Test Engineer

NHS; Newcastle upon Tyne; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A public health organization in the UK is seeking an experienced Test Engineer to join their Digital Directorate. The role involves executing testing activities for national health research systems, planning and coordinating testing efforts, ensuring products are rigorously tested before delivery. Candidates should hold a master's degree in IS/IT, be certified in ISTQB, possess strong knowledge of test tools and experience with automated testing. This is a full-time, fixed-term position offering competitive salary benefits.

Qualifications

• Educated to a master’s level or equivalent in IS / IT field.
• Certified in ISTQB Foundation.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Execute test activities within the HRA Digital Directorate.
• Plan and coordinate testing activities for national information systems.
• Manage system integration and user acceptance testing.

Skills

Knowledge of test tools (Playwright, Selenium, Cypress, Cucumber, JMeter)

Experience as an automated test engineer

Knowledge of Software coding language (C#, node.js, JavaScript)

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Inclusivity and valuing diversity

Education

Master’s level in IS/IT or equivalent experience

Certified in ISTQB Foundation

Tools

GitHub

Azure DevOps

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Test Engineer to join the HRA Digital Directorate and work as part of a Programme team to build a new Integrated Research Application and Workflow system and to achieve the successful migration and eventual closure of current systems.

Responsibilities

• Execute test activities within the HRA Digital Directorate.
• Plan and coordinate testing activities for key national information systems for health research in the UK.
• Conduct test analysis and planning, including discovery capture, test definition and estimation of test effort within a risk‑based approach.
• Ensure all products delivered, both internally and by suppliers, including significant update releases and routine fixes, are thoroughly tested and accepted before delivery into live service.
• Manage and coordinate system, system integration and user acceptance testing in line with the HRA’s practices and procedures.
• Write, debug and refactor test code for end‑to‑end testing using the HRA’s best practices and preferred automation toolset.

About Us

The HRA is committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive working environment where we actively invest in the development and empowerment of our staff, enabling them to perform at their best. We strive to promote a healthy workplace culture where wellbeing, collaboration, and professional growth are valued and encouraged.

Details

Date posted: 17 December 2025
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 a year
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 18 months
Working pattern: Full‑time, Flexible working, Home or remote working, Compressed hours
Reference number: 980-HRA7684139
Job locations: Newcastle upon Tyne, Holland Drive, Newcastle, NE2 4NQ

Job Description

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification documents for full details about this role.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications

• Educated to a master’s level or equivalent in IS / IT field or portfolio of equivalent experience demonstrating the ability to work at this level.
• Certified in ISTQB Foundation.

Desirable Qualifications

• Certified in ISTQB Technical Test Analyst.

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Comprehensive and detailed knowledge of test tools such as Playwright, Selenium, Cypress, Cucumber, JMeter.
• Working knowledge of Software coding language in the Microsoft stack e.g. C#, node.js, JavaScript.
• Working knowledge of any other SQL and relational databases.
• Experience of working within the test team delivering successful outcomes.
• Experience of working as an automated test engineer.
• Practical experience of testing on .NET, SQL and Microservices architecture.
• Lead on the analysis of complex requirements and derive testable scenarios.
• Comprehensive knowledge of code version management tools like GitHub, Azure DevOps.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to understand and interpret complex information.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise against a background of change and uncertainty.
• Commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity.
• Ability to work within and contribute to a high performing team.

Desirable Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Working knowledge of the Pega Platform.

Employer Details

Employer name: Health Research Authority
Address: Newcastle upon Tyne, Holland Drive, Newcastle, NE2 4NQ
Employer's website: https://www.hra.nhs.uk/

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community: age, disability, gender identity and expression, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and other diverse characteristics, and we have policies in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.