution, and stakeholder management.
• Hands-on experience testing banking products, platforms, and customer-facing systems.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to influence and drive outcomes.
• Strong understanding of SDLC, defect management processes, and enterprise testing methodologies.
• Experience working in hybrid or agile project environments.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience with teller/branch banking systems.
• Exposure to test automation frameworks and integration with UAT processes.
• Banking certifications (ISTQB, BA certifications, etc.) considered an asset.