> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/1640980-senior-test-engineer-up-to-81-736](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/1640980-senior-test-engineer-up-to-81-736). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Senior Test Engineer (up to £81,736) - **Company:** Department for Education - **Location:** London, UK - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** £58,185.0 - £81,736.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Testing (Software), .NET Framework, JIRA, Automation of Tests, Microsoft Azure, C Sharp (Programming Language), Code Review, Continuous Integration, Data as a Services, Data Files, Python (Programming Language), Object-Oriented Software Development, Software Testing Automation Framework, Strategies of Testing, Enterprise Data Management, Cloud Platform System, Performance Testing, Software Coding - **Published:** July 31, 2026 - **Apply:** https://uk.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=7379d4170136f605 ## About the Role * Experience leading testing activities in quality-focused teams, including articulating test strategies, priorities, and outcomes to stakeholders with varying levels of technical understanding at all stages of a project. * Experience in designing, implementing, and maintaining test artefacts (e.g. test plans, scripts, data sets) tailored to the risk profile of products or systems including leading the design, development, and execution of test scenarios, ensuring alignment with user needs and business requirements. * Experience in defect analysis and resolution, including tracking, triaging, and managing defects through to closure using tools such as Azure DevOps, JIRA, or similar. * Experience in creating and maintaining test automation frameworks CI/CD pipelines, setting and enforcing coding standards in Object-Oriented languages such as C# or Python, including code reviews and mentoring peers. * Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor test engineers, promoting best practices in test engineering, automation, and quality assurance. Desirable Criteria: * Experience with operating within Azure DevOps or similar cloud platform. * Awareness of conducting and enabling non-functional testing such as Performance, Security and Accessibility; including test types, test tools, and standards. * Appropriate software testing training such as ISTQB Foundation in Software Testing., Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. ## Description As a senior test engineer, you will be leading the quality assurance effort within a multi-discipline development team and delivering one or more programmes of work. You will drive the test engineering capability of the squad, by providing technical leadership, mentoring, coaching, and career development. You will be responsible for implementing the Test Strategy for manual and automated testing of digital services with a view to maximise test automation. These strategies will align with wider government digital standards to ensure the services are compliant and accessible to all. You will contribute to the Testing Community across the department, help develop junior test engineers by providing technical guidance and deliver our strategic vision by building and maintaining strong links with other Test Engineers across other Government departments, to influence standard methodology and share insights. If you are successful, you could be: * Working in Enterprise Data for Insight (EDfI), responsible for ensuring the quality and reliability of Data services developed to support policy teams, analysts, delivery colleagues and external partners. Helping to deliver better evidence-based decisions, design more effective services, and ultimately improve outcomes for children, young people and those who support them. As a Grade 7 Test Engineer in EDfI you will be using your coding and analysis skills to plan, design, implement and manage testing within Projects. The team has already delivered award winning automation solutions and continues to innovate and develop testing techniques (posts available in all advertised locations except Bristol). * On the Apprenticeship Service, our test team are responsible for ensuring the quality of the hundreds of .NET applications that make up our award-winning digital service and support the payment of over £2.7 billion of government funding for apprenticeship training provision in England and Wales. The work involves in-depth regression, automation, performance and accessibility testing, along with contributing to a diverse and active community that is committed to the continuous development and improvement of both our services and people (posts available in all advertised locations). * Working in the Solution Delivery Team. We work on central repeatable tools that will form the backbone of the Departments services going forward. It’s an exciting area to work in with an established team (posts available in all advertised locations except Bristol)., As a senior test engineer, you will: * Lead and work collaboratively with other members of your integrated delivery team, to develop a cohesive service. * Collaborate across disciplines to ensure that services help our stakeholders to achieve their aims, meet DfE standards and help meet users’ needs. * Manage obstacles and escalations of key delivery issues through appropriate governance. * Define the appropriate level of documentation to support testing efforts within the within the team and wider department. * Have expert knowledge of coding Test Automation Frameworks from scratch that provides sufficient automated coverage for a project. * Have up to date knowledge of the latest best practices and standards to set direction for the team. This would include appropriate coding standards and CICD