Test Engineer

Salary: £66,332. This includes a £3000 non-consolidated market rate supplement. There are also opportunities to qualify for additional skills related payments under the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework, formerly the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) framework.

Flexible working: We support full-time, part-time, compressed hours and other flexible working patterns.

However, this is primarily an office-based role, and therefore, opportunities for home or remote working will be limited and dependent on projects., As a Test Engineer, you'll help us deliver high-quality products that keep the country safe. You'll join a specialist team where you'll handle both functional and non-functional testing, explore fresh methodologies, mentor colleagues, and champion quality in everything we build. You'll also:

• develop and execute thorough test plans to ensure our products are reliable and high-quality
• build, adopt, and improve automated test frameworks to provide fast, scalable feedback for complex platform capabilities
• champion testing and quality engineering by refining processes and helping teams reach the best outcomes
• collaborate with developers, analysts, product managers, and colleagues across the organisation to embed test engineering into our development approach
• work with external partners, vendors, and clients to support joint testing activities, integrate third-party tools, and ensure compatibility with external systems

This role may involve occasional travel around the country to attend training sessions or events several times a year. This may include day trips to other regional sites, for example., MI5 is proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and Pension's Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. As a Disability Confident Leader, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential minimum criteria for this position, will be offered an interview, if it is practical for us to do so. (This is known as the Offer of an Interview.) To secure an interview for this role, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:

• meet the eligibility criteria: complete an initial application form, including pre-screening questions, to ensure you meet our eligibility criteria
• demonstrate proficiency in developing test automation scripts in at least one common programming language (e.g., Java, Python, C#, TypeScript) (assessed at application form sift)
• demonstrate a clear understanding of modern testing principles and practices, including continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD), test-driven development (TDD), or cloud services (assessed at application form sift)
• demonstrate the ability to provide technical direction, guide, and support other team members in their testing efforts (assessed at application form sift)

There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best, see our website for information on reasonable adjustments we can offer.

What to expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

1. you'll be invited to upload your CV and complete an online application form
2. if you pass, you'll be invited to an interview where you will be asked questions relating to your motivation and our core competencies
3. if you pass, you'll be invited to a technical skill-based interview based on the Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework for the role
4. if successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment, subject to vetting

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.

Before you apply

To work at MI5, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Read about our eligibility criteria.

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It's something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. Find out more about the vetting process.

Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can't take any recreational drugs and you'll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more securely.

The role is based in Central London, so you'll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application. An interest-free loan is available to assist with relocating into privately rented accommodation to take up the offer of employment.

You're confident designing test suites for automation that validate both functional and non-functional requirements, and executing end-to-end, integration, and regression testing across distributed systems. Your attention to detail means your testing is thorough, results are accurate and quality is always there.

You'll have hands-on coding experience in at least one common language (Java, C#, Python, or TypeScript), plus practical experience with automation tools like Playwright, Selenium, or Cypress. You'll also have:

• experience with version control systems like Git and working with CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery or Deployment) pipelines
• awareness of new testing tools and approaches
• strong communication skills, combining active listening with clear writing and speaking to effectively share test plans, results, and issues with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• a collaborative mindset, with confidence working as part of a team
• a proactive approach to problem-solving, spotting opportunities to improve before any issues arise
• an interest in developing your skills and exploring new test engineering practices

Experience with cloud-native applications, cloud architecture, or cloud-based testing tools is valuable, but not essential. The same applies if you have a specialism in areas like performance, security, or accessibility testing. Knowledge of Agile ways of working, including TDD (Test-Driven Development), BDD (Behaviour-Driven Development), Scrum, or Kanban is also beneficial, as is ISEB (Information System Examination Board) or ISTQB Foundation (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) certification, or an understanding of these standards.

Training and development

From day one, you'll be supported in your role. Your induction begins with a skills assessment so we can tailor your training to what you need most, and you'll be paired with experienced team members who'll mentor you along the way. Along with this, you'll also be introduced to our organisation, the team, and any ongoing and upcoming projects.

To make sure we address every area of your growth, we use the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (formerly the Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) Profession Capability Framework). This will help you maintain and grow your technical and non-technical skills. You'll have opportunities for qualifications, certifications - like AWS (Amazon Web Services), IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology), or BCS (British Computer Society), hackathons, and up to 20% innovation and personal development time.

As you progress, we'll regularly review and recognise your developing skills, providing support wherever you need it. We ask that you actively demonstrate your capabilities against the framework as you progress. While we do need to maintain certain standards (and in rare cases, this might mean adjusting roles and pay to match current capability), this would only happen after we've given you every opportunity and all the support you need to succeed. Our goal is always to help you thrive.

You'll receive a starting salary of £66,332 plus other benefits including:

• 25 days of annual leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays
• opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
• a dedicated development budget
• an interest-free season ticket loan
• an excellent pension scheme
• a cycle to work scheme
• facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
• paid parental and adoption leave

MI5 keeps the country safe from serious threats like terrorism and attempts by states to harm the UK, its people and way of life. We carry out investigations by obtaining, analysing and assessing intelligence, and then work with a range of partners, including MI6 and GCHQ to disrupt these threats. Through our protective security arm, we provide advice and guidance to government, businesses and other organisations about how to keep themselves safe. A role in MI5 means you'll do unique and challenging work in a supportive and encouraging environment, making a real difference to UK national security.