Platform Test Lead

Government Recruitment Service; Salford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency in the UK is seeking a Platform Test Lead to oversee the testing strategy of their cloud-hosted platform. This role involves leading test engineering for automated frameworks, collaborating with technical teams, and ensuring alignment with strategic goals. The ideal candidate should have a strong background in test automation, DevOps, and experience with large-scale platform operations.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in leading test engineering for large-scale platform operations.
• Experience with automated testing, deployment pipelines, and cloud technologies.
• Strong understanding of performance metrics like DORA.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and improvement of automated test frameworks.
• Define and own platform-level test strategies for various testing types.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to support platform priorities.
• Drive improvements in deployment testing for reliable releases.
• Monitor test suite health and ensure scalability of test infrastructure.

Skills

Test automation

Infrastructure testing

DevOps practices

Cloud-hosted platforms

Continuous delivery

Job description

If you would like to find out more about the role, the Platform Engineering team and what it’s like to work at DBT, we are holding a Hiring Manager Q&A session for this role where you can virtually 'meet the team' on Friday 17th October at 12:30pm. Please click here to book your spot.

About us

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has a clear mission - to grow the economy. Our role is to help businesses invest, grow and export to create jobs and opportunities right across the country. We do this in three ways.

Firstly, we help to build a strong, competitive business environment, where consumers are protected and companies rewarded for treating their employees properly.

Secondly, we open international markets and ensure resilient supply chains. This can be through Free Trade Agreements, trade facilitation and multilateral agreements.

Finally, we work in partnership with businesses every day, providing advance, finance and deal-making support to those looking to start up, invest, export and grow.

The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate develops and operates tools and services to support us in this mission.

As Platform Test Lead, you will play a critical role in ensuring the DBT Platform is robust, secure, and scalable by embedding quality assurance into its design and delivery. You’ll lead the development of platform-wide test strategies, support automated testing across infrastructure and services, and collaborate with technical leaders to drive continuous improvement. This role supports DBT’s digital transformation goals and contributes to the strategic evolution of the platform.

This is a technical and strategically critical role within our Technology portfolio at DBT, overseeing a platform that supports internal and external services. You will lead the evolution of the DBT Platform’s testing strategy, ensuring it is robust, secure, scalable and efficient. You will work closely with platform engineers, technical architects, cyber security and service teams to embed quality assurance into the platform’s design and delivery.

You will play a key role in shaping how we test and assure platform capabilities, bringing your experience of test automation, infrastructure testing and DevOps practices. You’ll work across DDaT to understand future needs and help teams validate and deliver against them. You’ll also contribute to platform governance and technical decision-making, ensuring testing supports strategic goals.

This is a technical leadership role requiring experience with cloud-hosted platforms. The successful candidate will be well-versed in implementing and optimising automated testing, deployment pipelines, and performance metrics like DORA. You will have an understanding of emerging technologies, enabling you to guide innovation and resilience across the platform.

You must have a proven track record of leading test engineering for large-scale platform operations or infrastructure products, ensuring stability, scalability and strategic alignment with organisational goals.

Main responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of automated test frameworks for platform components and services.
• Define and own platform-level test strategies, including integration, performance, security, and end-to-end testing across multi-account environments.
• Collaborate with Platform Engineers, Technical Architects, and Cyber SMEs to ensure testing supports platform priorities.
• Drive improvements in deployment testing, enabling faster, more reliable releases with reduced support burden.
• Support FinOps and observability initiatives by ensuring test coverage includes cost-impacting behaviours and performance metrics.
• Champion testability in platform design, simplifying environment setup and enabling self-service testing for service teams.
• Coach and mentor engineers in test automation, quality assurance, and continuous delivery practices.
• Monitor test suite health, reduce technical debt, and ensure test infrastructure is scalable and cost-effective.