HM Revenue & Customs
Lead Test Engineer
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Lead Test Engineer
Lead Test Engineer – Chief Engineering and Platform Office (CEPO) | HMRC
About the Job
Job Summary [Immersive summary video available] Discover a career with purpose, growth, and belonging at HMRC. Join a team that powers the UK’s public services by modernising critical systems, ensuring tax and financial resilience.
About HMRC
HMRC serves nearly every individual and business in the UK, collecting taxes that fund vital public services while supporting those in need. CEPO leads a digitally transformative effort, consolidating applications and adoption of next-gen, scalable tech – delivering consolidated platforms, secure transfers, and high standards of quality for over 30m customers.
About the Role
As a Lead Test Engineer within the Chief Engineering & Platform Office, you’ll guide test strategy and automation, ensuring world-class quality standards across HMRC’s platform-driven ecosystem. This is a hands-on role with technical leadership to shape robust practices within CEPO’s global, Agile-first delivery.
Responsibilities
Leadership & Collaboration
- Own test strategy development across multi-platform environments, coaching engineers to embed AI-driven, shift-left & CI/CD testing principles.
- Partner with product teams, delivery leads, and vendors to broker alignment, embedding tests early into Agile workflows.
- Influence senior stakeholders (CIOs, programme directors, suppliers) to refine quality and mitigate risk, ensuring high-priority delivery.
Test Strategy & Project Delivery
-Define and enforce risk-based testing strategies (functional, non-functional, security, accessibility) aligned to business goals. -Advocate for standardisation across teams/suppliers – bridging gaps between in-house and third-party teams. -Translate architectural considerations into testable quality assurance roadmaps.
Technical & Operational Excellence
-Design/implement end-to-end solutions using scalable tooling (e.g. Python, AWS, Jira, Gatling) while championing automation & tool optimisation. -Leverage data to drive decisions (e.g. act on failing tests, accelerate performance benchmarking). -Drive scaling simplification—e.g., consolidating 50+ outdated systems into ~7 platforms via cloud-first, vendor-sourced SaaS.
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Risk & Assurance
-Validate technical tests and process coverage against requirements to minimise delivery defects. -Retrospectives & post-mortems drive continuous improvement—immersed in legacy legacy-preservation timeframes**? -Provide clear, insight-driven reporting to executives on test coverage effectiveness and delivery impact. -Assure vendor-led activities to HMRC’s security/audit standards, fostering partner alignment.
Person Specification
We seek a Disciplined, evolutionary leader with 20+ years hands-on experience or analogous senior engineering experience with digital Agencies:
Core Competencies
✅ Strategic influence, risk management: Proven track record of visibly shaping quality as a cross-supplier lead. Decisive with QA métrics to chart middle-ground.
✅ Technical depth: Experience in automation (Selenium/Playwright), security (OWASP ZAP), complying CI/CD in cloud environments (AWS, Docker).
✅ Tradecraft: Adapted microservices, SaaS-based testing strategies and scalable infrastructures (95% avoidance of monolithic rework).
✅ Culture custodian: Models Agile DevOps rigor while coaching how complex projects comprise where gaps remain.
Essential Criteria
- Champion innovation: Anticipate risk at different scale layers by using AI tooling (e.g. automated test case updates) to index gaps.
- Balancing priorities: Prioritise tests per instant impact (X-risk anticipation) rather than net coverage.
- Evidence of crucial vendor-led QRm process for spheres aligned with HMRC’s quality assurance approach (CPQ).
Location Preference
Must align with your ability to relocate due to planned restructures. We will NOT accommodate later changes:
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‘Flexible’ designations cannot be revised after submission.
-
Read ministries’ policy on location pairings (e.g.,:
New Foundations: For ongoing “Benton Park View’ phases). Moves to Singapore costs £1.2M using a relocation app.
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Supported Sites Note
(Two near-term sites listed such as ‘The Plaza at South Gate’ (H2023)...).
Salary & Benefits
📝 £58K/divided across locations: £58,541 + top-up pension (16.96K HMRC contribution to the Civil Service BC Gold Contribution scheme). 🌿 25 days leave + topic Anywhere working, buying family-friendly support, training.
Prerequisites
✔ Ensure HMRC’s security practices align (e.g., see Pink Leave Policy). Handles criminal checks by DBS and baseline security requirements.
✔ Be eligible for UK employment only where documented:
- Civil Service Commission Recruiter Proof) or those meeting approved E.U. transitional scheme rules.
About HMRC
[ velik Speed Rouses Arrival: Watch our YouTube videos] - commend it speaks for your teammates while building designing for project virtual structures.]
Civil Service Context
We adhere to merit-based, inclusivity-first principles. All overlaps with covered Enterprise initiatives, including Trainers of Tomorrow and Procuring Civil Service plans such as the £90k+ forecast for LGBTQ staff.
Selection Process
- Review submission:
- A 750-word statement using: ‘Essence Criteria’ per scoring logic. Minimal applications provided non-vindication.
- Full successful short-listers:
- Attends a 60-minute structured action (technical/political) /verbally explaining skill-blocks.
Recruitment Notes
- Reserve +1 Ranking: See posted ROI eligibility — in-between months candidates may follow uses its reserved-track.
- If you change mind, email Eligibility redraft standards at unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk with “Request—Appeal” subject.
- Respond promptly: AI-assistance used but only relays personal truthful value (AI-generated bio should be hidden)
Contact Support Feedback ≠ assured results. For minor difficulties: tech.support 영국.gov.uk dispersed HMRC Support received.
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