processes for the automated testing. * Support other testers in the Community by coaching and setting direction. * Define and uphold test status reporting within the team, via dashboards or other appropriate means so that test status is clear to the team. * Input into the development of wider standardised automated testing frameworks, tools, and processes within the community., * Your CV should include details of your employment history, and the skills and experience gained in those roles. * Your Statement of Suitability (max 1250 words) should demonstrate how your experience meets the essential criteria listed above. Sift We will use your CV and statement to assess your suitability for the role togehter against the essential criteria listed in the person specification section above. To confirm, the maximum word count for the statement of suitability is 1250. Please adhere to this limit as anything over 1250 words will not be taken into account. Interview Those successful at sift will be invited to attend an interview. Interviews will be on MS teams, which may be remote or from a DfE office - we will confirm which when you are invited to an interview. The interview will be one hour and 15 minutes long and is made up of two parts. * Part 1 – Job related simulation - You will be given a scenario pertaining to the day-to-day activities of a senior test engineer and you will be asked to provide a high-level description of how you would tackle the activity. This will be assessed against the essential criteria. * Part 2 – Questions - At interview you will be asked questions to assess your experience in line with the essential criteria listed above. Feedback Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview. Timing We expect to sift in week commencing 17 August 2026. Interviews will likely take place in the weeks commencing 31 August, 7 September and 14 September 2026. Once a provisional offer has been made, you will be invited to participate in a capability assessment to determine the value of the CBP allowance we can offer you. The assessment compares your skills against the Senior Test Engineer role described in DfE’s local Test Engineer Capability Framework, which is based on the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework. Subject to your availability, we will aim to conduct the capability assessment and confirm the allowance offer to you within a week of the provisional offer being made. This is a discretionary non-consolidated, non-pensionable allowance which, if awarded, is attached to the post. The value of the allowance is based on the outcome of a capability assessment and is reviewed annually. Allowance values range up to £19,400, with the highest values reserved for candidates whose capability is above the expected level for all of the skills. If applicants are not appointable at this grade, they may be considered for positions at the grade below. Other Information Interviews may be via Microsoft teams or face to face; the vacancy manager will confirm prior to the Interview. In your application, please don’t include personal information that identifies you. This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - it's called name blind recruitment . Please ensure that you remove from your application, all references to your: * name/title * educational institutions * age * gender * email address * postal address * phone number * nationality/immigration status We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas. The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship. If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out., Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment., * UK nationals * nationals of the Republic of Ireland * nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK * nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) * nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) * individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 * Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service ## Related Videos - [Are Code Reviews Worth It? Insights from 16 Years of Review Data](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1135-are-code-reviews-worth-it-insights-from-16-years-of-review-data) - [Improving quality with Agentic AI with Rovo Dev and Xray](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2005-improving-quality-with-agentic-ai-with-rovo-dev-and-xray) - [Introduction to TXT](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/30-introduction-to-txt) - [Testing .NET applications a Tool box for every developer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/704-testing-net-applications-a-tool-box-for-every-developer) - [Collaboration Quantified: Lessons from Open Source Developer Networks](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1422-collaboration-quantified-lessons-from-open-source-developer-networks) - [SMART Test Automation - the experience of legacy transformation](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100215-smart-test-automation-the-experience-of-legacy-transformation) ## Related Articles - [Data Engineer Salary UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/253-data-engineer-salary-uk) - [Software Engineer Salary London](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/252-software-engineer-salary-london) - [Software Engineer Salary in The UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/231-software-engineer-salary-in-the-uk) - [Fullstack Developer Salary UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/251-fullstack-developer-salary-uk) - [Frontend Developer Salary in The UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/233-frontend-developer-salary-in-the-uk) - [IT Salaries in UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/288-it-salaries-in-uk)