The test manager is responsible for the capacity and quality of the testing function. Testers report to the test manager. The test manager advocates for the test constituency in the MSF Team Model. A test manager takes responsibility for the continuous improvement and learning in the software test team. A test manager does not have direct responsibility for the flow of a project and the value in the product solution but instead works with the project manager to provide the resources to facilitate the smooth flow of the project through test.

A person assigned to this role should be added to the Project Administrator permissions group. This allows them to do all that they need to perform their function; such as create new projects, add people to the project team, and start a build.