At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic testing initiatives and ensure quality across multiple services at HMRC.
- Company: Join HMRC, a purpose-driven organisation focused on growth and belonging.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, generous leave, and a strong pension scheme.
- Other info: Opportunities for continuous improvement and career development await you.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment while shaping the future of testing.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in testing and experience with complex programmes required.
The predicted salary is between 58541 - 58541 £ 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.
Service Validation & Testing (SV&T) within HMRC's Chief Digital & Information Office is growing and maturing as a strategic QE and testing practice. We are recruiting a Lead Portfolio Test Manager to strengthen our leadership capability and help shape and deliver mission-critical testing services across HMRC's digital, data, and technology estate.
This role operates at a strategic and portfolio level, with accountability for testing outcomes across multiple services and programmes, going beyond traditional delivery-focused test management. The successful candidate will provide senior testing leadership, engaging early with stakeholders and bridging to our delivery partners who hold broad accountability for the delivery of QE and testing, to ensure testing is embedded early and across the full delivery lifecycle to achieve quality outcomes, at pace and at reduced cost.
As part of the SV&T practice, you will play a key role in shaping test governance, help develop effective ways of working and drive continuous improvements across a complex, multi-supplier technology landscape.
Job description
As a G7 Lead Portfolio Test Manager within SV&T, you will provide strategic testing leadership and oversight across a defined portfolio of services, programmes, or platforms. You will act as the single, lead testing authority for your portfolio, accountable for test strategy, assurance and escalation of quality and delivery risk, working proactively with delivery teams, architects, product owners, and our QE delivery partners to shape testing and assurance from early discovery through to live service. You will provide strategic leadership and assurance for testing across the entire SDLC, balancing pace, cost, risk and quality across multiple services and stakeholders.
Operating holistically across HMRC and its Application Testing Service (ATS) delivery partners suppliers, you will identify opportunities to standardise and streamline testing practices, promote shift-left approaches, leverage shared capabilities, automation and AI, and drive continuous improvements to bring quality and value for money.
Key responsibilities
- Strategic & Portfolio Test Leadership: Act as Portfolio Test Manager (PTM) for an assigned portfolio, providing senior testing leadership and strategic oversight. Define, own and assure test strategies aligned to business objectives, delivery models and HMRC standards.
- End-to-End SDLC Coverage: Ensure quality engineering and testing is embedded across discovery, design, build, test, release, and live service. Promote shift-left testing, with early assurance and continuous feedback, embracing contemporary automated DevOps techniques.
- Risk-Based, Business-Focused Testing: Apply proportionate, risk-based testing aligned to business criticality, service impact and organisational risk appetite. Provide authoritative assessments of quality, risk and fitness for purpose, escalating concerns and recommending actions to enable informed senior decision making.
- Early Engagement & Requirements Shaping: Engage early with senior stakeholders to shape functional and non-functional requirements, influencing delivery and architectural decisions to ensure testability and proportionate assurance. Support the definition of clear, testable test requirements and acceptance criteria.
- Supplier & Partner Collaboration: Work across multiple delivery teams and ATS suppliers to align testing approaches and outcomes. Identify synergies, reduce duplication, and drive consistency across the estate.
- Continuous Improvement & Practice Development: Identify opportunities to improve testing effectiveness, efficiency and value for money. Own and drive improvements to SV&T standards, guidance, communities of practice and maturity initiatives. Support and encourage genuine innovation to help resolve specific business challenges.
- Governance & Assurance: Ensure testing activities meet HMRC standards, policies and regulatory expectations. Provide assurance and escalation on quality and delivery risks where required.
Person specification
This role requires a strategic, proactive, and influential Portfolio Test Manager with strong leadership skills and the ability to operate effectively across organisational and supplier boundaries. You will be comfortable working with ambiguity, engaging at senior levels, and balancing strategic oversight with pragmatic delivery assurance. You will lead and assure QE and testing across the entire SDLC, from early discovery through to live service working with our delivery partners and product teams to support and promote contemporary engineering techniques where appropriate.
You will have a strong understanding of both functional and non-functional testing, and how effective, proportionate testing supports business outcomes. You will apply a risk-based, business-focused automation-by-default testing model, aligning testing effort to service criticality, delivery risk, and customer impact, and ensuring testing acts as a strategic enabler rather than a late-stage control.
Essential Criteria:
- Working within managed services or multi-supplier delivery models, aligning approaches, and assuring outcomes across organisational boundaries.
- Significant experience providing test leadership for complex programmes, platforms, or products, operating beyond single-team or delivery-only contexts.
- Proven ability to define, own and assure test strategies aligned to business objectives, delivery models and organisational standards.
- Experience leading or overseeing testing across the full software development lifecycle (SDLC), including early discovery and design.
- Strong understanding of functional and non-functional testing, and how proportionate, risk-based testing supports business outcomes.
- Ability to engage, influence and advise senior stakeholders on quality, risk and assurance, including developing and tailoring proportionate test and assurance collateral to different audiences to support informed decision-making.
- Experience working across multiple teams and/or suppliers, driving alignment, consistency and effective outcomes in complex delivery landscapes.
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 Manager - Birmingham employer: HMRC
HMRC is an exceptional employer that prioritises employee growth and well-being, offering a supportive work culture with flexible and hybrid working options. With a strong commitment to continuous improvement and innovation, employees are encouraged to develop their skills and contribute to meaningful projects that impact the nation. The generous leave allowance, comprehensive pension contributions, and family-friendly policies further enhance the appeal of working in Birmingham, where you can be part of a dynamic team shaping the future of public service.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Test Manager - Birmingham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, especially those who work at HMRC or similar organisations. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about the role and even a referral.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by researching HMRC's values and recent projects. Show us you’re not just another candidate; demonstrate how your experience aligns with their mission and how you can contribute to their goals.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your responses to common interview questions, but keep it natural. We want to see your personality shine through, so don’t just recite rehearsed lines—be yourself!
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, you’ll have access to all the latest job openings and updates directly from us.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Test Manager - Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Personal Statement:Make sure your personal statement is spot on! Highlight how your skills and experiences align with the role of Lead Test Manager. Use specific examples that relate to the essential criteria mentioned in the job description.
Keep It Clear and Concise:When writing your CV and personal statement, clarity is key. Stick to the word limits and make every word count. Avoid jargon unless it’s relevant, and ensure your points are easy to understand.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:Since this role is all about strategic leadership, don’t forget to showcase your experience in leading teams and projects. Share examples where you’ve influenced stakeholders or improved testing processes.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It’s straightforward and ensures your application gets to the right place without any hiccups!
How to prepare for a job interview at HMRC
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into HMRC's mission and values. Understand the role of a Lead Test Manager and how it fits into the bigger picture. Familiarise yourself with key terms like SDLC, risk-based testing, and shift-left approaches. This will help you speak confidently about how your experience aligns with their needs.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership capabilities, especially in complex, multi-supplier environments. Think about times when you've influenced stakeholders or shaped testing strategies. Be ready to discuss how you can drive continuous improvement and standardisation in testing practices.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Since early engagement with stakeholders is crucial for this role, think of instances where you've successfully collaborated with various teams. Prepare to discuss how you’ve shaped requirements and influenced delivery decisions. This will demonstrate your proactive approach and ability to bridge gaps between teams.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
At the end of the interview, don’t shy away from asking questions. Inquire about HMRC's current challenges in testing or how they envision the future of their testing practices. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you gauge if the company culture aligns with your values.
