Lead Test Engineer - DVSA - G7

Manchester Digital; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 54,000 - 81,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency in the UK seeks a Lead Test Engineer to oversee test engineering across digital services. The successful candidate will ensure quality, drive automation throughout processes, and collaborate across teams. Benefits include a competitive salary, employer pension contributions, and flexible working options. Ideal applicants will have extensive experience in leading QA teams and must hold a relevant degree.

Benefits

Employer pension contribution of 28.97%

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Experience leading test engineering or QA teams across multiple projects.
• Proficient in automation-first testing strategies.
• Experience with modern test automation frameworks and scripting languages.
• Familiarity with Agile delivery practices and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience in performance, security, resilience testing.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple test engineering teams to embed quality.
• Design and scale automation testing frameworks.
• Define risk-based test strategies across projects.
• Maintain test engineering standards and metrics.
• Coach test engineers to build modern testing skills.

Skills

Leading test engineering or QA teams

Designing automation-first testing strategies

Using modern test automation frameworks

Agile practices, DevOps, CI/CD

Non-functional testing

Coaching and mentoring

Communicating risks to teams

Collaborating with cross-functional teams

Continuous improvement in testing

Education

Bachelor's or master's in computer science or related field

Job description

£54,857 Plus an additional allowance of up to £25,543
Published on

Full-time (Permanent) £54,857 Plus an additional allowance of up to £25,543
Published on 25 September 2025 Deadline 5 October 2025

Location

Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Oldham, Swansea

About the job

Job summary

The Lead Test Engineer role sits within DVSA’s Strategy, Policy, Digital & Technology Directorate, which is responsible for delivering high-quality, user-focused digital services that support road safety and compliance across the UK. The directorate brings together multi-disciplinary teams of developers, testers, analysts, product owners, architects, and operations specialists to design, build and run modern digital solutions.

Test Engineering is a core capability within these delivery teams, ensuring that DVSA’s systems are robust, secure, and resilient. The community of Test Engineers is focused on embedding automation-first quality practices, promoting collaboration across teams, and driving continuous improvement. As part of a wider cross-government Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) function, the team works closely with partners inside and outside DVSA, sharing knowledge and aligning with industry best practices.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensionshere
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Leading multiple test engineering teams to embed quality across DVSA digital services.
• Designing and scaling automation-first testing frameworks, tools, and pipelines.
• Defining and implementing risk-based test strategies across projects and platforms.
• Establishing and maintaining test engineering standards, practices, and metrics.
• Coaching and mentoring test engineers to build capability and modern testing skills.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure quality is built in from the outset.
• Driving continuous improvement in test practices, defect management, and quality reporting.
• Representing DVSA in the wider testing community, sharing innovation and best practice.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.

For further information on the role, please read the attached role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Open Sessions:Would you like to find out more about the role, the team and what it’s like to work in our department? If so, we are organising an open session where you can virtually 'meet the team' on 25th September 2025 at17:30. Sign up here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1660054470609?aff=oddtdtcreator

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Leading test engineering or QA teams across multiple projects.
• Designing and implementing automation-first testing strategies.
• Using modern test automation frameworks, tools, and scripting languages.
• Working with Agile delivery practices, DevOps, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Embedding non-functional testing (performance, security, scalability, resilience).
• Managing and analysing defects, using trends to drive improvements.
• Coaching, mentoring, and developing test engineers at different levels.
• Communicating testing risks and outcomes to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Driving continuous improvement and adopting emerging test engineering practices.

The base pay is £54,857 In addition to this the role includes a Digital and Data allowance of up to £25,543.

Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least30 hours per week.

Monthly travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays.

This roleis suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Qualifications

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or a related field.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Communicating between the technical and non-technical
• Design and Executing tests
• Managing, reporting and resolving defects