Lead Test Engineer
Department for Work and Pensions
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 8th December 2024
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About the job
Job summary
The successful candidates will work directly in either our Engineering Excellence Team or Debt Digital programme to deliver a major change programme.
Engineering Excellence team works as a multi-disciplinary team that owns a backlog to deliver common, re-usable technical assets that accelerate and enable engineering delivery across the wider organisation.
Our Debt Digital Programme is a transformative major change programme within DWP delivered by multi-functional teams, in varying stages of development.
Both roles will help shape the medium to long-term engineering strategies for centralised, reusable quality products and components that accelerate engineering delivery across DWP as a whole or DWP Debt Digital, meeting expectations of citizens managing their finances via online channels.
These roles will suit an engineer who is excellent at resolving technical blockers, understand wider testing principles in Agile and namely Microservice Architecture. They will be proactively engaging with the wider engineering community to drive consistency and adoption of strategic engineering solutions and standard that build a quality outcome. The role will require hands on testing engineering and leadership skills.
Job description
- Oversee, influence, support and coach a large number of diverse multi-disciplinary teams involved in building, testing, delivering and maintaining solutions driving consistency, standards, and quality, resolving technical blockers, and promoting reuse and collaboration.
- Excellent problem solver, able to consider the bigger picture for the benefit of the wider team and community, who is adapts and is a fast learner.
- Possess an excellent ability to self-organise, lead others and define priorities with effective interaction with stakeholders in all directions.
- Own test planning and identify risks, issues and dependencies (external and internal) in a complex environment and ensure appropriate resources, skills and plans are in place.
- Has a hands-on understanding of test engineering and the leadership knowledge and skills to help shape the medium to long term Engineering Practice or Debt Digital quality strategies.
- Promote engagement with continuous integration, delivery and deployment practices and has comprehensive experience on Agile and Waterfall delivery principles, methodology and tools.
- Shape solutions that make effective use of multiple languages, test tools and frameworks, around UI/PI etc, alongside cloud-native technology such as Kubernetes, Containers, GitLab CI/CD, AWS & Azure.
Person specification
When giving details in your CV you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:
- (Lead Criteria) Excellent communicator who can coach, collaborate, influence, develop and lead multiple diverse teams.
- Influencing decision makers and key stakeholder to help support and define the strategic vision of solutions.
- Knowledge of multiple programming languages, technology, and testing frameworks used within different architectures such as microservice, monoliths, SaaS etc.
- Ensures that both functional and non-functional needs are embedded in the development & testing of solutions.
- Ability to understand, review and implement the latest practices, principles, and processes, driving towards whole team quality.
- Able to contribute to the design, implementation and adoption of reusable patterns, libraries, and services.
If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact richard.hanley@dwp.gov.uk.
Benefits
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 23 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.
This job 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. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
Salary Information
Pay for this role is from £72,664 to £87,740.
The maximum salary for the grade is £77,740 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 should maintain their current salary.
Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the next grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Stage 1: Application
As part of the application process your applications must include:
1. A completed Personal Details application form.
2. 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.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
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.
Applications will be sifted at regular intervals from the date the posts are advertised. Please apply as soon as you can, do not wait until the end of the campaign.
Important information
- Please attach your redacted CV as a separate additional document in either PDF or word format.
- If your CV contains any personal details your application may be withdrawn.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
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.
You will be asked to do a (5 minute followed by 5 minutes of questions) presentation on a specific topic. Further details will be provided to candidates invited to interview.
Interviews will take place from the end of November 2024.
Questions in Advance:
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.
Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP
For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Reserve list candidates will be posted in merit order by location.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via DigitalRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How We Recruit, page
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Richard Hanley
- Email : richard.hanley@dwp.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : digitialrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
