Senior Test Engineer

Job Description

Required for beta

The MEL Data Store project will design and deliver a secure, long term digital solution for collecting, storing, validating, analysing, and reporting Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) data from Landscape Recovery projects. The service will replace the current SharePoint and spreadsheet-based submission processes, which are not fit for purpose and create legal, financial and reputational risks for NE and the wider Defra Group.

The scope includes user-centred design, the establishment of robust data management workflows, a front-end submission tool for external users, and a centralised datastore for all MEL data to support 20-30 years of programme delivery.

Key skills

• Automated testing frameworks (Playwright/Jest)
• Data validation testing
• Load & performance testing for bulk uploads
• CI/CD pipeline testing

SFIA Level 5 - Standard ToR

• Define, own, and communicate test strategies aligned to delivery, business risk, and government service standards.
• Select and tailor test approaches (manual, automated, exploratory, risk-based) appropriate to complex systems and integrations.
• Provide authoritative advice on test scope, entry/exit criteria, and quality risks to delivery and product leadership.
• Balance pragmatism with assurance, ensuring proportionate testing within agile delivery constraints.
• Lead the design and evolution of automated test frameworks (UI, API, or service-level), aligned to the team's technology stack.
• Define what should and should not be automated, considering value, maintainability, and risk.
• Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines and advise teams on improving feedback cycles.
• Evaluate and recommend DEFRA community testing tools, frameworks, and practices to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
• Plan build and execute non-functional testing activities, including performance, accessibility, security, resilience, and interoperability.
• Work collaboratively with specialists and suppliers to ensure appropriate coverage where tooling or expertise is shared.
• Interpret test results and articulate business and user impact, not just technical outcomes.
• Ensure NFT evidence is sufficient to support confident release decisions.

Tech stack

• Expertise in test automation using JavaScript based test frameworks such as WebdriverIO, Playwright or Cypress
• Open-source JS based libraries or frameworks for API testing, or Postman.
• Jmeter or K6 for load and performance testing
• Continuous integration pipelines using Jenkins and AWS or ADO in Azure.
• Expertise in GitHub
• Experience using exploratory test techniques to focus testing on the areas of greatest risk.