HM Revenue & Customs
Senior Test Engineer
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About The Job
Job summary
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We are looking for a Senior Test Engineer to join teams delivering services within Enterprise Integration Services (EIS). This role focuses on engineering-led testing approaches that assure the quality of API platforms, integration services and service-based architectures that underpin HMRC's digital estate.
You will work as part of multidisciplinary delivery teams, designing and building automated testing solutions while also applying test analysis and assurance practices to ensure APIs and integrations are reliable, secure and performant. This includes validating data flows, interfaces and end-to-end service behaviour across complex integration landscapes.
This role sits within HMRC's Chief Digital & Information Office (CDIO), supporting services at national scale.
Job Description
As a Senior Test Engineer you will embed testing and quality practices across the delivery lifecycle for API and integration-based services.
You will design, implement and maintain automated tests for APIs, services and platforms, working closely with developers and other engineers. You'll contribute to CI/CD pipelines, identify quality risks early, and support teams in delivering secure and resilient integration services.
You will also contribute to understanding requirements and defining effective test coverage for API and integration services, ensuring quality risks are identified early and addressed throughout delivery.
You will work with a good degree of autonomy, taking ownership of test engineering tasks within your team, while being supported by lead engineers and quality specialists.
Key Responsibilities Will Include
- Design, develop and maintain automated tests for APIs, integration services and platforms.
- Work closely with developers to embed testing early and continuously.
- Contribute to CI/CD pipelines and continuous testing approaches.
- Support non-functional testing such as performance, security and accessibility, particularly for APIs and integrations.
- Analyse test results, raise defects and support investigation and resolution.
- Contribute to improving test frameworks, tooling and engineering practices.
- Support knowledge sharing and mentoring of less experienced colleagues.
- Review and analyse business and technical requirements, identifying risks, gaps and test conditions for APIs and integrations.
- Validate data flows and interfaces using structured data formats such as JSON and XML.
- Produce clear test evidence and support assurance activities to inform release decisions.
- Collaborate with product managers, architects, developers and delivery managers to ensure quality is embedded across the lifecycle.
Person specification
You will be a technically capable Test Engineer with experience of testing APIs and integration-based services in modern delivery environments.
At this level, you are expected to deliver independently, contribute to technical decision-making within your team, and support the development of good testing practices.
Skills
You will demonstrate the following skills at Working / Practitioner level, combining strong test engineering capability with effective test analysis and quality assurance practices:
- Designing and building automated tests for APIs and services.
- Applying testing techniques across the delivery lifecycle.
- Working effectively in agile, multidisciplinary teams.
- Identifying and communicating quality and integration risks.
- Analysing requirements and designing effective test coverage for APIs and integration services.
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Essential Criteria
Test Engineering And Automation
- Experience building and maintaining automated tests using modern frameworks and languages.
API And Integration Testing
- Experience testing APIs, service-based or integration-led systems, including validation of data exchange, interfaces and service behaviour.
Agile And DevOps Delivery
- Experience working in agile teams and contributing to CI/CD pipelines.
Technical Collaboration
- Ability to work closely with engineers to identify and manage quality risks.
Test Analysis And Quality Assurance
- Ability to analyse requirements, design effective test coverage and provide evidence-based assurance of service quality.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience with API platforms, gateways or event-driven architectures.
- Experience with performance or security testing for services.
- Knowledge of cloud or container-based environments.
- Experience working with structured data formats such as JSON and XML.
- ISTQB or equivalent testing qualification.
Further Location Information
Please ensure that you only apply for a location that you are willing and able to work from, as we will only make one offer of employment. Any additional notes included in a 'Further Location Preferences (optional)' field within the application form, will not be considered. Please be aware that you cannot change your location preference after submitting your application.
Office Closures
If your location preference is for the following site, it's important to note that this is not long-term site for HMRC and we will require you to move to a new building in the future, subject to our location strategy and the applicable employee policies at that time.
For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations (opens in a new window)
This Site Is
Telford Plaza, Telford - moving to Parkside Court, Telford
You will be given more information about what this means at the job offer stage.
Leeds Location
Moves Adjustment Payment will be available for this role, provided the successful applicant is a current HMRC colleague in Bradford and meets the eligibility requirements outlined in the HMRC's Moves Adjustment Payment guidance.
Technical Skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Test Engineering and Automation
- API and Integration Testing
- Agile Delivery, CI/CD and Quality Assurance
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £45,544, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £13,194 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).
HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.
We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.
- Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
- Family friendly policies.
- Personal support.
- Coaching and development.
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Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.
How To Apply
As part of the application process:
- A name-blind CV including your job history and previous experience. Applicants will need to demonstrate relevant experience and effective delivery of the Essential Criteria.
Please evidence any Desirable Criteria, up to 250 words max. This is not essential for the role but may be considered by the vacancy holder where candidates have the same score at interview.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
IKM Assessment
Prior to applications being sifted candidates will be asked to complete an additional IKM assessment. Candidates will be sent details of the assessment once the advert has closed. This assessment is a pass or fail and only those who pass will be considered at the sift stage.
Sift
At sift your CV will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.
We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.
Interview
During the panel interview, your experience will be assessed, and you will be asked three technical questions to explore your technical knowledge and skills
Interviews will take place via video link. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Eligibility
Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. Mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we may not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, or have withdrawn yourself in error and need your application reinstated whilst the campaign is still live, please contact us via: unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk - Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example - 'Please re-open my application - [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]'.
To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.
Exceptionally, candidates who are not successful at this grade may be considered for appointment to similar roles at a lower grade where the eligibility criteria are met. If this applies, we will contact you directly.
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