About the job

Job summary

It is an exciting time for HM Land Registry (HMLR) as we continue on a major transformation programme. HMLR's ambition is to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data.

We are now looking for a Load and Infrastructure Performance Team Lead to help us to achieve this. 

You will join our award-winning Technology & Transformation Directorate which is the in-house IT division at the heart of the move to a digital, data-driven organisation with the ambition to provide our customers with cutting-edge digital services.

Check out the video below to find out more about Digital Careers at HM Land Registry.

Job description

The IT Operations Practice sits within the Transformation and Technology directorate whose responsibility is for the performance and delivery of all technical infrastructure which, underpins and supports the organisation. It consists of technical teams which provide support, monitor and operate technical solutions.

The Load and Infrastructure Performance Team plays an important role in load testing of Land Registry Services, providing assurance to the business and stakeholders. This role is to provide leadership to the team, providing technical oversight and direction. You will engage with other Technical Leads, Delivery Leads, Service Managers and Architects to deliver solutions to agreed designs, contributing to business as usual activities, work packages and strategic planning. 

You will be required to develop the team members to meet the future needs of HMLR, whilst addressing succession planning and managing any single points of failure. You will provide technical input for projects and larger pieces of work, aiming for greater operating efficiency and development of further cost-effective options for its use whilst ensuring the availability and reliability are kept at the highest possible levels. 

The role holder will take forward technical consolidation and/or improvement activities providing guidance and leadership to technicians within the IT Operations Practice and wider, whilst also working across T&T to support and deliver solutions in line with the Technology and Business Strategies.

HMLR believe that a blended approach to where you work that enables some time working from home, as well as in the office may give you an improved experience and has clear business benefits.  We expect everyone to typically spend at least 60% of their working time in the office. 

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will hold a qualification in Information Technology or a related area (Degree Level or equivalent) and/or experience in Performance/Load testing.

You will have experience of planning, managing, and performing performance testing of business systems, along with an understanding of performance test techniques.

You will have experience of performance test tooling (e.g. Load Runner, Apache JMeter, Gatling), and also writing and modifying load testing scripts using programming or scripting languages.

Please note that due to the nature of the role, you will be required to work a minimum of 30 hours per week. Occasional travel will be necessary to other HM Land Registry Offices with less frequent overnight stays.

This role does also require occasional planned out of hours working in order to deal with IT changes and maintenance and may include participation in an on-call rota.

This role is part of the Government Digital and Data Profession and may attract an additional supplement. The amount is the result of a capability assessment which will be determined during the application and interview process to assess your capability level.

For more information about the role, please see the attached candidate pack.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,058, HM Land Registry contributes £11,309 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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Please cut and paste an anonymous CV into the online application form when prompted and include your qualifications and career history.

Please also complete the technical question (in no more than 250 words) as requested:

• Holds a qualification in Information Technology or a related area (Degree Level or equivalent) or experience in Performance/load testing.
• ISTQB Foundation in Software Testing
• ISTQB Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst

The personal statement section (in no more than 1000 words) must be used to provide details of how you meet the essential experience criteria listed below:

• Experience of planning, managing, and performing performance testing of business systems
• Experience and understanding of performance test techniques
• Experience of performance test tooling (e.g. Load Runner, Apache JMeter, Gatling)
• Experience with writing and modifying load testing scripts using programming or scripting languages

Please review your application form before clicking ‘submit’ – once you have submitted, you will not be able to amend your application. Ensure your application form is received by the closing date for receipt of applications – this is 23:55pm on the advertised date.

The sift will take place shortly after the closing date. If successful at the shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend a blended interview in the Plymouth Office including a presentation week commencing 4 March 2024.

The blended interview will assess the behaviours and experience listed in the candidate pack, as well as the strengths associated with the role. We want to hear your first, unrehearsed, natural response to the strength questions, and so we don’t advertise which strengths are being tested. The best way to prepare for strengths questions is to reflect on what you identify as your own personal strengths, and your preferred ways of working.

Candidates may refer to notes within their interview but they should be used as a prompt only.

HMLR is accredited to the Disability Confidence Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria at the shortlisting stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview.

If any candidate requires the panel to consider a reasonable adjustment or there is anything else they would like the panel to take into consideration they are asked to notify us of this at application stage where possible or during the process as soon as it becomes a requirement.

Please note, the Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expect all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure all examples provided throughout the entire recruitment process are of your own experience. HM Land Registry take any incidences of cheating very seriously. Any detected instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating, including the use of artificial intelligence, will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant applications will be withdrawn from the process. 

If you would like further information about the use of your personal data, please click on the link below:

Job Applicant Personal Information

The post will require a Security Check and will therefore be subject to further background checks, including meeting the UK minimum residency requirement of 5 years.

Further details of the process and checks can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.