Lead Test Engineer

Salary: £68,000 - 108,000 per year

• We are looking for talented quality professionals with a strong passion for quality and continuous improvement.
• We require experience programming in Java to write secure, reusable, and maintainable automated tests and test utilities.
• We require the ability to use concepts such as thread management, synchronisation, resource management, and memory management to improve test engineering efficiency.
• We require experience using scripting languages such as Bash or PowerShell.
• We require experience using and implementing tools such as Selenium, RestAssured, and Serenity BDD, or similar.
• We require experience using build tools such as Maven or Gradle and code management tools such as git.
• We require experience using unit test frameworks such as JUnit, assertion libraries, and data serialisation tools.
• We require knowledge of security best practices such as OWASP Top 10 and standards such as WCAG to design automated accessibility tests.
• We require extensive use of CI/CD tools for pipeline automation and a solid understanding of release pipeline concepts.
• We require familiarity with containerisation platforms such as Docker and container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes.
• We require experience using the POM test design pattern and SOLID code design principles.
• We require the ability to implement coding guidelines and standards with a solid understanding of protocols and architectural styles involved in implementing tests.
• We require the ability to actively engage with performance testing engineers, identify performance bottlenecks, and read, interpret, and articulate performance reports.
• We assess against SFIA technical skills and behaviours during the selection process, including Strategic Planning, Domain Experience, Test, Analysis, Design and Execution, Automation and Tooling, Performance Testing, and Integration and Assurance.
• This role is only available on a full-time basis, although compressed hours are available.
• This role requires Security Check clearance and successful candidates must meet the relevant security requirements before appointment.

• We decide and drive the test engineering approach within our programme area.
• We assure, measure, and build quality into every phase of the software development life cycle.
• We define and implement product-level test engineering strategies in large-scale or complex projects.
• We align our approaches to portfolio-level Test Engineering approaches and QAT Test Engineering principles.
• We contribute to portfolio-level Test Architecture.
• We solve engineering challenges related to QAT approaches adopted in projects.
• We develop new frameworks, review existing frameworks, and enhance them to deliver scalable solutions.
• We own existing test frameworks and identify where new frameworks are needed.
• We lead and coach a team of test engineers and help solve technical challenges.
• We evaluate the effectiveness of test engineering processes across projects and suggest improvements.
• We promote convergence, shared capabilities, and data-driven approaches within test engineering.
• We evaluate tools and recommend approaches that can benefit testing, including virtualisation, data mocking, contract testing, automated integration testing, test data management, test results aggregation, and release management.
• We enable precise, real-time reporting of automation test runs and roll-up reporting.
• We manage test infrastructure usage and decide approaches for distributed, parallel testing.
• We use container and cloud technology to orchestrate faster, scalable tests while optimising costs.
• We promote the use of code scan, code quality, accessibility testing, and observability tools.
• We participate in the QAT Test Engineering community and support QAT recruitment.

• Bash
• CI/CD
• Cloud
• Docker
• Git
• Gradle
• Support
• JUnit
• Java
• Kubernetes
• Maven
• OWASP
• PowerShell
• Security
• Selenium
• DevOps
• MS Teams
• REST

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We are Home Office Digital, where quality is at the heart of everything we do. Our award-winning Home Office Quality Assurance and Testing team is one of the largest quality engineering functions in government, with a shared service delivered through a community of over 750 QA professionals supporting critical digital services that help protect and serve the UK. We work across high-profile portfolios including Police and Public Protection Technology, Homeland Security Group, and Home Office Biometrics. You may be based in London Borough of Croydon, Salford, or Sheffield, and where business needs allow, some roles may support a combination of office and home-based working with at least 60% of working time in the office. We offer a Civil Service Pension with employer contribution, an in-year reward scheme, 25 days annual leave on appointment rising with service, 8 days of public holidays plus an additional privilege day, and opportunities to grow in a collaborative and supportive team working at the forefront of modern engineering practices.

last updated 36 week of 2026