Test Phase Manager

State of Washington$145K — $158K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of experience in program and project management for large-scale initiatives.
  • Strong understanding of governance models and operational frameworks for complex projects.
  • Expertise in risk management and decision support in challenging environments.
  • Proven ability to lead cross-organizational teams and influence collaboration.
  • Excellent communication skills for engaging with executive leadership and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain a master test plan for the One Washington ERP program.
  • Supervise and lead Test Phase Leads across multiple testing initiatives.
  • Manage enterprise-level testing risk including issue identification and escalation.
  • Coordinate testing activities across multiple agencies and technical teams.
  • Provide structured governance and reporting to support deployment decisions.

Benefits

  • Flexible/Hybrid work environment providing work-life balance.
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance programs.
  • 12 paid holidays, 14 vacation days, and 12 days of sick leave annually.
  • Participation in state retirement programs to secure future financial stability.
  • Fostering a culture of integrity, innovation, and inclusion in the workplace.
Full Job Description
Salary: $145,000.00 - $158,000.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County - Olympia, WA
Job Type: Exempt
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number:
Department: Office of Financial Management
Division: One Washington
Opening Date: 08/24/2026
Closing Date: 9/7/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Description
Please note: The starting salary offer will be determined based on the successful candidates' qualifications within the budgeted salary range of $145,000 - $158,000 annually. However, there is the potential for longevity, growth, and salary progression for the individual once employed.

The job opportunity

We are seeking a Test Phase Manager to coordinate and oversee testing activities within a complex, statewide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation involving multiple agencies, system integrators, and technical teams. In this role, you will help ensure that testing phases operate as a single, integrated enterprise effort across interdependent systems, while navigating differences in agency readiness, system complexity, resource availability, and competing priorities.

You will coordinate the resolution of issues that span testing phases or agencies, including misaligned schedules, environments, data readiness, and defect resolution. Working within established program governance, testing strategies, and escalation processes, you will collaborate with Test Phase Leads, technical teams, and program leadership to address issues that cannot be resolved at the phase level and maintain alignment across the testing program.

You will manage risks and dependencies throughout system integration and validation, assessing the potential impact of defects, environment constraints, and changing readiness timelines on downstream testing and go-live preparedness. By applying established testing methodologies and governance standards, you will evaluate options, support timely resolution, and maintain alignment with the enterprise testing strategy and deployment schedule. You will balance competing priorities while helping maintain testing integrity across all phases and providing the information needed to support final system validation and go-live decisions.
(OneWA), led by the Office of Financial Management, is an enterprise-wide transformation project focused on replacing 1960s-era technology with a cloud-based Workday solution for finance, procurement, budget, HR, and payroll processes. OneWA is a long-term, yet extremely fast-paced project anticipated to fully implement all phases by 2030. The project's core business hours are Monday through Friday, and all project positions are full-time. We offer some flexibility in schedules oriented around core business hours with prior supervisory approval. However, it is very common to work beyond the typical 40-hour workweek to meet the rigorous operational needs and business deliverables required for the go-live timelines.What you'll work on:

  • Develop and maintain the enterprise test strategy and master test plan for the One Washington ERP program, ensuring all testing phases are sequenced, integrated, and aligned to support end-to-end validation of system functionality, data integrity, and business processes across agencies.
  • Supervise, lead and direct Test Phase Leads, including Individual System Testing (IST/MST), Workday Testing, End-to-End Testing, and Regression Testing, ensuring consistent execution, alignment to strategy, and effective resolution of cross-phase dependencies.
  • Oversee enterprise-level testing risk management, including identification, assessment, and escalation of issues such as coverage gaps, defects, environment constraints, schedule risks, and readiness concerns that could impact program go-live success.
  • Ensure coordination of testing activities across agencies, cohorts, system integrators, and technical teams, resolving cross-organizational dependencies and ensuring testing execution aligns with enterprise priorities and deployment timelines.
  • Provide structured testing governance and executive-level reporting, including readiness assessments, status reporting, and recommendations to program leadership to inform go/no-go and deployment decisions.

What we need you to bring:
Required Qualifications:

Program and Workstream Leadership

  • Knowledge of program delivery principles, complex project environments, and structured approaches for coordinating large-scale, interdependent work efforts.
  • Ability to lead and coordinate complex initiatives involving multiple stakeholder groups, workstreams, and organizational partners by establishing direction, sequencing activities, and ensuring alignment with broader program objectives.


Governance and Operational Frameworks

  • Knowledge of governance models, operational frameworks, decision-making structures, and management practices that support complex enterprise initiatives.
  • Skill in developing, implementing, and applying governance structures, standards, processes, and operational plans that promote accountability, consistency, and effective coordination across teams and organizations.


