Test Assurance Manager

Job summary

The National Crime Agency require a strong test assurance function to ensure alignment of testing standards and practices across all deliveries within the NCA. The Test Assurance Manager will be leading the test assurance function, including refining the test assurance policy, providing testing frameworks for projects and working with various stakeholders to ensure buy-in, engagement, and correct alignment.

Job description

The Test Assurance Manager is responsible for defining, maintaining, and leading the agency’s test assurance strategy, policies, and frameworks across all programmes and deliveries. This role provides senior-level oversight and direction for test assurance activities across both internal and supplier-led projects, ensuring that testing is planned, executed, and evidenced to a consistently high standard.

The role includes the line management of Test Assurance Analysts and requires strong stakeholder management to influence and collaborate with multiple delivery partners. The Test Assurance Manager must operate pragmatically, balancing governance and delivery needs across projects with varying levels of testing maturity, supplier capability, and assurance readiness.

The successful candidate will have demonstrable experience assuring or managing testing across multi-supplier and/or complex delivery environments, and experience in defining and implementing test strategies, policies and assurance frameworks.

This role aligns with Senior quality assurance test analyst within the Government digital and data (GDAD) capability framework.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Test Strategy, Policy and Framework Ownership - Own, develop, and maintain the Agency's Test Policy, Test Assurance Framework, and associated guidance, templates and artefacts. Define and embed test assurance processes that integrate with existing governance and delivery functions.
• Provide Assurance & Oversight - Provide independent assurance of supplier and internal testing across all projects and programmes. Review and approve test strategies, plans and reports to ensure adequacy and alignment. Identify and track risks, issues, and non-compliance.
• Stakeholder Management - Engage and influence key stakeholders across the business, technical and delivery teams to ensure testing and assurance are effectively planned and executed. Build strong relationships with programme managers, delivery leads, suppliers and assurance boards.
• Continuous Improvement - Champion test and quality maturity across the agency and supplier ecosystem. Capture lessons learned and drive improvements in test assurance capability, tools, and practices. Maintain awareness of emerging technologies and assurance methods.
• Leadership & Line Management - Line manage, mentor, and develop Test Assurance Analysts. Plan and allocate resources to projects based on risk and priority. Foster a collaborative, supportive team culture focused on risk awareness, quality outcomes, and continuous improvement.
• Test forecasting for needs and resourcing - Liaise with delivery streams, programmes, towers, and projects to understand upcoming testing needs, resource profiles, and capability requirements. Ensure that shared resources are effectively deployed, developed, and supported to deliver value across multiple initiatives. Create a clear governance model for engagement, prioritisation, and reporting of test resource deployment.

Person specification

• Test Assurance or Test Management experience - Experience in test management, test assurance, or quality governance across complex, multi-supplier delivery environments.
• Knowledge of testing methodologies - Strong understanding of software testing methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid) and quality management principles.
• Developing or implementing test strategies or policies - Experience in defining and implementing test strategies, policies, and assurance frameworks. Strategic thinker with a strong grasp of risk, assurance, and delivery balance.
• Stakeholder management and influence - Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills, including the ability to challenge constructively.
• Pragmatism - Pragmatic and flexible approach, able to adapt to differing levels of delivery maturity and assurance capability.
• Leadership - Confident leader who inspires trust, collaboration, and accountability.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £55,575, National Crime Agency contributes £16,100 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

New entrants to the NCA receive 26 days annual leave, rising to 31 on completion of 5 years continuous service, plus 8 bank holidays.

If qualifying criteria is met new joiners from UK Police Forces or the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) will have service with those employers taken into account for continuous service purposes for annual leave entitlement only, this will be up to a maximum of 31 days leave (including 1 privilege day).

Other benefits include:

• Flexible working, including flexi-time, compressed hours and job sharing (in line with business requirements)
• Family friendly policies, notably above the statutory minimum
• Learning and Development opportunities
• Interest free loans and advances, including season tickets, childcare and rental deposits
• Housing schemes - Key Worker status
• Discounts and Savings with a wide variety of services including Cycle to Work, Smart Tech schemes, dental insurance, gym discounts and savings on everyday spending, available through the Reward Gateway , Edenred and Blue Light Card schemes.
• Staff support groups/networks
• Sports and social activities, including membership to the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC)

Further information is available on the NCA Website.

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

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

How we will assess you

Your application will be assessed against the following:

Experience - This will be assessed:

CV

Please include your full career history, training, qualifications, key responsibilities, and achievements. Explain any employment gaps in the last two years. Ensure all accreditation dates are accurate.

Details of what is expected within you CV are as follows: Please demonstrate the following Experience Criteria within your CV - Experience assuring or managing testing across multi-suppliers or complex delivery environments.

Experience Criteria - will be assessed by 500 word examples on:

• Experience in defining and implementing test strategies, policies, and assurance frameworks.

A panel will assess how well your application demonstrates the requirements outlined above.

Longlist

In the event of a high number of applications, we may operate a longlist. Applicants will need to meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria.

- Experience in defining and implementing test strategies, policies, and assurance frameworks.

Candidates who do not meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria will not progress to having their other criteria assessed. Applications must meet the minimum criteria to be progressed to the assessment stage.

You will receive an acknowledgement once your application is submitted.

We aim to have sift completed and scores released within 10 working days of the closing date of the advert. For high volume campaigns this timeframe may be extended.

Scores will be provided but further feedback will not be available at this stage.

For guidance on the application process, visit:
NCA Applying and Onboarding

Assessment 1

The format of this assessment will be Interview which will be tested on the criteria listed in the Success Profiles at Assessment section.

Success Profiles at Assessment

Behaviours

• Working Together

• Communicating and Influencing

• Seeing the Big Picture

Experience

• Experience of managing and completing end to end testing of a new service or functionality.

Assessment Outcome

Outcomes will be communicated via the NCA recruitment portal.
If successful but no role is immediately available, you may be placed on a reserve list for 12 months.
Reserve lists can be used to fill similar role types across the Agency where the assessment criteria is considered a match by the recruitment team and the business area.

In the event of a tie at the assessment stage, available roles will be offered in merit order using the following order:

1. Lead criteria (behaviours/technical/experience)
2. If still tied, desirable criteria will be assessed (if advertised)
3. If still tied, application sift scores will be used

Feedback is provided only to those who attend an assessment.

You will be subject to vetting and pre-employment checks before appointment.

Once the vacancy closes, the advert will no longer be accessible. Please save a copy for your records.

We encourage all candidates to visit the NCA Careers Page for more information.

Full advert details for this vacancy can found on the advert on the NCA Recruitment Portal. Please follow the link to apply at advertisers' site.

Desirable Criteria

Desirable criteria are only used for assessment in the event of a tie break.

Professional testing certification (e.g., International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) Advanced Test Manager or equivalent).

Experience in government or regulated sectors.

Virtual Open Evening Event

To find out more about this role and the application process we will be holding a virtual opening evening via MS Teams on Thursday 22nd January 2026 at 6.00pm. The event should last about an hour.

This event is by invitation only.

To register for the event, please click on the following link [NCA DDaT Test Assurance - Recruitment Virtual Event, Thursday 22nd January 2026 – Fill out form].

You will be asked for your name and email address. Please make sure you spell your email address correctly, or else we will not be able to send out your invite.

Registration will close on Wednesday 21st January 2026 at 12.00pm. You will not be able to register after this date and time.

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.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

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.

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

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.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 : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
• Email : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk

Further information

If you believe your application has not been treated fairly, email: Central.Recruitment@nca.gov.uk (quoting the vacancy reference).
If unresolved, you may escalate your complaint to the Civil Service Commission.