About the job

Job summary

The Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) profession enable the Home Office to keep the UK safe and secure. They do this by designing, building, and running the services that help people apply for visas or passports, support policing and counter-terrorism operations, and protect the UK’s borders.​​

Team members have specialised knowledge and a calling to build on it. We want the best people to come to the Home Office and work in the diverse roles and communities they’re passionate about. This is how we produce exceptional outcomes.​​

The Home Office has created a government-led bespoke career framework that enables career planning, while ensuring our people can be the best they can be. The framework includes Heads of Role, who are industry specialists. They build communities, set standards for what ‘good’ looks like, and ensure we have the right people in the right jobs at the right time.​​

We also have a profession management unit, which aims to provide the best professional experience to all our technical staff with a real passion for – and focus on – continuous professional development. We invest heavily in our people as part of growing our collective capability.

Job description

Quality Assurance and Testing (QAT) is an important part of the Home Office mission. Everyone is responsible for quality, and we have a team of skilled people who make sure quality is delivered in the most effective way. This means getting fast feedback, understanding how a service performs, and helping the development team to make more informed decisions. We value automating as much of the test effort as possible allowing our team of specialists and domain experts to undertake better evaluations.

You can see more here Quality Assurance and Testing - Home Office Careers

We are looking for experienced data QAT engineers to deliver QAT services within the Data Services and Analytics (DSA) team.  The DSA find innovative uses for Home Office data and contains one of the most advanced data analytics centres in Government. The DSA strive to lead the way in appropriate and proportionate use of data and analytics to deliver joined-up, intelligent services that unlock the value from data and improve decision making, policy and operations. 

What this means is a daily opportunity to work with teams across the Home Office’s areas of responsibility, from borders, visas and passports to policing and national security, with some of the largest and most varied datasets and in support of critical national initiatives.

As a Lead Test Engineer, you will determine and drive the test engineering approach with a primary focus on data test engineering.

You will determine and implement the latest quality assurance best practices, working closely with the data engineering team to ensure delivery of quality outcomes of both technology and data products.   

You will determine and implement approaches to assure, measure and build quality into every phase of the development life cycle.

You will define and implement product level test engineering strategies with a focus on data quality and engineering in large scale or complex data pipelines whilst ensuring alignment to overarching Test Engineering approaches and follow QAT Test Engineering principles.

You will also be actively contributing to portfolio level Test Architecture. 

You will be responsible for solving engineering challenges of QAT approaches adopted in projects that you directly work with or are consulted for. This involves developing new frameworks, reviewing, and enhancing existing frameworks to help deliver scalable solutions.

You will be expected to build relationships across other DDaT professions and work with senior business stakeholders, understanding their needs and translating them into a test engineering approach. 

You will lead a team of QA engineers including coaching and mentorship to develop individuals and the wider Test Engineering community.

To help the QAT practice thrive, you will also keep up to date with emerging tools and approaches and work out how these could help the organisation to deliver better success.

You will be an active contributor and a mentor within the QAT Test Engineering community. You will also promote the value of QAT within the larger DDaT community.

There is a link to how it feels to work in QAT on our GOV.UK site here: Day in the life of a QAT'er.

Please note: if you are currently an agency member of staff working within the Home Office, you can only apply for roles that are advertised externally, i.e., outside the civil service. If you are eligible to apply for a role, you are required to select yourself as an external applicant and not internal when submitting your application on Civil Service jobs. This will prevent any delays in pre-employment checks should you become successful in being made an offer of employment after the Interview stage.

Person specification

Your main day to day responsibilities will be (but not limited to):

• Lead the development and implementation of robust data validation and quality assurance practices. Oversee the quality, accuracy, completeness, and reliability of data through comprehensive testing strategies.
• Ownership of existing test frameworks and actively reviewing them, identifying need for new frameworks, and delivering these at scale.
• Leading and coaching a team of test engineers and helping solve technical challenges that the team may require assistance with, evaluating efficacy of test engineering processes across projects and suggesting improvements. Promoting convergence, creating shared capabilities and data driven approaches within test engineering.
• Embracing innovation - evaluating tools and recommending approaches that can benefit testing. For instance ones used for virtualisation, data mocking, contract testing or other automated integration testing techniques, and determining tools and approaches for automated test data management, test results aggregation and release management. Enabling precise, real-time reports of automation test runs and also roll-up reports.
• Managing test infrastructure usage and determining approach to running distributed, parallel tests. Using container & cloud technology to orchestrate faster, scalable tests while optimising costs.
• Working with teams to promote use of code scan, code quality, accessibility testing and observability tools.
• Participating in the QAT Test Engineering community as well as QAT recruitment to help it grow.

