Senior Test Engineer

Job summary

Please note this role requires you to pass Security Check clearance. For further information, please see 'Selection process details'. In order to be put forward for security checks please be aware you must have resided continuously in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years, 2 of which must have been the immediately preceding years from the point of applying for this job.

We’re looking for outstanding Senior Test Engineer to support testing within Data and Analytics.

In Data and Analytics we are a key part of DWP Digital's modernisation programme. This area owns data enabling products and is responsible for transformation to bring D&A managed data through new products. You will be working with Teams that are on the forefront of Data Transformation and as such, requires an experienced, self-motivated, and confident Senior Test Engineer.

As a Senior Test Engineer you will define the overall testing strategy, provide technical leadership and guidance to test engineering teams, and have oversight of all testing activities. You will ensure that best practices are in place, and drive improvements by sharing knowledge and resources across teams.

Job description

As Senior Test Engineer you will help define and implement the strategy for building automation test solutions that help to assure the quality of products that make up DWPs digital services leading Test Engineers across several delivery teams, providing technical leadership and guidance.

• Drive teams to take a risk based and context driven approaches and techniques to validate and ensure appropriate data transformations.
• Build automation test solutions that help to assure the quality of our products, contribute towards their design, and look for way to improve the value automation adds to data transformation.
• Ensure that security, latency, scalability, stability, and capacity are embedded in the development of services.
• Lead the traceability of testing, managing risks and defects, whilst reporting progress to appropriate stakeholders across several teams.
• Lead the adoptions of Continuous Integration/Delivery pipelines to run a full range of tests against our products and assure our builds.
• Experience working in agile environment in multi-functional teams.
• Drive collaboration across engineers of different roles both within your team and the wider teams to solve problems and enable consistent solutions and strategies.
• Proactively share knowledge, solutions, tooling and support our internal communities along with mentoring, coaching, and supporting your peers and line manage Test Engineers.

Person specification

When giving details in your CV you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:

• LEAD criteria: Demonstrable skills and experience in the data transformation space and python programming language with the aptitude to learn/adapt to others.
• Experience designing, building and maintaining comprehensive, robust, and reliable tests using pytest including driving improvements to frameworks.
• Experience leading testing and test strategy across multiple delivery teams, understanding agile ways of working and how to influence others.
• Experience across the full software lifecycle from understanding business needs to delivery into production. Including technical leadership, test generation, reporting and defect management.
• Has experience in shift left principles including CI/CD and using pipelines configured within cloud infrastructure.
• Experience of conducting and enabling non-functional testing, eg Performance, Security or Scalability – including test types, test tools and standards.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact [email removed]

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,946, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £16,786 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

Hybrid Working

This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work.

If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office.

If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert.

Salary Information

Pay for this role is from £57,946 to £78,205.

The maximum salary for the grade is £68,205, however a Digital Allowance of up to £10,000 per annum is available for exceptional candidates. Digital Allowance is non-salary, and non-pensionable, and is classed as a temporary allowance. It is reviewed annually where it could be retained, amended, or removed.

Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer will maintain their current substantive salary.

Civil Servants who gain promotion will move to the bottom of the grade pay scale or receive a 10% increase applied to their current substantive salary, whichever is greater.

Any temporary allowances that you are currently in receipt of will not form part of the calculation to determine your pay. Any allowances that are in payment will cease when you move into your new role.

Things you need to know

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