Kaushal Kumar
Programme Test & Release Manager @Sainsbury's
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WORK HISTORY
Programme Test & Release Manager @Sainsbury's
London, GB
Spearheaded the Test & Release governance for four transformation programmes across Nectar, GOL (Groceries Online), involving more than 18-32 applications tightly knit in a complex architecture.• I have delivered projects like YNP (Your Nectar Prices) on GOL (Groceries Online) as well as NP (Nectar Prices) on GOL, Smartshop, Tills (Main Banks, SCO- Self Checkout, PFS-Petrol Filling Stations and Convenience Stores) with zero bugs in Production.• Delivered Nectar Lite Program, targeted to enrol new customers for the Nectar Program by managing the e2e testing across different systems (including legacy applications managed by offshore).• Created an overall Programme Release as well as Testing strategy with the emphasis on e2e testing by reviewing the changes across multiple applications & individual Test plans/ strategies.• Ensured that the potential risks were identified and ensured mitigations were in place.• I made sure that the systems were in hyper care during the Prod deployments and had post release monitoring in place.• Identified all the edge case scenarios with an agreed Acceptance criteria with Business.• I created the Definition of Done and Test Plan by co-ordinating with external 3rd party (TCS, Alice & Smith, Accenture).• Tracked the test & data dependencies and engaged the relevant teams (internal and external) for their timely support.• Optimised delivery outcomes by identifying and eliminating risks as well as issues to minimise adverse effects on release scope, schedule, and quality • Led the Implementation of automation test suites in CI/CD pipeline with the DevOps Team.
EDUCATION
Visvesvaraya Technological University
BE, Mechanical Engineering
SKILLS
ABOUT KAUSHAL KUMAR
Programme Test & Release Manager with 13+ years of experience leading QA and release management for complex, business-critical programmes across Retail, Mobile, Banking (Retail & Business), and Finance (Home Insurance). With over 20 years in Quality Assurance, I bring deep expertise in QA strategy, release governance, and end-to-end delivery of mobile and web applications.I’ve led initiatives spanning hybrid cloud and ServiceNow (SNOW) migrations, loyalty programmes, retail checkout (till) systems, and intranet platforms—ensuring high-quality outcomes through strong release planning, risk management, and deployment readiness.Known for a collaborative leadership style, I work closely with delivery teams and stakeholders to drive continuous improvement, streamline release processes, and deliver reliable, high-quality releases at scale.• Lead high-performing, multi-country teams, collaborating with all levels of business leaders, suppliers, and stakeholders to drive successful outcomes.• Extensive experience in managing teams across onsite, nearshore/offshore, and third-party models, with teams of 50+ associates and managing budgets ranging from £500K to £10M.• Managed a team of 35+ professionals across multiple geographies, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and objectives.• Expertise in vendor and stakeholder management, collaborating with multiple vendors and third parties across the UK, India, and APAC regions. • Strong experience in technical test management, defect resolution, data management, and release management, driving efficient processes and timely deliverables.Achievements:• Directed the shift-left testing approach and CI/CD implementation, enabling faster delivery cycles and cutting testing feedback loops (to almost 80%).• Facilitated and decreased regression testing timelines by 60% by implementing parallel automation runs • Instrumental in increasing the release cadence from Monthly to Fortnightly.• Delivered large-scale projects where multiple applications (28-32) were involved and had dependencies on third-party vendors, with 99% timely deliveries.• Introduced risked based test approach to delivery projects on time where needed.• Mentored QE Leads/QEs, worked as testing SME to help meet quality gates to deliver projects.• Managed SIT,UAT & OAT for large projects.
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