Lead Test Engineer

DWP Digital; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hours and hybrids

Time off volunteering

I Can Be Me in DWP

Discounts and savings

Interest-free travel loans

Professional development

Job summary

DWP Digital is seeking a Lead Test Engineer to join its Debt Solutions team. You will drive testing strategy across multiple squads and tech stacks, embedding quality practices and automation to deliver secure, accessible services.

You will work with architects, delivery teams and stakeholders to ensure quality is built into every stage of delivery, championing CI/CD, cloud pipelines and modern testing approaches. Hybrid working across hubs is available.

Qualifications

• Lead criteria: owning test/quality strategies across multiple teams and tech stacks.
• Embed Test Engineering practices in Java, especially around BDD.
• Lead non-functional testing approaches (accessibility, performance, security, usability) with standards.
• Drive testing earlier with CI/CD and automated pipelines in cloud.
• Lead, develop and mentor agile teams of embedded test engineers.
• Provide technical leadership across the full SDLC and manage risk.

Responsibilities

• Shaping test strategy and driving automation across platforms.
• Coaching engineers and influencing technical decisions to deliver secure, accessible services.
• Collaborating with architects, delivery teams and stakeholders to ensure quality at every stage.

Skills

Test strategy

Java

BDD

Non-functional

CI/CD

Cloud

Team leadership

Agile

Tools

Microservices

APIs

GUI

Message brokers

Job description

Pay up to £90,267 plus 28.97% employer pension contributions, choice of locations, hybrid working, flexible hours and great work life balance.

DWP. Digital with Purpose.

We are looking for a Lead Test Engineer to join our community of tech experts in DWP Digital Debt Solutions team.

We're using fresh ideas and leading-edge tech to build and maintain digital solutions that will be used by nearly every person in the UK, every day and at key moments in their lives.

DWP is the UK's largest government department. We are the UK's largest payer, making around £280 billion in payments every year and a third of all UK BACS traffic, to support and empower millions of people.

The scale of what we do is extraordinary, and our purpose is unique. We'd love you to join us.

What skills, knowledge and experience will you need?

• Lead Criteria - Leading and proactively owning test/quality strategies across multiple teams and tech stacks and types such as Microservices, API's, GUI's, CoTs and message brokers.
• Proactively defining and embedding Test Engineering practices in Java especially around BDD.
• Leading and enabling non-functional testing approaches (e.g. accessibility, performance, security, usability), including test types, tools and appropriate standards.
• Driving and implementing of shifting testing earlier, including CI/CD, and use of automated pipelines within cloud infrastructure.
• Leading, developing and line managing agile and diverse teams of embedded test Engineers, promoting skills development, good practices and continuous improvement.
• Providing technical leadership across the full software development lifecycle, from understanding business needs to delivery into production. Delivering technical leadership and managing risk, issues, defects, reporting progress.

You and your role

You'll work with architects, delivery teams and stakeholders to make sure quality is built into every stage of delivery. From shaping test strategy and driving automation to coaching engineers and influencing technical decisions, you'll help teams deliver secure, accessible and reliable services. Working across Azure, microservices and CI/CD pipelines, you'll champion continuous improvement and create a culture where quality is everyone's responsibility.

Location:

You’ll join us in one of our brilliant digital hubs in Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield, whichever is most convenient for you.

Hybrid Working:

We work a hybrid model - you'll spend some time working at home and some time collaborating face to face in a hub.

Pay:

We offer competitive pay of up to £90,267.

Pension:

You’ll get a brilliant civil service pension with employer contributions worth 28.97%, worth over £21,000 per year.

Holidays:

A generous leave package starting at 26 days rising to 31 days over time.

You can also take up to 3 extra days off a month on flexi-time. You'll also get all the usual public holidays.

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

• Flexible working including flexible hours and flex-friendly policies
• Time off volunteering and charitable giving
• Bring your authentic self to work with 'I Can Be Me in DWP'
• Discounts and savings on shopping, fun days out and more
• Interest-free loans to buy a bike or a season ticket, so it's even easier for you to get to work and start making a difference
• Professional development, coaching, mentoring and career progression opportunities.

And we have an award-winning environment and culture:

• DWP have been recognised as 2024 Diversity Employer of the Year at the Computing Women in Tech Excellence awards
• Diverse and Inclusive Leadership at Digital Leaders Awards 2024
• Commended as Best Place to Work in Digital category in the Computing Digital Technology Leaders awards 2025
• Recognised as one of the Best Public Sector Employers at 2025 Women In Tech Employer Awards

Process:

We know your time is valuable, so our application and selection process are just two stages:

Interview:

a single stage interview online.