Test Lead

Department for Business and Trade; Tees Valley; Hybrid; GBP 62,103 - 78,054; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

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

Job summary

A UK government department is looking for a Test Lead to oversee the testing strategy of its AWS-based digital platform. This position involves developing automated test frameworks, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, and mentoring engineering staff. Candidates must have proven test automation experience, coding skills in Python or Java, and familiarity with cloud technologies. Benefits include a competitive salary, civil service pension, and hybrid working options.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in test automation for infrastructure and platform engineering, including maturing PaaS/SaaS products.
• Strong coding skills (Python or Java) with experience in building reusable test frameworks.
• Hands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines and cloud platforms (AWS preferred).

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of automated test frameworks.
• Define and own platform-level test strategies.
• Mentor engineers and champion modern test automation practices.

Skills

Test automation for infrastructure and platform engineering

Coding skills (Python or Java)

CI/CD pipelines

Docker/Kubernetes

Cloud platforms (AWS preferred)

Performance testing tools (Datadog, Grafana)

Coaching multidisciplinary teams

Tools

Terraform

JMeter

Locust

Job description

Join to apply for the Test Lead role at Department for Business and Trade

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

Pay range

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

Role

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.

This role requires you to:

• 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.

Qualifications

• 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 optim‑isation).
• 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.

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.