Software Developer in Test - HM Courts and Tribunals Service - SEO in Manchester

Location: East Midlands (England), East of England, London (region), North East England, North West England, Scotland, South East England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands (England), Yorkshire and the Humber.

These are exciting times at HM Court and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). As an agency of the Ministry of Justice, we support the judiciary across England and Wales to deliver justice by running courts and tribunals and processing outcomes, and we are looking for talented people to help us achieve our ambitions. It will be challenging, important and rewarding.

HMCTS Digital and Technology Services (DTS) is a specialist technology directorate which provides support to HMCTS in the use of IT and Digital. DTS is committed to being a great place to work and offers brilliant training opportunities and support from expert colleagues. Flexible working, an inclusive culture and a place where your opinion is valued.

As a Software Development Engineer in Test at HMCTS, you will have access to extensive training and development opportunities through our Testing Centre of Excellence. Our commitment to your growth means that you will receive in‑house training designed to enhance your skills and knowledge, making you proficient in the latest testing methodologies and tools.

You will write, debug, and refactor test code, lead test automation in CI/CD environments, collaborate closely with software developers to ensure a common understanding of the code base and test coverage at the unit test level, and shape the culture and best practices throughout the Test Centre of Excellence. Mentoring and coaching junior engineers is also a crucial aspect of this role. The Development Squad you are placed on will be agreed closer to your start date.

• Playwright
• Rest Assured (for API testing)
• Java/JavaScript/TypeScript
• Power Apps (for low‑code/no‑code application testing)
• Node.js
• Angular
• PostgreSQL
• Microservices
• Azure cloud infrastructure
• Gatling (for performance testing)
• SauceLabs (for cross‑browser testing)
• Pa11y, WAVE, aXe (for accessibility testing)
• Jenkins (for deployment automation)
• Dynatrace (for application monitoring)
• Kubernetes and Docker (to run our services)
• Jira/Confluence (for project management and documentation)
• Fortify (for security testing)

• Promote and champion shift‑left testing principles, emphasising unit and integration testing, to ensure early detection of issues and higher quality software.
• Lead the development and implementation of test automation strategies in CI/CD environments.
• Write, amend, and refactor test automation code, adhering to internal software development standards.
• Lead in “3 Amigos” sessions as an integral part of the development and testing process.
• Estimate your effort for planning and follow the agreed methodology.
• Understand the impact of business processes on the project and systems.
• Analyse test results and identify patterns and trends, translating findings into business impact.
• Collaborate on designing and building secure products with a focus on information assurance.
• Maintain full traceability of defects, tests, and requirements.
• Report issues found through the appropriate channels.
• Provide mentoring and coaching to Junior Software Development Engineers in Test to enhance their skills and knowledge.
• Contribute to the development of a culture of excellence in test automation within the team.

• Demonstrated experience in leading test automation in CI/CD environments.
• Expertise in writing automated testing programs/scripts, particularly in our core technology stack.
• Expertise in the Software Development Lifecycle, ensuring alignment with project objectives and quality standards.
• Strong understanding of REST web services and API inspection tools.
• Familiarity with bug tracking software and experience in using it effectively.
• Ability to identify and manage issues and risks associated with testing, with a focus on analysing and reporting test activities and results.
• Exposure to applying Agile principles in practice, facilitating seamless integration into project workflows.
• Proficiency in defining and implementing test tooling, test environments, and test data across various phases of testing.
• Proven ability to design and execute non‑functional test cases in diverse environments.
• Experience in accessibility testing, both manual and automated, ensuring compliance with WCAG standards and integrating accessibility testing within CI/CD pipelines.
• Ability to analyse performance bottlenecks and accessibility issues, providing recommendations for improvement.
• Strong understanding of integrating accessibility and performance testing into the overall test strategy, ensuring quality and compliance from development to release.