Manager - Disaster Recovery Testing

Job summary

Working in close partnership with the Business Continuity Manager and the Head of Platforms & Infrastructure Engineering, the Manager – Disaster Recovery Testing will play a key role in strengthening operational resilience across Homes England.

The role will lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive disaster recovery testing framework, ensuring that mission-critical systems and infrastructure can be restored quickly and effectively following disruption. This will minimise downtime, data loss and operational impact across the agency.

You will coordinate and embed structured quarterly disaster recovery tests, beginning with critical systems in Q1 and Q2 of 2026/27. The role will also support wider resilience activities through scenario-based exercises, risk management and executive-level reporting to ensure compliance with Government Cyber Security Policy 007 and GovAssure requirements.

This fixed-term opportunity (until 30 April 2027) offers the chance to establish a robust disaster recovery testing approach within a national organisation delivering vital public services, ensuring Homes England can respond confidently to disruption and protect the services communities rely on.

Job description

The Manager – Disaster Recovery Testing will:

• Lead the development and implementation of a disaster recovery (DR) testing framework across the organisation.
• Design, coordinate and embed structured quarterly disaster recovery testing for critical systems and infrastructure.
• Work closely with Digital, Business Continuity and Risk Management teams to strengthen organisational resilience.
• Design and deliver scenario-based exercises to validate disaster recovery and business continuity arrangements.
• Identify, assess and manage risks uncovered through testing, ensuring lessons learned are embedded and continuous improvement is achieved.
• Provide clear reporting and executive-level papers summarising testing outcomes, risks and mitigation actions.
• Ensure compliance with relevant government standards and policies, including Government Cyber Security Policy 007.
• Support assurance activities and evidence controls required for GovAssure assessments.
• Engage and collaborate with system owners, digital teams and business stakeholders across the organisation.
• Contribute to strengthening the organisation’s ability to respond effectively to operational disruptions.

Person specification

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Experience leading or delivering disaster recovery and business continuity testing within a complex organisation.
• Strong technical understanding of disaster recovery, risk management and operational resilience.
• Experience designing and delivering structured testing frameworks or resilience exercises.
• Ability to translate technical information into clear, practical insights for business stakeholders.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including the ability to work with senior leaders and teams with competing priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce executive-level reports.
• Strong organisational and planning skills, with the ability to deliver work at pace in a complex environment.
• Experience managing and mitigating risks identified through testing activities.
• A collaborative working style and ability to lead cross-functional scenario-based exercises.

Desirable:

• Experience working within the public sector or with government digital standards.
• Familiarity with government assurance frameworks such as GovAssure.
• Professional accreditation or membership with organisations such as the Business Continuity Institute (BCI) or Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRII).

Benefits

Homes England is an executive non-departmental public body with its own terms and conditions, benefits and pension scheme. We are a government agency working in partnership with the private sector and want to employ and retain great people. In return we offer a range of excellent benefits, some of the key benefits include:

Holiday - Homes England offers all staff 33 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 statutory bank holidays.

Working Flexibly - At Homes England we have a strong culture of flexible working and encourage all employees to have a healthy work/life balance. We offer a wide range of potential working patterns, including part time, job share and compressed hours.

Health and Wellbeing - We offer health screening with Nuffield Proactive Health Clinics, a free Employee Assistance Programme which offers confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as well as access to Occupational Health.

Professional Development - At Homes England we are committed to your continued professional and personal development with learning as one of our core values. We pay for one job-related professional membership subscription per year for our employees.

We also offer an excellent range of family friendly benefits, for example, maternity, paternity, shared parental leave.

Things you need to know

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

How to apply?

To apply please follow the links to our careers page.

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Selection process details

For more information on the role, please see the attached Job Description.

Successful applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application and interviews held as soon as practical after the closing date. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in this role and Homes England.

Please note – Homes England has a responsibility to ensure compliance with HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard to address the potential problems of identity fraud, illegal working and deception generally. To ensure compliance we will carry out a pre-employment Personal Identity and Vetting Report through Experian to meet the standard and you will therefore be asked to provide certain information in order that the verification check can be carried out if you are successful in your application.

Homes England are an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer that values and respects the people who work for us. Our aim is to be an employer of choice, enabling everyone to reach their full potential.

Homes England is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data. For further information please refer to our Privacy Notice which can be viewed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/homes-england/about/personal-information-charter

Nationality requirements

Open to UK, Commonwealth and European Economic Area (EEA) and certain non EEA nationals. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a guaranteed disability confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Name: Recruitment Team

Email: recruitmentinfo@homesengland.gov.uk

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Recruitmentinfo@homesengland.gov.uk
• Email : Recruitmentinfo@homesengland.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitmentinfo@homesengland.gov.uk