Senior Test Engineer

Details
Reference number

439979

Salary

£58,655

In addition once the role holder has completed their probationary period (usually 6 months) they will become eligible to receive a pay premium allowance of £4,399 per annum. This pay premium allowance is non contractual and non pensionable.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Grade 7

IBCA Level 5

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Engineering

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time

Number of jobs available

2

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

About the job
Job summary

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) is a new arm's-length body set up, at unprecedented pace, to administer compensation to people whose lives have been impacted by the infected blood scandal.

IBCA will ensure payment is made in recognition of the wrongs experienced by those who have been infected by HIV, Hepatitis B or C, as well as those who love and care for them. They have been frustrated and distressed by the delays in achieving proper recognition, and we must help put this right.

We are committed to putting the infected and affected blood community at the centre of every decision we make and every step we take to build our organisation to deliver compensation payments.

IBCA employees will be public servants. If successful in this role you will be appointed directly into IBCA, on IBCA terms and conditions as a public servant.

Successful applicants will join the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Please note that the mission of IBCA means that it is likely to be operational for a period of approximately 5 to 7 years. When IBCA's work begins to wind down, IBCA employees will receive support and practical guidance to find a new role, whether in the Civil Service, another Arms Length Body (ALB), or an external employer.

Job description

As a Senior Test Engineer, you will ensure that software and systems meet user needs, business requirements, and quality standards through effective test automation, performance testing, and continuous delivery practices.

As a Senior Test Engineer, we are looking for experienced software testers in the team, to design and develop automated test suites based on functional and non-functional requirements, ensuring that solutions are delivered on time, and to a high level of quality. A hands-on professional responsible for every area of testing from performance and integration to accessibility and security. By contributing to and championing test engineering standards and automating continuous testing practices within CI/CD pipelines, you will ensure quality outcomes and reduce technical debt. You'll be an expert voice in releasing value early and safely.

You will need to collaborate effectively in a fast-paced environment, and utilise a wide range of testing techniques and communicate test results clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

You'll work closely with developers, delivery managers, product owners, and other stakeholders to embed a quality-first culture and drive modern, scalable testing practices across your teams.

Responsibilities

As a Senior Test Engineer, you will:

• Coordinate the end-to-end test strategy for major programmes or products, ensuring comprehensive coverage across functional, non-functional, performance, and security testing;
• Define and manage test environments, data management strategies, and quality metrics;
• Create and manage test strategies, and test plans across projects, developing high quality test cases that align with business and technical requirements;
• You will take a practical, hands-on approach to testing driving shift-left practices, creating and maintaining reliable automated test suites, and enabling teams to deliver quality through automation;
• Conduct and guide complex testing activities (integration, regression, performance, accessibility, UAT support);
• Develop, maintain, and optimise automated test frameworks and CI/CD integration;
• Collaborate closely with developers, product managers, and DevOps engineers to embed testing throughout the delivery lifecycle;
• Identify and adopt improved methods and processes to strengthen quality and optimise delivery efficiency;
• Work with test lead to review test practices, support quality governance and risk management, ensuring alignment with service standards, accessibility, and security policies.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Experience of the full testing lifecycle with a proven track record as a QA/Test Engineer;
• Experience conducting testing activities in complex technical environments, ideally within large-scale or multi-system digital programmes;
• Implementing and managing test automation frameworks (e.g. Cypress, Playwright, REST Assured, or similar);
• Integrating automated testing into CI/CD pipelines (e.g. GitHub Actions, Jenkins);
• Designing and executing non-functional testing (e.g. performance, load, security, accessibility);
• Applying Agile and DevOps principles to testing, including TDD/BDD practices (e.g. Cucumber, Gherkin);
• Proven experience in designing, testing, or supporting solutions deployed in cloud environments (e.g. AWS, Azure, GCP);
• Familiarity with containerisation and infrastructure-as-code (Docker, Terraform);
• Collaborating across multidisciplinary teams and communicating technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiences;
• Building, maintaining, and evolving test environments and test data management approaches;
• Excellent verbal/written communication skills, able to articulate in both technical/non-technical terms depending on audience.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in performance testing tools (e.g. Grafana K6, Gatling, JMeter);
• Experience working collaboratively within Agile Scrum teams, actively contributing to sprint ceremonies and ensuring robust, comprehensive test coverage;
• Experience applying risk-based testing to prioritise testing activities effectively;
• Understanding of accessibility standards (WCAG 2.2) and security testing practices;
• Knowledge of government digital standards (GDS Service Standard, Technology Code of Practice);
• Understanding of security, compliance, and data protection requirements within government or regulated environments.

While not mandatory, professional certifications such as ISTQB Advanced Level, BCS Test Analyst, or equivalent experience are desirable.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Designing and Executing Tests
• Test Engineering and Automation
• Test Planning and Analysis

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Designing and Executing Tests
• Test Engineering and Automation

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,655, Infected Blood Compensation Authority contributes £16,992 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Premium allowance paid monthly after probation
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%
• 32.5 days of paid annual leave plus 8 bank holidays
• Family friendly policies to support you and your everyday responsibilities
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave, up to 12 months shared parental leave

Recent changes in skilled worker visa eligibility mean that a Skilled Worker must have a job offer in an eligible skilled occupation from a Home Office-approved sponsor. From 22 July 2025, the job must normally be skilled to level 6 (graduate level) on the Regulated Qualifications Framework for England and Northern Ireland, or the equivalent level in Wales or Scotland, or be included on either the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List. Please be aware that if the role is not eligible for a skilled worker visa that we will be unable to provide sponsorship.

Things you need to know
Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of your application you will be required to provide a CV setting out your career history and qualifications highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role.

You will also be required to provide a Statement of Suitability (1000 words max.)

Please use your statement of suitability to explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria in the person specification section of the job advert.

Your CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the 'Person Specification' section of the job advert.

You will also be assessed on technical skills at application stage.

Should you be successful at sift, you will be invited to attend an interview where you will be assessed on experience, behaviours and technical skills.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 29/12/2025

Expected interview date/s – w/c 05/01/2026

Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Reasonable Adjustment

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.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the 'Assistance required' 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.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to IBCA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website)

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre- stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on and ask to speak to

the operations manager in confidence, or email

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the IBCA if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

PLEASE NOTE: IBCA employees are public servants, therefore the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNR) do not apply. Candidates who do not meet the CSNR are welcome to apply and applications will not be rejected: successful candidates however will be subject to a Right to Work check to work within the UK.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• 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

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants
Job contact :

• Name : IBCA Recruitment Team
• Email :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information

Our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact the Resourcing Team

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