Risk Management and Decision Support

  • Knowledge of risk management principles, issue management practices, and approaches for evaluating impacts within complex operational environments.
  • Skill in identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and managing risks; evaluating potential impacts; developing mitigation strategies; and escalating issues with clear analysis and recommended solutions.


Matrixed Leadership and Collaboration

  • Skill in building relationships, influencing outcomes, and facilitating collaboration across diverse teams, stakeholder groups, and organizational boundaries.
  • Ability to lead through influence in a matrixed environment where staff, resources, and stakeholders do not report directly to the position.


Executive Communication and Stakeholder Engagement

  • Skill in translating complex technical, operational, and program information into clear, concise, and actionable communications.
  • Ability to communicate effectively with executive leadership, project teams, and diverse stakeholder groups to support alignment, transparency, and informed decision-making.
Strategic Prioritization and Alignment

  • Skill in managing competing priorities, evaluating organizational impacts, and maintaining focus across multiple concurrent initiatives.
  • Ability to establish alignment among workstreams, dependencies, and stakeholders while navigating changing priorities in a high-complexity environment.


Quality Management and Process Improvement

  • Knowledge of quality management principles, operational standards, and continuous improvement practices.
  • Ability to establish structures, processes, and performance expectations that promote consistency, quality, accountability, and successful delivery of large-scale operational initiatives.


Strategic Leadership and Organizational Alignment

  • Knowledge of enterprise strategy, organizational priorities, and the relationship between operational delivery, technology initiatives, and business outcomes.
  • Ability to align diverse teams around shared objectives, anticipate organizational impacts, and guide decision-making to support successful program outcomes and sustainable operational readiness.


Equity Minded

  • The ability to learn and grow: Curious about themselves and others, who take responsibility for knowing their own strengths and weaknesses, and who use their learning to make government programs and processes more efficient and effective to serve all in Washington.
  • The ability to meet the needs of others: Flexible, adaptable, customer-service focused, and willing and able to empathetically respond to the unique needs of the people we work with and serve.
Desired Qualifications:

Strategic Prioritization and Alignment

  • Skill in managing competing priorities, evaluating organizational impacts, and maintaining focus across multiple concurrent initiatives.
  • Ability to establish alignment among workstreams, dependencies, and stakeholders while navigating changing priorities in a high-complexity environment.


Quality Management and Process Improvement

  • Knowledge of quality management principles, operational standards, and continuous improvement practices.
  • Ability to establish structures, processes, and performance expectations that promote consistency, quality, accountability, and successful delivery of large-scale operational initiatives.


Strategic Leadership and Organizational Alignment

  • Knowledge of enterprise strategy, organizational priorities, and the relationship between operational delivery, technology initiatives, and business outcomes.
  • Ability to align diverse teams around shared objectives, anticipate organizational impacts, and guide decision-making to support successful program outcomes and sustainable operational readiness.


Equity Minded

  • The ability to learn and grow: Curious about themselves and others, who take responsibility for knowing their own strengths and weaknesses, and who use their learning to make government programs and processes more efficient and effective to serve all in Washington.
  • The ability to meet the needs of others: Flexible, adaptable, customer-service focused, and willing and able to empathetically respond to the unique needs of the people we work with and serve.


We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one from a less traditional background. Don't let doubts stop you from applying for this position. If you have transferable experience, please tell us about it or contact us with questions about the required qualifications and how your experience relates to them.
Supplemental Information
What we offer
At OFM, we foster a culture of integrity, innovation, inclusion, and belonging. We value both learned and lived experiences, believing that diversity makes us stronger. To support your health and well-being, we offer a variety of benefit programs for our employees.

Please visit our Recruitment Pagefor a full list of benefits available to employees. Here's a quick glance at some of the unique benefits that OFM offers:
  • An environment of
  • Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
  • 12 paid holidays, 14 paid vacation days (minimum), and 12 days of sick leave per year
  • State retirement programs

Application Process:
Once you've decided to apply for a state government job, you'll complete an online application to showcase your qualifications. Keep in mind that once you submit the application, a real person will read it. We do not use AI or any other technology to screen your application and reject it. Please ensure you provide clear, detailed information about your work history so your qualifications can be accurately assessed. We will contact the top candidates directly to schedule interviews. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application process, please call 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6384.

When completing your application, please attach all of the following required documents:
  • Cover letter: describing your qualifications for this specific position
  • Resume: that details your applicable experience and education.
  • References: at least three professional references and their current contact information.


Questions:
OFM's Staff ASL interpreter is available to all deaf and hard-of-hearing applicants. For questions about this recruitment or to request a reasonable accommodation in the application or interview process, please email us at

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