Arvinder Gharyal

Seasoned QA Professional with 20+ years of experience in software testing and quality assurance, including 5+ years in Test and QA Management

Birmingham, London and Bristol
Arvygharyal@gmail.com
07891249887
Professional Summary

Seasoned QA professional with over 20 years of experience in software testing and quality assurance, including more than 5 years in Test and QA Management across public sector, enterprise, SaaS, cloud-native, and ServiceNow environments. I am a hands-on Test Manager—while I've built and led test teams, owned test strategy, and engaged at senior stakeholder levels, I've always maintained a strong technical presence.

I have successfully delivered QA leadership and execution for critical projects including the Metropolitan Police Service (999 Command & Control systems), DWP Universal Credit, Sellafield ServiceNow, DCC Smart Metering, and Barclays. My work has spanned highly regulated, SC-cleared, and mission-critical domains such as defence, policing, energy, and nuclear, where precision, traceability, and compliance are paramount.

Recent Achievements:

  • Established test departments from scratch within Agile environments
  • Designed and implemented Shift Left Testing practices
  • Led end-to-end, SIT, UAT, and regression testing across multiple platforms

Core Strengths:

  • Built and maintained automation using Tricentis Tosca, ServiceNow ATF
  • Strong grasp of QA tooling and test management
  • Vendor coordination and cross-functional stakeholder engagement
AI & Development Projects

AI-Based Court Intermediary System

Developed an AI-driven system to assist court intermediaries in facilitating communication with vulnerable witnesses. The system uses natural language processing to analyze speech patterns and provide real-time feedback to intermediaries, improving the clarity and effectiveness of their interactions.

AI-Based Car Movement Logistics – Platerunner™

Designed and implemented an AI-based logistics platform, Platerunner™, for optimizing car movement and delivery operations. The system uses machine learning algorithms to predict traffic patterns, optimize routes, and manage vehicle assignments, resulting in significant cost savings and improved delivery times.

Personal AI Assistant – Shanti

Created a personal AI assistant, Shanti, to help users manage their daily tasks and improve productivity. Shanti uses natural language understanding to respond to voice commands, schedule appointments, send reminders, and provide personalized recommendations based on user preferences.

Key Testing Skills and Experience

Leadership & Strategy

Test Management
QA Strategy
Shift-Left Testing
QA Governance
UAT
SIT
E2E
Regression

Automation & Tools

Selenium
Cypress
Playwright
Tosca
Katalon Studio
Cucumber
Robot Framework
Postman
ReadyAPI
TestNG
WebdriverIO
Appium

DevOps & Cloud

Azure DevOps
CI/CD
Microsoft Azure
Jenkins
Docker
Kubernetes

Security & Compliance

OWASP ZAP
Burp Suite
Metasploit
Nmap
Ethical Hacking
ISO Testing Standards

Agile & Frameworks

Agile (Scrum, SAFe)
Kanban
Waterfall
V-Model
BDD
TDD

Collaboration

Stakeholder Engagement
Vendor Management
Cross-Functional Leadership
SC Cleared
NPPV3 Cleared
Professional Experience

Test Manager

Metropolitan Police Service, London

October 2024 – April 2025

Situation & Task:

Tasked with overhauling the testing process within the Command and Control Programme to support the rollout of a new 999 emergency telephone system incorporating HxGN OnCall Dispatch, LifeX, and other critical communications modules.

Actions:

  • Developed and implemented a dynamic Agile-aligned test strategy, mentoring and building a UK-based QA team from scratch
  • Redesigned the defect management lifecycle using JIRA and executed full-cycle test tracking and reporting
  • Implemented automation using Tricentis Tosca for regression testing of critical workflows
  • Led comprehensive system integration and verification testing of the LifeX platform (Frequentis)
  • Executed SIT and Pre-SIT activities for over 100+ test scenarios validating Active Directory login flows

Results:

Successfully transitioned MPS from Waterfall to Agile methodology, accelerating delivery velocity, improving system reliability, and ensuring regulatory and operational compliance for critical public safety infrastructure.

Car Driver/Route Planner

EC Logistics

June 2024 – October 2024

Managed logistical planning for car delivery and pickup operations. Planned and coordinated routes for a team of five drivers, creating efficient routing schedules and improving coordination across collection points.

Test Manager

Capgemini, London

November 2021 – June 2024

Worked as a hands-on Test Manager across several high-profile programmes including Barclays, DWP Universal Credit, Sellafield (ServiceNow), DCC Smart Metering (via Version 1), and a secure Rolls-Royce defence engagement.

Project Highlights:

  • Barclays (D365 F&O): Led QA for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations
  • DWP Universal Credit: Oversaw QA for AWS/Kubernetes-hosted microservices
  • Sellafield (ServiceNow): Delivered ServiceNow ITSM testing and UAT coordination
  • DCC Smart Metering: Validated secure smart metering interfaces

Key Results:

  • • Reduced production defects by 30% through improved test coverage
  • • Delivered successful go-lives for critical digital systems
  • • Praised for combining strategic oversight with hands-on technical skills

Test Manager for ServiceNow FAT and UAT

SCC

July 2018 – April 2020

Situation & Task:

Led ServiceNow FAT and UAT testing while managing a company-wide upgrade to MS Dynamics 365. Tasked with creating a testing department from concept and transforming testing practices from Waterfall to Agile methodology.

