Pavan Kumar Gunturi
MiltonKeynes,UK
Summary
Test Manager with extensive experience in quality assurance and test automation, specialising in payment systems and stakeholder engagement within the public sector. Proven track record of leading end-to-end User Acceptance Testing (UAT), delivering complex change initiatives, and embedding effective change management strategies.
Highly skilled in payments platforms and standards including ISO 20022, SWIFT, CHAPS, FPS, and BACS, with strong expertise in modern test automation and performance testing tools such as Selenium, Playwright, Rest Assured, TestNG, Maven, JMeter, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Jira, and ALM. Experienced in building efficient CI/CD-aligned testing frameworks to improve quality, speed, and reliability.
A collaborative leader committed to mentoring and developing high-performing test teams, actively contributing to Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings, and ensuring robust governance, risk mitigation, and successful delivery of business-critical change.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work history
Test Manager
Santander
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
05.2022 - 01.2026
- Managing QA for Payments Hub API migration covering CHAPS, SWIFT, and Faster Payments.
- Defined high-level automation strategies and test plans; leading UAT phase to ensure strict business alignment.
- Facilitating UAT sign-offs and presenting critical quality findings to senior leadership.
- Serving as primary Defect Manager for Payments Hub API migration, overseeing end-to-end defect lifecycle in Jira.
- Leading daily defect triage meetings with developers, BAs, and stakeholders to prioritize fixes based on business impact and severity.
- Developed custom Jira dashboards using JQL to track defect aging, density, and resolution trends, presenting daily status reports to senior leadership.
- Developed Java-based frameworks for UI (Playwright) and API (Rest Assured) using BDD/Cucumber.
- Executed load and scalability testing via JMeter, delivering detailed HTML reports for stakeholders.
- Representing QA at CAB meetings to provide testing insights and sign-off for safe production releases.
- Led team in creating detailed test plans for better project outcomes.
- Worked closely with stakeholders to understand requirements, ensuring precise testing focus.
- Developed custom testing tools, meeting unique project needs efficiently.
- Fostered culture of continuous improvement within team, leading to consistently better results over time.
- Reduced errors in final product with comprehensive system-level tests.
- Enhanced communication amongst team through regular meetings and updates.
- Streamlined processes for quicker bug detection and resolution.
Senior Automation Consultant
HMRC
10.2020 - 05.2022
- Utilized Kibana logs and Jira issue links to conduct deep-dive root cause analysis for complex API integration failures.
- Spearheaded QA for high-priority Brexit Project, focusing on system transition and complex API integrations.
- Defined automation roadmap and designed Java-based BDD frameworks for RESTful API testing.
- Standardized defect logging templates and severity definitions in Jira to improve communication between offshore and onshore teams.
Automation Test Lead
Santander
03.2018 - 09.2020
- Led automation for core payment functionalities (FPS, BACS, CHAPS, SEPA) using Selenium and Rest Assured.
- Developed reusable automation components and hybrid frameworks to improve team efficiency.
- Validated production readiness through rigorous manual and automated regression suites in Agile sprints.
Global Automation Test Lead
JP Morgan
08.2016 - 02.2018
- Defined test strategy for strategic document capture systems across distributed teams.
- Championed "3-Amigos" sessions to refine feature files and ensure clear acceptance criteria.
- Built Hybrid Model framework using Java/TestNG and optimized execution via script grouping.
Technical Test Lead
Aircom International / Teoco
05.2012 - 07.2016
- Established CI practices using Jenkins, Git, and Ant to support continuous automated builds.
- Delivered Proof of Concept (POC) for Selenium-based automation transitions.
QA Engineer
Engine People UK
01.2012 - 12.2012
- Focused on cross-browser and functional testing.
Senior QA Engineer
Quantum Value
01.2011 - 12.2012
- Acted as offshore POC for automation; trained team members on frameworks.
Senior QA Engineer
Reed
01.2011 - 12.2011
- Performed backend validation (SQL) and automated regression with QTP.
QA Engineer
Flint Solutions
01.2005 - 12.2008
- Managed full SDLC quality reviews and manual-to-auto transition.
Education
Master of Business Administration - Project Management
Thames Valley University
LondonSkills
- Test Strategy & Planning
- Test case designing
- Resource Management
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Mentoring
- UAT Management
- Release Readiness
- Payments
- ISO 20022
- SWIFT
- CHAPS
- FPS
- BACS
- Selenium
- Playwright
- Rest Assured
- TestNG
- Maven
- JMeter
- Jenkins
- GitHub Actions
- Git
- Kibana
- Bugzilla
- JIRA and confluence
- Test script interpretation
- Postman API tester
- Defect tracking tools
- Team Leadership
- JavaScript proficiency
- Test planning
- End-to-end testing processes
- Project management skills
Websites
Certification
ISTQB Foundation Level Certification
Custom
Test Strategy & Planning, Resource Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Mentoring, UAT Management, Release Readiness, CAB Participation, Change Management, Payments (ISO 20022, SWIFT, CHAPS, FPS, BACS), Central Gov / Public Sector, Selenium, Playwright, Rest Assured, TestNG, Maven, JMeter, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Jira, ALM, Git, Kibana, Bugzilla
Timeline
Test Manager
Santander
05.2022 - 01.2026
Senior Automation Consultant
HMRC
10.2020 - 05.2022
Automation Test Lead
Santander
03.2018 - 09.2020
Global Automation Test Lead
JP Morgan
08.2016 - 02.2018
Technical Test Lead
Aircom International / Teoco
05.2012 - 07.2016
QA Engineer
Engine People UK
01.2012 - 12.2012
Senior QA Engineer
Quantum Value
01.2011 - 12.2012
Senior QA Engineer
Reed
01.2011 - 12.2011
QA Engineer
Flint Solutions
01.2005 - 12.2008
Master of Business Administration - Project Management
Thames Valley University