Jessica Bane: Navigating quality systems of knowledge

In this episode of Leading With Quality, Rosie Sherry speaks with Jessica Bain, also known as The Testing Mermaid, Software QA Specialist at Sepura. Jessica shares her experiences of stepping into a newly defined quality role and navigating the challenges of modernising processes in a company with decades of history.

Jessica describes what it means to adapt quality approaches across different teams, from manual testing to process improvement, and how communication, translation, and collaboration sit at the heart of her work. She also reflects on the shifting identity of testing roles, why titles often mislead, and how quality engineers can influence both culture and practice.

You’ll hear about:

• What it means to be a “translator” for quality across teams and stakeholders
• Balancing legacy processes with modern quality practices
• The challenges of documenting and preserving long-held organisational knowledge
• How quality engineers can adapt plans and expectations in changing environments
• Why job titles often hide real expectations, and how to approach them critically

If you want to understand how quality engineering works in a critical communications company and how one tester has learned to swim between shifting roles, titles, and expectations, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective.