Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Senior Test Engineer
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
This role may be located in one of the following locations; Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield.
Please find further information on the Corporate hub locations here.
Please note that for candidates requesting to work in Newcastle, the role will initially be based at Benton Park View. It will then move to 1 Pilgrim Place in Newcastle city centre by the end of 2027.
For candidates requesting to work in Sheffield Hartshead Square, these roles will initially be based at Hartshead Square and then move to 1 West Bar by early 2028
For candidates requesting to work in Sheffield King’s Court, please note these roles will initially be based at King’s Court and then move to 1 West Bar by early 2028
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.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Richard.Hanley@dwp.gov.uk
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.
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.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
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.
Selection process details
Stage 1: Application
Applications Must Include
- A completed Personal Details application form.
- A curriculum vitae including education, professional qualifications and full employment history, giving details of key achievements in line with essential criteria listed in the Person Specification.
When uploading your CV, do not include personal information or links to any webpages or profiles that identifies you. This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity. Take out references to your name/title, age, sex, email address, postal address, telephone number or nationality/immigration status.
When giving details of your redacted CV, you should therefore include details of the work and projects that you have been involved in, and your role therein.
An initial sift will be conducted using the lead criterion stated above. Candidates who pass the initial sift will progress to a full sift.
For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.
Stage 2: Interview
If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the experiences listed in the essential criteria.
To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the interview questions in advance of the interview, at least 5 days prior to your interview. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared. The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including follow-up questions, and those about your experience and abilities. Candidates may be asked further probing questions if their response is deemed to require further information to determine suitability for the role.
Candidates are strongly encouraged to secure their interview slot promptly to ensure fairness in preparation time with the questions provided in advance.
Interviews will take place from mid October 2026. Interview dates to be confirmed.
Other Information
If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.
All successful candidates and those placed on reserve will be posted in merit list order by location.
For these vacancies, we strongly recommend that applicants consult with an immigration specialist or qualified advisor to assess their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship before deciding to apply. Please note that while we consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, sponsorship cannot be guaranteed.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Location