Senior Test Engineer in Bristol

£61,740 - £70,219 (London) / £56,070 - £61,793 (National) Based on capability. Published on 5 February 2026. Deadline 22 February 2026.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government. We are responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government. Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government, by:

• joining up public sector services
• harnessing the power of AI for the public good
• strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
• elevating leadership and investing in talent
• funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
• committing to transparency and driving accountability

We are home to the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (I.AI), the world-leading GOV.UK and at the forefront of coordinating the UK’s geospatial strategy and activity. We lead the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government. We’re part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and employ more than 1,000 people all over the UK, with hubs in Manchester, London and Bristol.

The Government Digital Service is where talent translates into impact. From your first day, you’ll be working with some of the world’s most highly-skilled digital professionals, all contributing their knowledge to make change on a national scale. Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You will solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, helping millions of people access services they need.

As a Senior Test Engineer, you will join the Quality Engineering team within the GOV.UK One Login program. This role involves leading test engineering efforts for product and cross-product delivery, covering both functional and non-functional testing. A key part of this role is championing quality engineering initiatives to ensure the seamless integration and delivery of reliable and resilient products. You will also have the opportunity to drive innovation in testing methodologies, mentor team members, and embed quality engineering practices throughout our software development lifecycle.

As a Senior Test Engineer, you’ll:

• drive continuous improvement by leading and guiding teams in quality engineering, and optimising quality practices and processes
• act as a subject matter expert in test engineering, continuously learning new functional and non-functional testing (performance, accessibility, resilience etc) technologies, and supporting teams with their adoption
• lead and guide quality engineers in defining the test approach, test planning, and implementing automated test suites to ensure both functional and non-functional acceptance criteria are met
• conduct Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT) to ensure systems meet all operational requirements and are production-ready
• analyse technical, functional, and business requirements, gathering evidence to identify problems and opportunities, and ensure recommendations align with strategic business objectives
• influence the architecture and design of new features early in the development cycle to drive quality, testability, and specification adherence

We’re interested in people who:

• have proven ability to lead and manage all phases of testing (functional and non-functional) across multiple teams, from initial business understanding through to production delivery. This includes expertise in technical leadership, quality improvement, developing test strategies, automation, reporting, and testing in CI/CD environments
• have experience in leading non-functional testing, specifically Performance, Accessibility, Resilience testing and Compatibility testing. Proficient in applying a diverse range of test types, tools, and industry standards
• are an adaptable team member within a Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) environment, demonstrating competency in the deployment of relevant tools and methodologies. Initiates proactive measures to implement and champion "shift left and shift right" quality assurance principles
• can cultivate a quality-centric, "whole team" approach, and enhance the testing capabilities within delivery teams
• have comprehensive understanding of production testing, observability, and real-usage monitoring. Able to implement risk-based test strategies that guarantee system reliability and provide actionable insights into user behaviour

There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
• an extra day off for the King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

Any move to Government Digital Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access 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.

The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period. DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:

• a simple application screening process - We only ask for a CV and cover letter of up to 750 words. Important tip - please ensure that your cover letter includes how you meet the skills and experience listed in the “person specification” section above
• a 30 minute video screening technical exercise

In the event we receive a high volume of applications, we will conduct the initial sift against the lead criteria which is: has proven ability to lead and manage all phases of testing (functional and non-functional) across multiple teams, from initial business understanding through to production delivery. This includes expertise in technical leadership, quality improvement, developing test strategies, automation, reporting, and testing in CI/CD environments.

In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.

We’ll also be assessing your experience and specialist technical skills against the following skills defined in the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework for the Test Engineer role:

• communicating between the technical and non-technical
• designing and executing tests
• managing, reporting and resolving defects
• test analysis
• test and quality planning

Recruitment Timeline:

• Sift completion: Friday 27th February 2026
• Video Screening Technical Exercise: week commencing Monday 9th March 2026
• Panel interviews: week commencing Monday 16th March 2026

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade. A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For meaningful checks to be carried out, you will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. Whilst a lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance, an expectation of UK residency may range from 3 to 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional job offers.

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

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