At a Glance
- Tasks: Join HMRC as a Senior Test Engineer and ensure top-notch quality for API platforms.
- Company: Be part of HM Revenue and Customs, a leading UK government department.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, generous leave, and a strong pension scheme.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with opportunities for mentorship and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on national services while growing your tech skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in testing APIs and automation is essential.
The predicted salary is between 45544 - 55157 £ per year.
Location: Bristol; Leeds, UK; Central, Overdale, Telford, UK; Stratford-upon-Avon CV37, UK; Reading, UK; United Kingdom
Salary: 45,544 - 55,157 per year
Employment: Flexible
Category: IT Support
Posted: 2026-08-08
Valid to: 2026-08-22
Employer: HM Revenue and Customs
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.
We are looking for a Senior Test Engineer to join teams delivering services within Enterprise Integration Services (EIS). This role focuses on engineering-led testing approaches that assure the quality of API platforms, integration services and service-based architectures that underpin HMRC’s digital estate. You will work as part of multidisciplinary delivery teams, designing and building automated testing solutions while also applying test analysis and assurance practices to ensure APIs and integrations are reliable, secure and performant. This includes validating data flows, interfaces and end-to-end service behaviour across complex integration landscapes. This role sits within HMRC’s Chief Digital & Information Office (CDIO), supporting services at national scale.
As a Senior Test Engineer you will embed testing and quality practices across the delivery lifecycle for API and integration-based services. You will design, implement and maintain automated tests for APIs, services and platforms, working closely with developers and other engineers. You’ll contribute to CI/CD pipelines, identify quality risks early, and support teams in delivering secure and resilient integration services. You will also contribute to understanding requirements and defining effective test coverage for API and integration services, ensuring quality risks are identified early and addressed throughout delivery. You will work with a good degree of autonomy, taking ownership of test engineering tasks within your team, while being supported by lead engineers and quality specialists.
Key Responsibilities will include:
- Design, develop and maintain automated tests for APIs, integration services and platforms.
- Work closely with developers to embed testing early and continuously.
- Contribute to CI/CD pipelines and continuous testing approaches.
- Support non-functional testing such as performance, security and accessibility, particularly for APIs and integrations.
- Analyse test results, raise defects and support investigation and resolution.
- Contribute to improving test frameworks, tooling and engineering practices.
- Support knowledge sharing and mentoring of less experienced colleagues.
- Review and analyse business and technical requirements, identifying risks, gaps and test conditions for APIs and integrations.
- Validate data flows and interfaces using structured data formats such as JSON and XML.
- Produce clear test evidence and support assurance activities to inform release decisions.
- Collaborate with product managers, architects, developers and delivery managers to ensure quality is embedded across the lifecycle.
Person specification
You will be a technically capable Test Engineer with experience of testing APIs and integration-based services in modern delivery environments. At this level, you are expected to deliver independently, contribute to technical decision-making within your team, and support the development of good testing practices.
You will demonstrate the following skills at Working / Practitioner level, combining strong test engineering capability with effective test analysis and quality assurance practices:
- Designing and building automated tests for APIs and services.
- Applying testing techniques across the delivery lifecycle.
- Working effectively in agile, multidisciplinary teams.
- Identifying and communicating quality and integration risks.
- Analysing requirements and designing effective test coverage for APIs and integration services.
Essential Criteria
- Test engineering and automation: Experience building and maintaining automated tests using modern frameworks and languages.
- API and integration testing: Experience testing APIs, service-based or integration-led systems, including validation of data exchange, interfaces and service behaviour.
- Agile and DevOps delivery: Experience working in agile teams and contributing to CI/CD pipelines.
- Technical collaboration: Ability to work closely with engineers to identify and manage quality risks.
- Test analysis and quality assurance: Ability to analyse requirements, design effective test coverage and provide evidence-based assurance of service quality.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience with API platforms, gateways or event-driven architectures.
- Experience with performance or security testing for services.
- Knowledge of cloud or container-based environments.
- Experience working with structured data formats such as JSON and XML.
- ISTQB or equivalent testing qualification.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of 45,544, HM Revenue and Customs contributes 13,194 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. Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary. Family friendly policies. Personal support. Coaching and development.
Senior Test Engineer in Leeds employer: United Kingdom Government
The College of Policing is an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and inclusive environment that prioritises employee wellbeing and professional development. With flexible working options and a strong commitment to diversity, staff are encouraged to thrive while contributing to the vital mission of enhancing policing standards across the UK. This role not only provides the opportunity to lead a team of experts but also to engage with various stakeholders, ensuring a meaningful impact on public safety and officer training.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Test Engineer in Leeds
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We think you need these skills to ace Senior Test Engineer in Leeds
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 United Kingdom Government.
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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 United Kingdom Government
✨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 United Kingdom Government 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.