Essential criteria

• Design and implement automated testing scripts using Python & Java to automate data validation.
• Experience in big data technologies (Apache Kafka, Hadoop, Spark) and data-centric programming languages.
• Proven experience in synthetic data generation and familiarity with data testing tools.
• Use of Java, .NET, Node.js or similar are also useful to write secure, reusable, and maintainable automated tests and test utilities. You should be able to use concepts like thread management, synchronisation, resource, and memory management to increase the efficiency of test engineering solutions. Using scripting languages like Bash or PowerShell.
• Expertise in backend & database testing with advanced SQL skills, experience using ETL tools to integrate testing into data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) processes.
• Using tools like RestAssured or similar for API testing, build tools like Maven or Gradle and using Git to manage branches and merge requests through distributed version control. A solid understanding of protocols and architectural styles involved in complex data pipelines and integrations.
• Working with unit test frameworks like JUnit or similar, assertion libraries and data serialisation tools.
• Working with POM test design pattern and SOLID code design principle. Implementing coding guidelines and standards.
• Extensively using CI/CD tools for pipeline automation and a solid understanding of release pipeline concepts. Familiarity with containerisation platforms like Docker and container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes.
• Knowledgeable in industry-standard cloud technologies, particularly AWS
• Ability to actively engage with performance testing engineers and work alongside them to identify performance bottlenecks. Ability to read, interpret and articulate performance reports.

The skills listed above are reflective of the Home Office DDaT Profession Skills and Competency Model (based on the industry standard SFIA framework). Please see below for the relevant skills required for your role: 

Strategy & Architecture:

• Information Strategy
• Strategic Planning (ITSP) – Level 4
• Technical Strategy and Planning
• Domain Experience – Level 4

Development and implementation:

• Systems Development
• Test, Analysis, Design and Execution – Level 3
• Automation and Tooling – Level 4
• Performance Testing – Level 4
• Installation and Integration
• Integration and Assurance – Level 3

Recruitment and Retention Allowance (RRA)  

This post is eligible for a DDaT RRA. Successful Candidates with exceptional skills and experience may apply for an RRA up to a maximum of £9,950. This allowance is subject to an initial review within six months of taking up the post and thereafter an annual review in-line with departmental priorities and could be reduced or withdrawn at any time.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,000, Home Office contributes £15,390 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. 

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete: 

• A CV detailing job history/qualifications/skills
• A statement of suitability (personal statement, maximum 1250 words) 

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

The statement of suitability should be aligned to demonstrate your skills and experience for the role and how you meet the Essential criteria as detailed in the job advertisement. 

The CV is for information purposes only and will not be marked.

The sift will be held on the statement of suitability (personal statement). 

Candidates shortlisted will be invited to an interview which will entail behaviour-based questions listed in the advert and experience-based questions.

At interview, you will be asked to take part in a whiteboard exercise. This will not be scored but will help you to demonstrate your ability in a business context and you will receive an email with further details no later than 1 week before your interview.

 Sift and interview dates

Sift is expected to take place week commencing 22nd January 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place from week commencing 12th February 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

 Interviews will be carried out via video. Candidates will be required to have access to:

• A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
• Good internet connection
• Microsoft Teams

PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.

Further information 

Please read the essential skills for this position carefully. We will only consider those who meet the listed requirement.

If you have previously made an unsuccessful application for a role with the same essential skills and are not able to demonstrate how you have developed these skills since your last application, please reconsider applying as your application is unlikely to be successful.

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals 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. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

UK residency and security requirements 

You need to have lived in the UK for the past 5 years.  This is because this post requires the successful candidate to have Security Check (SC) clearance, and you need to have been a resident in the UK long enough for sufficient checks to take place. These checks will only take place after the job offer has been accepted. 

Visa sponsorship

We are unable to sponsor any individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas as we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. Where this is the case, employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office. Applicants can discuss any specific questions with the Vacancy Holder. 

Like most businesses we need to maintain our services 24/7, therefore, on occasion there may be a requirement to work out of hours.

We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role, or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need to go through a further selection process providing the role has the same behaviours and essential skills

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made.  

We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from women, people with disabilities and LGBT+ as they are currently under-represented in the Home Office at this grade level. Appointments will be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home Office 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

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.