Actions:

  • Created testing department from concept and built dynamic international testing team (UK and international)
  • Transformed approach from Waterfall to Agile to streamline ServiceNow testing processes
  • Re-designed ServiceNow Test Defect Management Suite and aligned FAT/UAT practices
  • Implemented earlier testing within SDLC gates for quicker testing without quality loss
  • Created automated testing with ATF within ServiceNow and tested mobile version using Appium

Results:

Successfully streamlined SCC ServiceNow testing, established robust FAT/UAT processes, and delivered comprehensive testing across ITSM, ITOM, and ITBM modules while managing international teams and daily stand-ups.

Senior Test Engineer

Edgetesting (Halfords)

April 2017 – July 2018

Situation & Task:

Responsible for manual testing of Halfords and Halfords Autocentres websites, supporting multiple projects and coordinating with client and internal teams.

Actions:

  • Executed comprehensive manual testing of Halfords and Halfords Autocentres sites
  • Coordinated with client and internal staff for test case execution and defect resolution
  • Led daily stand-up meetings and controlled Test Kanban Board
  • Assisted test team in day-to-day activities across multiple projects

Results:

Delivered high-quality testing services for major retail websites, maintained effective team coordination, and ensured timely defect resolution across multiple concurrent projects.

Contract Test Engineer Roles (2016-2017)

Contract Test Engineer

Trayport Contigo

January 2017 – April 2017

Situation: Manual testing of embedded in-house web and standalone energy trading applications in Agile environment.

Actions: Created test scripts from business analyst requirements, executed comprehensive testing, coordinated with technical staff for defect resolution, and contributed to Quality Management System updates.

Results: Delivered robust testing for critical energy trading systems ensuring reliability and compliance.

Contract Test Engineer

Qualitest

December 2016 – January 2017

Situation: Manual testing of bespoke British Army software for piloting Army UAV drones in pure Waterfall environment.

Actions: Mastered military terminology, created test scripts from user stories, executed flight startup/shutdown sequences, and coordinated with military technical staff.

Results: Successfully validated critical military UAV software ensuring operational readiness and safety compliance.

Contract Test Engineer

STRATEC Biomedical

November 2016 – December 2016

Situation: Manual testing of bespoke biomedical lab maintenance application in hybrid Agile/Waterfall environment.

Actions: Acquired medical terminology expertise, developed test scripts from user stories, and contributed to Quality Management System improvements.

Results: Ensured compliance and reliability of critical biomedical laboratory systems.

Test Engineer

Safe Patient Systems Ltd

June 2016 – November 2016

Situation: Testing military medical devices (TCCC), NHS Safe Mobile Care website and devices in Agile/Waterfall environment.

Actions: Led daily Scrum meetings, performed UX testing, tested embedded software in medical devices, ran defect triage meetings, and managed testing across TFS and Mantis.

Results: Delivered comprehensive testing for critical NHS and military medical systems ensuring patient safety and regulatory compliance.

Earlier Career Highlights (2004-2016)

Lead Test Analyst

Redware

January 2016 – June 2016

Key Achievements: Led testing of Learning Management Systems for Volvo and Resource Group, performed black box and UX testing, planned UAT strategy, and managed real-world end-user testing teams.

Contract Test Analyst

Calor Gas

July 2015 – January 2016

Key Achievements: Led migration testing from paper-based sales to Field Pro iPad app, managed iPad testing and Dealer Portal website testing, expertise in Alterian CMC, EPiServer 6.0, and Umbraco CMS.

System Test Analyst

Atos

June 2012 – June 2015

Key Achievements: Worked on multiple SC and DV cleared government projects including Insolvency Service, Natural England, and Transport for Greater Manchester. Performed automated testing using Selenium IDE and managed testing in HPQC.

System Test Analyst

Rockpool Digital

June 2011 – June 2012

Key Achievements: Tested websites for Sky TV Sales, RedBull, and Babcock. Managed test environments using virtualization, performed cross-browser and mobile testing, and tested CRM Microsoft Dynamics integration.

Test Analyst

Auros Ltd

March 2009 – June 2011

Key Achievements: Managed diverse test environments (servers, mobile devices, virtualization), performed comprehensive testing across multiple platforms including Blackberry, iPad, iPhone, and Mac. Used Team Foundation Server for defect management.

Test Analyst

Sungard Public Sector

November 2007 – March 2009

Key Achievements: Worked on SC cleared projects, performed black box testing on client software, prepared comprehensive test plans from requirement specifications, and delivered detailed test summary reports.

Software Tester/Support

Onboard Retail Solutions Ltd

February 2004 – November 2007

Key Achievements: Performed black box testing on EPOS software, used Java on handheld devices (PDAs), updated SQL databases for major airlines (British Airways, Cyprus Airways, First Choice, Flybe, Monarch), and managed internal Wikipedia server.

Education & Certifications

Professional Certifications

ServiceNow Practitioner

2023

ISTQB Advanced

Testing Solutions, 2016

ISEB/ISTQB Foundation

Testing Solutions, 2007

Academic Qualifications

ACVE Advanced Vocational A level I.T

City of Bristol College, 2001-2003

BTEC GNVQ Intermediate I.T - Merit

City of Bristol College, 2000-2001

BTEC GNVQ Foundation I.T - Merit

City of Bristol College, 1999-2000

6 GCSE's including Mathematics and English

Cotham School, Bristol, 1994-1999

Languages
English
Native
Punjabi
Fluent
Hindi
Fluent
Security Clearances
SC (Security Check) Cleared
NPPV3 Cleared

Experienced in working within highly regulated and secure environments including defence, policing, energy, and nuclear sectors.

References

Professional references are available upon request.