At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and mentor test engineers while shaping testing strategies for HMRC's digital platforms.
- Company: Join HMRC, a key player in the UK's public service landscape.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, generous leave, and flexible working options.
- Other info: Dynamic work environment with opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on technology that supports millions of UK citizens.
- Qualifications: Experience in strategic test engineering and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
About the job
Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it's really like to work at HMRC.
Shape the Future of HMRC's Technology Platforms.
About HMRC
Almost every individual and business in the UK is a direct customer of HMRC, as we collect the money that pays for the UK's public services and gives people who need it vital financial support. Over recent and coming years, our work never has been, nor will be, more critical as we rebuild and secure our nation's future.
About CEPO
CEPO is leading HMRC's technology transformation - simplifying systems, modernising IT delivery, and creating a future-ready digital landscape. Our mission is to reduce complexity by consolidating applications and adopting scalable, service-based solutions from trusted commercial partners. As the strategic authority for platform provision, CEPO ensures HMRC's business groups, products, and services are supported by robust, secure, and innovative infrastructure.
Job description
In this role, you will work across multiple programmes and platforms, providing strategic test leadership, supporting delivery teams, and influencing senior stakeholders to embed best practice and continuous improvement. As a Lead Test Engineer, you will play a strategic role in shaping and embedding consistent testing best practices across HMRC's complex digital ecosystem.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Leadership & Collaboration
- Lead, coach, and mentor test engineers across programmes, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional development.
- Collaborate with product, platform, and delivery teams to ensure testing is integrated early and effectively within agile workflows.
- Influence and engage with senior stakeholders across HMRC and supplier organisations to drive quality outcomes.
- Test Strategy & Implementation
- Define and implement risk-based, shift-left testing strategies across diverse platforms (e.g., ServiceNow, SAP, Pega).
- Ensure testing approaches align with business priorities, technical architecture, and delivery timelines.
- Promote consistent standards and practices across internal teams and third party suppliers.
- Technical Excellence & Problem Solving
- Apply advanced testing techniques to solve complex technical challenges and improve delivery confidence.
- Provide expert guidance on functional, non-functional, and automation testing, including performance, security, and accessibility.
- Identify and drive opportunities for innovation and efficiency in testing processes.
- Tooling & Governance
- Evaluate, implement, and optimise test tooling, including AI-assisted solutions, to support continuous integration and delivery.
- Establish governance frameworks for supplier-led testing activities, ensuring alignment with HMRC standards and compliance requirements.
- Support tooling integration with platforms such as ServiceNow and CI/CD pipelines.
- Quality Assurance & Risk Management
- Ensure quality is built in from the outset by validating requirements and test coverage across the lifecycle.
- Lead retrospectives and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance test effectiveness and reduce delivery risk.
- Produce clear, actionable test reports and insights to inform decision-making and assurance activities.
Person specification
We're looking for a disciplined and dynamic test leader with proven experience in strategic test engineering. You'll bring strong analytical skills to guide testers and developers, shaping test direction that aligns with delivery goals. You must be confident engaging and reporting across all levels of stakeholders and third-party partners, with a clear ability to influence and drive quality outcomes.
Essential Criteria
- You must have experience and understanding of:
- Leading complex, multiteam testing initiatives, coordinating delivery across diverse platforms, suppliers, and project portfolios while prioritising effectively in fast-paced agile environments.
- Building high-performing teams through coaching, mentoring and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, professional growth, and quality excellence.
- Influencing and collaborating confidently across organisational boundaries, engaging senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams to drive strategic quality outcomes and embed best practice.
- Communicating with clarity and impact, tailoring technical and non-technical messages, and presenting test strategies, risks, insights, and recommendations persuasively.
- Applying strong analytical and risk-based decision-making, using data, metrics, and structured problem-solving to balance quality, risk, and delivery while continually improving testing processes.
Desirable Criteria
- Ideally you will also have experience and understanding of:
- A range of tools e.g. Zephyr, JIRA, SOAP UI, Selenium, Bruno, JMeter, Cucumber, Tosca, Neoload.
- Working knowledge of ITIL 4.
- ISTQB testing qualification(s).
Benefits
Alongside your salary of 58,541, HM Revenue and Customs contributes 16,959 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs. We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.
Lead Test Engineer - Birmingham employer: HMRC
At HMRC, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and inclusive work culture that prioritises employee growth and development. As a Lead Test Engineer in Birmingham, you'll benefit from flexible and hybrid working arrangements, generous leave allowances, and a commitment to continuous improvement, all while playing a vital role in shaping the future of our technology platforms that serve millions across the UK.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Test Engineer - Birmingham
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at HMRC or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to HMRC.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like HMRC.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like HMRC that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Test Engineer - Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at HMRC.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at HMRC and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at HMRC
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If HMRC uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
