Hire proven ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager (CTAL-TM) professionals in Germany, matched in minutes from 15,000 CVs with the power of AI.
For test strategy, risk-based planning, test control, defect management, and leading test teams across complex delivery. Get fast, precise matching with vetted freelancers who hold the ISTQB CTAL-TM.
About the certification
What CTAL-TM means
The ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager (CTAL-TM) is an advanced software testing certification for people who lead test work, not just execute it. It shows that a professional can shape the test approach, manage test activities, and keep quality under control across a project or product stream.
Typical holder profile
CTAL-TM is usually held by test managers, QA leads, test coordinators, and senior testers who move into planning and governance. It also fits consultants who are brought into a delivery to improve the way testing is organized, reported, and steered.
Skills it validates
- Test strategy and test planning for different project contexts
- Risk-based testing and prioritization
- Estimation, monitoring, reporting, and control of test work
- Defect management and collaboration with development and business teams
- Team leadership, stakeholder communication, and test process improvement
- Test metrics, reviews, and quality assessment for management decisions
Knowledge areas behind it
The certification covers how to build a test plan that fits the delivery model, how to manage resources and schedules, and how to react when scope, risk, or defects change. It also reflects knowledge of test organization, incident and defect workflows, test tools, and how to make testing useful for project leadership.
Why companies look for it in Germany
In Germany, CTAL-TM is relevant when teams need structured test management, clear communication, and disciplined release support. It is useful in regulated environments, enterprise IT, and projects with many dependencies, where test leadership must work well with both local and remote teams.
What it tells you about a freelancer
A freelancer with the ISTQB CTAL-TM usually brings a management view of quality, not only hands-on test execution. You can expect someone who can set direction, organize people and work, and explain testing in business terms. That makes the certification a strong signal when you need a test manager who can take ownership quickly and fit into an existing delivery setup.
Meet FRATCH ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager (CTAL-TM)
Goran Popovic
Test Manager & Analyst
Last position:
Test Manager & Analyst at Festo / Questax GmbH
Project goal: Carrying out system tests and validating industrial communication and control systems, including requirements definition and verification.
Responsibilities:
- Test planning, test execution
- Test strategy, test cases, and test specifications
- Requirements analysis
- Ensuring traceability between requirements, test cases, and defects
- Carrying out regression and integration tests
- Defect analysis
- Simulation and validation
- NetSniffer Wireshark
- Supporting test automation (Python, CI/CD)
- Reporting
- Stakeholder coordination and agile collaboration (Scrum / SAFe / Kanban)
- V-Model
- CI/CD automation with Python, Groovy, and frameworks (Selenium, PyTest)
Technologies:: CAN, Modbus, Ethernet, PLC, PROFINET, Codebeamer ALM, Scrum, SAFe, MS Teams, Git, CI/CD with GitLab CI and TeamCity, Windows Batch, FAS, Wireshark, Python, Enterprise Architect (EA), AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot), VS Code, Tia Portal, SCL, Python (Selenium, PyTest)
René Adam
QA Lead / Test Manager / Test Engineer
Last position:
Test (Automation) Engineer at BWI GmbH
Introduced a unified test strategy to establish quality gates and define test activities for the 'ICaruS' subproject of the Bundeswehr
Built and implemented manual and automated tests, set up the test infrastructure, and introduced test management tools
Established KPIs and dashboards to present and distribute test metrics to project team members and stakeholders
Technologies used: Playwright, TypeScript, REST, PEGA Systems, Jira, HP ALM, GitLab Runner, Kubernetes, Git, VS Code, Angular, Scrum
Matthias Kühnlein
Risk Analyst
Last position:
Business Owner at AKM
Management of several MFA methods for central authentication within a corporate group. Interface between various stakeholders such as support, accounting, developers, and security departments. Budget controlling and monitoring of KPIs as well as SLAs. Review of operational documentation
Stéphane Tatuebu
Senior Test Analyst – Test Automation - Test Management
Last position:
Senior Test Analyst – Test Automation - Test Management
- Testing interfaces between various systems
- Planning and coordinating test activities for features/improvements
- Selecting and adapting suitable test methods and procedures based on the test strategy
- Preparing and running test sessions
- Analysis, design, implementation, and documentation of manual and automated software tests
- Creating test cases and test scenarios using systematic test case specifications
- Performing and documenting system tests, regression tests, and smoke tests
- Monitoring and analyzing the executed test cases
- Maintaining and supporting the infrastructure and test data
- Analyzing and fixing error states related to test automation
- Documenting and tracking deviations, as well as supporting root cause analysis
- Analyzing errors and error tracking
- Working closely with product management
Aiman Ragab
Test Manager and Test Automation Engineer
Last position:
Test Manager and Test Automation Engineer at Warehouse Management Company
- Introduced test management with SolMan
- Implemented test automation with TOSCA
