Test Lead

Department for Business and Trade; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 62,103 - 78,054; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service pension

25 days annual leave

Hybrid working

Paid volunteering days

Tailored learning opportunities

Job summary

A government department in Edinburgh is seeking a Platform Test Lead to oversee the testing strategy for its AWS-based platform. You will lead automation practices, mentor engineers, and enhance deployment testing. This role requires strong coding skills in Python or Java and experience with CI/CD pipelines and cloud platforms. Benefits include a competitive salary, flexible working, and a Civil Service pension.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in test automation for infrastructure and platform engineering.
• Strong coding skills in Python or Java.
• Hands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines and containerisation.
• Familiarity with observability and performance testing tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and improvement of automated test frameworks.
• Define and own platform-level test strategies.
• Work closely with engineers to embed testability.
• Drive improvements in deployment testing.

Skills

Test automation

Python

Java

CI/CD pipelines

Docker

Kubernetes

Terraform

Performance testing

Cyber security principles

Tools

AWS

Datadog

Grafana

JMeter

Locust

Gherkin/Cucumber

Job description

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Department for Business and Trade provided pay range

This range is provided by Department for Business and Trade. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

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⭐I help "Tech for Good" businesses to build high performing technical teams who value gender diversity

£62,103 to £78,054 plus excellent Civil Service benefits and pension

London, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, Belfast, Birmingham, Salford

Join a team at the heart of the global economy! The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and Inspire People are partnering together to bring you an exciting opportunity for a Platform Test Lead.

With DBT’s AWS-based platform supporting digital services across government, this is your opportunity to lead the testing strategy for one of the UK’s most technically ambitious digital environments — ensuring the platform is robust, secure, and scalable.

You’ll embed automation and quality assurance into how DBT designs, delivers, and evolves its cloud platform, supporting services that help UK businesses grow, invest, and trade globally.

The Role

• 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.
• Work closely with Platform Engineers, Architects, and Cyber specialists to embed testability and resilience in every layer of the platform.
• Drive improvements in deployment testing, enabling faster, more reliable releases.
• Support observability and FinOps initiatives through cost-impact and performance-focused testing.
• Mentor engineers and champion modern test automation and continuous delivery practices.

You’ll work with: AWS, Terraform, Docker/Kubernetes, Python/Java, CI/CD pipelines, Datadog, Grafana, JMeter, Locust, and related automation frameworks.

Essential experience

• Proven experience in test automation for infrastructure and platform engineering, including maturing PaaS/SaaS products.
• Strong coding skills (Python or Java), with experience building reusable test frameworks, utilities, and using BDD approaches (e.g. Gherkin/Cucumber) for collaborative testing.
• Hands‑on experience with CI/CD pipelines, containerisation (Docker/Kubernetes), cloud platforms (AWS preferred), and infrastructure‑as‑code (e.g. Terraform).
• Familiarity with observability and performance testing tools (Datadog, ELK, Grafana, Locust, JMeter), plus an understanding of cyber security testing principles and logging requirements.
• Ability to coach multidisciplinary teams, embed quality practices in agile delivery, and apply FinOps‑aware testing approaches (e.g. cost‑impact validation, resource optimisation).
• Knowledge of platform engineering patterns (e.g. sidecar architecture, secure base images, technical contracts).
• Familiarity with accessibility and security testing standards (e.g. OWASP, WCAG).

Security Clearance

This role requires SC clearance. To be eligible, you must have been resident in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.

Benefits

• Civil Service pension with average employer contribution of 28.97%
• 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 with service
• Hybrid/flexible working (2–3 days in office per week)
• Three paid volunteering days per year
• Tailored learning and development opportunities
• Inclusive culture encouraging diversity and innovation

How to Apply

Submit a 2-page CV aligned to the essential criteria. Inspire People will review applications before progressing to DBT hiring managers. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview and complete a technical exercise.

Closing statement

If you are a Test Lead, Automation Engineer, or DevOps professional looking to lead testing across a high‑impact platform that drives UK digital transformation, apply today or contact Keesha Paulsen at Inspire People in confidence for more information.