Job description

Job Title: Senior Test Engineer

Band: 4

Salary:  £48,027 - £54,751(plus allowance up to £6,000 per annum depending on technical assessment)

Available Locations

Liverpool, Newport, Norwich, Glasgow or Birmingham.

The following locations listed below are restricted to contracted GCA staff already based in one of these offices:

London, Bristol, Manchester or York.

External applicants are not eligible for these sites.  If you select one of these locations as an external applicant your application will unfortunately be withdrawn.

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full Time

Closing Date: 21-09-26

Interview Date(s): w/c 19th October (subject to change)

Insight into GCA - Webinar 

Watch our Webinar on the above link and gain valuable insight into GCA and our recruitment processes. 

Do you want to be part of a forward thinking Digital team? Would you like to work on diverse projects that will provide opportunities to expand Agile, Devops and Automation experience? Would you like to be part of our digital transformation journey?

Job Summary

We are looking for a dynamic, self motivated individual who can work independently. The Senior Test Engineer is accountable for identifying the functional and non-functional testing requirements. They will develop reusable automation frameworks that support a range of testing activities; they will execute both automated and manual testing, and undertake risk and issue reporting. The Senior Test Engineer will contribute to the wider organisational quality testing strategy and the implementation of new testing tools and technologies.

Key Accountabilities:

• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify functional and non-functional quality characteristics for testing.

• Identify the most appropriate quality testing approaches and test types to ensure comprehensive coverage; functional, regression, integration, security, usability and non-functional.

• manage stakeholder requirements and communications remaining focused on user needs.

• contribute, escalate and advise on the resolution of defects and risks, managing stakeholder expectations.

• Work collaboratively within Agile Scrum delivery teams, contributing to Sprint ceremonies, and the creation of robust and comprehensive test coverage.

• Contribute to the wider organisational quality testing strategy. 

• develop, standardise and extend reusable automation  frameworks that support a range of testing activities.

• contribute to the implementation of new testing tools and technologies.

• maintain and adapt CI/CD pipelines


Essential Criteria (to be assessed at application stage):

• Demonstrable experience as a Test Engineer across a number of programmes, including all test stages and test types.

• Strong communication, stakeholder & people management skills, with the ability to present complex technical information in a clear and concise manner to a variety of audiences.

• Demonstrable experience of creating and managing automated testing frameworks, utilising continuous integration/deployment pipeline environments, using tools such as Jenkins, Github, AWS, Browserstack.

• Use of Object Oriented Programming such as Java or Ruby to create and execute automated tests, and automation tools such as Selenium WebDriver, Cucumber BDD, Junit/TestNG, Maven, Playwright.

• Experience testing the integration of micro services and APIs using tools such as Postman, REST Assured.

Success Profiles (to be assessed at interview):

Behaviours

• Changing and Improving 

• Communicating and Influencing 

• Making Effective Decisions

Technical

• Data Analysis 

• Complex Problem resolution 

• Maximise use of Technical tools and software -  Lead success profile

(A link to the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework is provided below)

Success Profiles Framework

Valuing our people:

• Competitive salary 

• Generous pension scheme

• A discretionary non-contractual performance related bonus 

• Working remotely in addition to working in advertised office location

• Flexi time scheme (available for B1-B6)

• Minimum 25 days annual leave to a maximum service related 30 days excluding bank holidays

Want to make a difference? Find out more about the rewarding work that we do in our candidate pack.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

We want to make our recruitment process accessible to everyone, so if there is any way that we can support you, please contact [email protected]

Working flexibly, delivering outcomes

GCA operates a smarter working model that balances flexibility with collaboration. Successful candidates are expected to spend at least 26 days per quarter (approximately 2 days per week, pro-rata) at their contracted office, another GCA site, or off-site for meetings. For the remainder of the time, you may work from home or another suitable location that meets business needs.

Artificial Intelligence

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.  Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. 

Selection Process

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact [email protected].

Please note that as part of this recruitment process, if you are unsuccessful at the interview stage but are close to the benchmark score you may be considered for and offered a role at a lower pay band within the same job family.

Please note this is two stage interview, Key dates (dates are indicative only and could be subject to change)  

• Closing date – 21st September 2026, at 23:55  

• Sifting of applications - 21th September 2026 onwards

• Candidate Technical Test  - to be sent to candidate 2nd October

• Sifting of Test- w/c 5th October 2026 (Candidates who pass the assessment, will be progressed to interview stage)

• Interviews (please note the portal refers to this stage as 'interview 2') - w/c 19th October 2026

#GCAIND

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. 

Complaints Procedure

 Our recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles details of which can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-principles/

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact [email protected] in the first instance.

If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at [email protected]

Internal candidates should apply using their Workday account. Please use the careers hub for your application.