- Analyzed, created, and automated test cases
- Built regression test portfolio
- Stakeholder meetings and alignments
- Financial management
Yaroslav Shargorodskiy
Senior Low-Code Consultant
Last position:
Senior Low-Code Consultant at Freelancer
Structured analysis and evaluation of business processes
Gathering, documenting, and prioritizing requirements
Creating business-friendly and technically executable process models
Use of Camunda tools
Deriving requirements and interfaces from BPMN diagrams
Coordination with stakeholders and business units
Translating business requirements into technical solution designs
Implementing efficient and tailored applications
Systematic collection, analysis, and documentation of requirements
Prioritizing and validating requirements in close collaboration with stakeholders
Alignment between business and development to ensure shared objectives
Creating use cases, user stories, and acceptance criteria
Continuous requirements and change management throughout the project lifecycle
Define project goals and create project plans
Delegate tasks and monitor project progress
Monitor budgets and inform stakeholders
Mendix: Architecture, development, and maintenance of custom applications (Microflows, Domain Model, Security, XPath)
Modeling Mendix workflows for process optimization
Develop scalable apps with Mendix including REST/SOAP integration with SAP, SQL, Azure & SharePoint
UI design for Mendix using Atlas UI, Fluent UI, HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Develop web & mobile apps with Mendix using agile methods (Scrum, Kanban)
Implement business logic with Mendix Microflows and Nanoflows
Performance optimization and architecture improvements for Mendix applications
Conduct Mendix training
Create technical documentation and best practices for Mendix
Coaching and mentoring for low-code development with Mendix
Holger Guschigk
Test Automation Engineer, Quality Assurance Consultant
Last position:
Test Automation Engineer, Quality Assurance Consultant at T-Systems
- Poliks – State Police System for information, communication, and case management and other state variants (ViVa, Bravo, customs)
- Developed a test framework for test automation to replace an existing proprietary test client for new developments, focusing on easy maintenance and simple extensibility for new technologies
- Designed the architecture
- Implemented the architecture
- Created a proof of concept by migrating existing test cases into the new test framework
- Platform: C#, .NET, Jira, XRay, Confluence, Playwright, Selenium, UI Automation, Appium, HTML, Git, VMWare, Windows 11, Linux
Alexej Klassen
Lead Test Manager (Freelance) – SAP Integration
Last position:
Lead Test Manager (Freelance) – SAP Integration at Louis – ZuLou
- Overall responsibility for test management in the SAP transformation project
- Developing and adapting the test strategy, test concept and test planning
- Reorganizing the test phases as part of a project realignment
- Leading and managing a test management team (6 test managers, approx. 100 business testers)
- Coordinating testing with 6 subproject leads
- Regular test reporting to the overall project management
Michael Schleier
Head of IT Project Management and Software Development DACH
Last position:
Head of IT Project Management and Software Development DACH at Webhelp Holding Germany GmbH
- Established and developed the IT organization in the DACH region (including Poland and the Balkans)
- Directly reporting to the CTO, handling various special tasks (e.g., GDPR, communication with the works council, data protection support and CISO)
- 9 years of disciplinary and technical leadership of project management teams (internal and external clients) and software development in the DACH region
- 4 years of disciplinary and technical leadership of the IT Service Desk for the DACH region (1st level)
- Defined strategy and developed roadmaps in collaboration with the CTO (infrastructure renewal, digitalization, security, BCM)
- Derived projects from the roadmap, prioritized, planned and executed them
- Team leadership (managing project teams up to 50 people; disciplinary and technical leadership of 12 people)
- Data center build/relocation (one build, three relocations/mergers)
- GDPR implementation (initial registration, maintenance process, procedure directories)
- Managed ISO27001 initial certification and two recertifications (ITSM, IT processes, hardware and software inventory, development guidelines)
- Established and took responsibility for IT requirements management
- Responsible as system owner for in-house developments (automation platform, tracking and security tools)
- Process analysis (gathering, alignment, analysis, improvement, design)
- 6 months as interim CTO (due to the CTO's illness)
Frank Galhofer
Test Manager in the HORIZON Program
Last position:
Test Manager in the HORIZON Program at Independent Consultant
- Overall test status reporting for the HORIZON program
- Maintenance of the central ALM test repository for HORIZON
- Execution of test sessions
- Defect management
Walid Haidari
Senior Tester within the IT & Digital Roadmap
Last position:
Senior Tester within the IT & Digital Roadmap at VTG-Aktiengesellschaft
- Consulting, planning, and adapting (extension and rebuild) of the existing test framework to cover necessary test cases as part of quality assurance for initiative implementations
- Executing cross-team manual test cases during regular sprint cycles
- Setting up test automation
- Advising front-end and back-end development on quality assurance aspects
- Building a framework for end-to-end test cases
- Performing software quality assurance across various projects within a program
- Supporting the creation of test cases
- Coordinating within the team with all relevant stakeholders
