Lead Test Engineer

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); Blackpool; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

In dieser spannenden Rolle als Lead Test Engineer arbeiten Sie an einem wichtigen Digitalisierungsprojekt, das die Schuldenverwaltung revolutioniert. Sie werden Teil eines innovativen Teams, das an der Entwicklung und Implementierung neuer Teststrategien arbeitet und dabei hilft, die Qualität der Dienstleistungen zu sichern. Ihre Fähigkeiten in der Problemlösung und Ihr Wissen über Agile Testing und Microservices werden entscheidend sein, um technische Blockaden zu überwinden und die Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Teams zu fördern. Diese Position bietet Ihnen die Möglichkeit, in einem dynamischen Umfeld zu arbeiten, in dem Ihre Beiträge einen echten Unterschied machen können.

Benefits

Flexible Arbeitszeiten

Generöse Urlaubstage

Mitarbeiterrabatte

Unterstützung für finanzielle Gesundheit

Gesundheits- und Wellnessprogramme

Familienfreundliche Richtlinien

Finanzierte Weiterbildung

Qualifications

• Erfahrung in der Leitung und Unterstützung multidisziplinärer Teams.
• Kenntnisse in Teststrategien für kommerzielle und proprietäre Lösungen.

Responsibilities

• Leitung und Coaching von Teams zur Gewährleistung von Qualität und Standards.
• Eigenverantwortliche Testplanung und Risikomanagement.

Skills

Kommunikation

Agile Testing Prinzipien

Microservice Architekturen

Problemlösungsfähigkeiten

Selbstorganisation

Education

Abschluss in Informatik oder verwandtem Bereich

Tools

Testautomatisierungs-Frameworks

Diverse Programmiersprachen

Job description

This role may be located in one of the following locations; Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield.

Please find further information on the Corporate hub locations here.

Job Summary

The successful candidate will work within the Debt Digital programme to deliver major change and transformation, across multi-functional teams.

The current system supports £2.8Bn of debt recovery a year and is used by several thousand agents.

A replacement platform is currently in the discovery phase, and this leadership role will help shape the direction and strategy for testing and assuring these critical services, to meet the expectations of citizens managing their finances via online channels.

This role will suit a senior engineer who is excellent at resolving technical blockers, understands Agile testing principles and Microservice Architectures. You will own the overall strategic direction for testing solutions and ensure these are communicated and adopted across your teams. You will be proactively engaging with the wider engineering community to drive consistency and adoption of strategic engineering solutions and standards that build a quality outcome. The role will require hands on testing engineering and leadership skills.

Please note - As part of the role, you may be required to travel regularly to the other digital hubs. The frequency of this will be discussed further should you be successful.

Job Description

As a Lead Test Engineer, you will:

• Oversee, influence, support and coach a large number of diverse multi-disciplinary teams involved in building, testing, delivering and maintaining solutions driving consistency, standards, and quality, resolving technical blockers, and promoting reuse and collaboration.
• Be an excellent problem solver, able to consider the bigger picture for the benefit of the wider team and community, who is adapts and is a fast learner.
• Possess an excellent ability to self-organise, lead others and define priorities with effective interaction with stakeholders in all directions.
• Own test planning and identify risks, issues and dependencies (external and internal) in a complex environment and ensure appropriate resources, skills and plans are in place.
• Have hands-on understanding of test engineering and the leadership knowledge and skills to help shape the medium to long term Debt Digital quality strategies.
• Contribute to recruitment activities in the practice, working with other Leads and the Head of Role to advise on recruitment strategy and lead at various stages of the assessment process.
  
  

As a Lead Test Engineer, You Will

• Oversee, influence, support and coach a large number of diverse multi-disciplinary teams involved in building, testing, delivering and maintaining solutions driving consistency, standards, and quality, resolving technical blockers, and promoting reuse and collaboration.
• Be an excellent problem solver, able to consider the bigger picture for the benefit of the wider team and community, who is adapts and is a fast learner.
• Possess an excellent ability to self-organise, lead others and define priorities with effective interaction with stakeholders in all directions.
• Own test planning and identify risks, issues and dependencies (external and internal) in a complex environment and ensure appropriate resources, skills and plans are in place.
• Have hands-on understanding of test engineering and the leadership knowledge and skills to help shape the medium to long term Debt Digital quality strategies.
• Contribute to recruitment activities in the practice, working with other Leads and the Head of Role to advise on recruitment strategy and lead at various stages of the assessment process.
  
  

Person specification

When giving details in your CV you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:

• Lead criterion: Excellent communicator who can coach, collaborate, influence, develop and lead multiple diverse teams.
• Influencing decision makers and key stakeholder to help support and define the strategic vision of solutions.
• Knowledge of multiple programming languages, technology, and testing frameworks used within different architectures such as microservice, monoliths, SaaS etc.
• Ensures that both functional and non-functional needs are embedded in the development & testing of solutions.
• Ability to understand, review and implement the latest practices, principles, and processes, driving towards whole team quality.
• Ability to manage and develop test strategies for Commercial Off the Shelf solutions and propriety solutions.
  
  

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Richard Hanley ([e-mail])

Alongside your salary of £72,664, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £21,050 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.
  
  

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Salary Information

Pay for this role is from £72,664 to £77,740.

The maximum salary for the grade is £77,740, however a Digital Allowance of up to £10,000 per annum is available for exceptional candidates. Digital Allowance is non-salary, and non-pensionable, and is classed as a temporary allowance. It is reviewed annually where it could be retained, amended, or removed.

Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current salary.

Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.

Selection process details

Stage 1: Application

Applications Must Include

• A completed Personal Details application form.
• A curriculum vitae including education, professional qualifications and full employment history, giving details of key achievements in line with essential criteria listed in the Person Specification.
  
  

When uploading your CV, do not include personal information or links to any webpages or profiles that identifies you. This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity. Take out references to your name/title, age, sex, email address, postal address, telephone number or nationality/immigration status.

When giving details of your redacted CV, you should therefore include details of the work and projects that you have been involved in, and your role therein.

An initial sift will be conducted using the lead criterion stated above. Candidates who pass the initial sift will progress to a full sift.

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.

Important information

• Please attach your redacted CV as a separate additional document in either PDF or word format.
• If your CV contains any personal details your application may be withdrawn.
• We recognise that AI may be helpful when applying for this role, but it is important to use it in the right way. Read the DWP AI Candidate Guide to understand how you can make the best use of GenAI while ensuring your application remains authentic and effective.
  
  

Stage 2: Interview

If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the experiences listed in the essential criteria.

You will be asked to do a 10 minute presentation on a specific topic. Further details will be provided to candidates invited to interview.

Interviews will take place from early June 2025. Interview dates to be confirmed.

Further information

Find out more about Working for DWP

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

All successful candidates and those placed on reserve will be posted in merit list order by location.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via [e-mail] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How we recruit page.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
  
  

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact

• Name : Richard Hanley
• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles. If you wish to make a complaint, please find further details here: https://careers.dwp.gov.uk/how-we-recruit/.