Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Test Engineer
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Job Summary
This role may be located in one of the following locations; Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester or Newcastle.
Please note: 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.
Please note this role requires you to pass Security Check clearance. For further information, please see 'Selection process details'.
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 Test Engineers to design, build and maintain our flagship service, Universal Credit and our Working Age Benefits.
As a Test Engineer you will be part of a multi-functional agile delivery team and be an integral part of shaping and delivering automated test solutions that enable Universal Credit Working Age Benefits to deliver quality services consistently that meet the needs of our agents and claimants. The successful candidate will be expected to collaborate with others, actively seek input from colleagues and value a multidisciplinary team over hierarchy.
This role represents a unique opportunity to join the Universal Credit and Working Age team at DWP Digital, to be part of a team delivering real value to people that need help during the difficult times of their lives.
Job Description
As a Test Engineer, you will:
- Work alongside other engineers both within your team and the wider community to solve problems and enable consistent solutions and strategies.
- Build automation test solutions that help to assure the quality of our products, contribute towards their design, and look for ways to improve the value automation adds.
- Ensure that usability, accessibility, security, stability and capacity are embedded in the development of services.
- Take a risk based, context driven approach to agile testing assessing and understanding the risks to drive decisions.
- Be supporting Continuous Integration/Delivery pipelines to run a full range of tests against our products and assure our builds.
- Maintain traceability of testing, risks, defects, and report progress to appropriate stakeholders.
- Be willing to challenge assumptions and current processes to help us improve our quality and our products.
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Person specification
When giving details in your CV you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:
- Demonstrable skills in Java and/or TypeScript and the application of modern engineering practices, together with evidence of learning and applying new technologies in a software engineering environment.
- Experience building and maintaining comprehensive, robust and reliable automated tests against UI’s and API’s including contributing to improving frameworks and automation suites.
- Experience of the testing lifecycle from understanding business needs from delivery to production. Including test generation, reporting and defect management.
- Adaptable team player who understands agile ways of working and shift left principles e.g. CI/CD.
- Knowledge of non-functional testing e.g. Performance, Security and Accessibility – including test types, test tools and standards.
Salary Information
Pay for this role is from £44,447 to £53,813.
The maximum salary for the grade is £46,547, however a Digital Allowance of up to £7,266 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.
Application and Selection Process
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.
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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.
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.
Interviews will take place from late November 2026. Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed.
Other Information
All successful candidates and those placed on reserve will be posted in merit list order by location.
Please note that for these vacancies we recommend that applicants seek specialist advice on their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship (if applicable) when considering whether to apply for any role. We can never guarantee sponsorship, requests will be considered in line with the relevant DWP guidance and Home Office policy in place at the time.
Security Clearance Requirement
You must meet the security requirements before you can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.
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.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact
- Name : Richard Hanley
- Email : Richard.Hanley@dwp.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DWP by email: HR.BUSINESSASSURANCE@DWP.GOV.UK.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.
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