Thomas Jahn
Test Manager
Last position:
Test Manager at Hamburger Energienetze GmbH
- Method: none
- Environment: ERP, S4/Hana, Confluence, Jira, Xray, SAP Solution Manager, Tosca
- Created the test concept for the migration from ERP to S/4HANA
- Created manual test cases and test plans for the acceptance test
- Coordinated tests between the business testers
- Test automation with Tosca
- manual testing
Christian Tchouta Yonbang
Senior Consultant / Lead Auditor
Last position:
Senior Consultant / Lead Auditor at Syngenity GmbH / TÜV Süd
- Support companies to fulfil requirements and to implement following management systems: ISO 9001, ISO 22301, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, TISAX
- Carrying out internal and external audits regarding the following standards: ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, TISAX
Rainer Koloc
Course “Data and AI Analyst”
Last position:
Course “Data and AI Analyst” at International University
Sam Goetjes
Consultant Test Manager
Last position:
Consultant Test Manager at Quality Assurance and Financial Institute of the Cooperative Financial Network
Responsible for assessing the current state of test management in the core banking system and the testing activities of the teams involved
Analyze the current state and derive concrete recommendations for integrating the traditional development and testing process of the core banking system with agile teams
Provide support and professional advice for the introduction of Xray as a test management tool
Provide support and professional advice for the development and regulatory approval of an organization-wide test guideline
Support the end-to-end test automation of the cross-system Ultimo processing workflows
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager (CTAL-TM) statistics
Typical experience
19 years
Average project duration
2.3 years
Certifications per freelancer
7
Top business areas
Information Technology, Quality Assurance, Project Management
Top industries
Information Technology, Banking and Finance, Manufacturing
Most common languages
German, English, French
Bachelor's degree or higher
100%
Master's degree or higher
56%
Doctorate
13%
Salary / Daily Rate Distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers holding this certification are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Average rates for ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager (CTAL-TM) & Seniority distribution
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got questions? Learn key details about FRATCH right now
The ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager (CTAL-TM) validates the ability to plan, lead, and control testing at a management level. It focuses on strategy, risk, reporting, team coordination, and the practical decisions that keep test work aligned with project goals. It is not mainly about doing test cases yourself, but about managing how testing is organized and delivered.
The Foundation Level covers core testing terms, principles, and basic techniques. CTAL-TM goes further into leadership and control: how to build a test approach, manage risk, steer a team, and report quality to stakeholders. In short, it is aimed at people who are responsible for the test effort, not only for test execution.
The CTAL-TM is a strong fit for test managers, QA leads, and senior testers who coordinate test work across a team or project. It is also relevant for consultants who are brought in to stabilize test processes or improve release readiness. Companies usually look for it when testing needs structure, ownership, and clear communication.
A holder of the ISTQB Advanced Level Test Manager certification is typically involved in test planning, resource coordination, progress tracking, defect handling, and stakeholder reporting. They often work across requirements, development, and business teams to keep testing focused on risk and release goals. The role is especially useful when many people contribute to quality but no one owns the overall test direction.
Before preparing for ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager (CTAL-TM), a professional should already be comfortable with practical testing work and the vocabulary of software quality. The syllabus assumes experience with test planning, estimation, and team collaboration, so it is best suited to people who have already worked in real projects. Preparation usually means studying the syllabus carefully and connecting it to day-to-day test management situations.
For the ISTQB CTAL-TM, renewal depends on the current rules of the issuing body and the local certification scheme. Companies and candidates should always check the latest ISTQB and national board guidance before relying on an old assumption. The important point is that the certificate is tied to professional testing knowledge and should be kept current with modern test management practice.
The ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager is useful in enterprise software, finance, insurance, public-sector IT, telecom, and other projects with many stakeholders or strict quality expectations. In Germany, it also matters in mixed teams where communication across business, development, and external suppliers is key. It is a good sign when the project needs disciplined test control rather than informal coordination.
When you hire someone with the ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager (CTAL-TM), you get a signal that the person can take responsibility for the test process, not just individual tests. That matters when you need someone to organize the team, explain risks, and keep releases moving. It helps reduce guesswork about whether the freelancer can operate at a leadership level.
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