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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Senior Test Engineer - **Company:** Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) - **Location:** Newcastle upon Tyne, UK (Remote available) - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** £42,665.0 - £46,765.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Testing (Software), JavaScript (Programming Language), Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Application Frameworks, Continuous Integration, Github, Strategies of Testing, Performance Testing, Playwright, Software Version Control - **Published:** August 4, 2026 - **Apply:** https://uk.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=55039f20c7852a05 ## About the Role * Experience of testing public facing digital services and an awareness GDS Standards * Experience of working within the Software Testing Life Cycle and the various test types required to build confidence in a system * Experience of using JavaScript with open-source frameworks such as Playwright or WDIO * Experience of building and/or maintaining automated UI test suites * Experience using source control tools such as GitHub * Experience building and/or maintaining automated API tests * Experience of contributing to engineering practices/good coding standards * Experience in a shift left testing and CI/CD environment * Knowledge of non-functional testing types * Excellent communication skills and a dedication to developing self and others., * Managing a Quality Service * Developing Self and Others * Communicating and Influencing, This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills., Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship., 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 Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink., If you join us as a Senior Test Engineer, you will be part of the team who deliver transformative change across the Defra group. You'll have the opportunity to influence delivery at a strategic level on some of the most exciting IT transformations cross-government. We can offer you a position in our established test function with a supportive team, learning and career pathways and the opportunity to develop your skills. You will be working on digital services in a challenging environment which continues to evolve as an exemplar in the Quality Assurance and Test (QA&T) profession. Working in a supportive, diverse and user-focused culture our flexible working arrangements mean you can maintain a healthy work-life balance. You will play an important part in building a digital future for Defra and our customers., * A senior test engineer is responsible for driving engineering capability. They influence, coach and guide others in test engineering, sharing best practice and standards * Working in a multidisciplinary agile team on a wide range of digital projects, you will use Government Digital Service Standards (GDS) and software testing tools * Working with stakeholders, determine test scope for functional and non-functional testing following a risk-based testing approach * Follow the Defra Test Strategy to create or contribute to test plans using a risk-based approach. You will be expected to contribute to development of reusable test artifacts * Identify and plan test needs for things such as, but not limited to data, environment provision, access controls * Use technical tooling and engineering approaches to design and execute tests * Develop and maintain automated test suites * Implement our standard defect management processes to report, communicate and resolve defects * Clearly communicate risks and impact of defects to stakeholders * Select, use and guide others in using the most appropriate technical tooling, engineering approaches, test types and techniques to identify and address risks early * Extend, standardise and build reusable frameworks and tools that support testing * Communicate and document chosen approaches, tools, techniques and outcomes to the team and appropriate stakeholders * Contribute to and agree engineering standards * Inform and influence stakeholders around the testing actions that need to be taken by the project * Implement the release test plan and ensure the correct test types and acceptance criteria are applied to the right standard * Contribute to the team community, coaching team members, promoting knowledge transfer and a culture of continuous improvement., We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: * Test analysis - Level: practitioner * Test engineering - Level: practitioner, Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes. The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations. Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time., If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes., * 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 - [Testing .NET applications a Tool box for every developer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/704-testing-net-applications-a-tool-box-for-every-developer) - [Excellent Software Testing](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/87-excellent-software-testing) - [Boost Productivity with AI: Figma & Playwright MCP Workflows - Aris Markogiannakis](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1768-boost-productivity-with-ai-figma-playwright-mcp-workflows-aris-markogiannakis) - [Innovating Developer Tools with AI: Insights from GitHub Next](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1268-innovating-developer-tools-with-ai-insights-from-github-next) - [Accessibility Test Driven Development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1578-accessibility-test-driven-development) - [Continuous Accessibility](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100170-continuous-accessibility) ## Related Articles - [The 8 Best Code Testing Tools](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/402-the-8-best-code-testing-tools) - [Data Engineer Salary UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/253-data-engineer-salary-uk) - [Guide for Expats Living in the UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/355-guide-for-expats-living-in-the-uk) - [UK Business Culture and Etiquette](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/326-uk-business-culture-and-etiquette) - [Fully Remote Software Engineer Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/447-fully-remote-software-engineer-jobs) - [Frontend Developer Salary in The UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/233-frontend-developer-salary-in-the-uk)