Test Assurance Manager
Job summary
Information about the Command
Digital, Data & Technology (DDaT), supports NCA operational commands with how we exploit data and to ensure the NCA uses the best technology platforms with the right tools and applications to further enable the NCA to protecting the public from serious and organised crime. We are responsible for defining and delivering our data and technology strategy, policy and architecture, and building and sustaining resilient services which are critical to our mission success.
The pace of change within the digital and tech world means we need to be agile and innovative in how we respond to threats while exploiting the opportunities this presents.
Information about the Business Area
Enables the NCA and its partners to achieve their operational outcomes and mission effectiveness across the Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) system by providing a 24 hour operation, working 7 days a week, across 365 days of the year.
Enterprise Services works with suppliers to ensure NCA services are reliable and affordable along with leading the migration of new services going live to users across the estate.
Enterprise Services also drives the Supply Chain, enabling the NCA to be an agile and responsive organisation, to ensure the sustainability of our future technology estate.
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.
Person specification
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 and 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.
- 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.
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.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Managing and completing end to end testing of a new service or functionality.
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.All NCA employees are members of the UK Civil Service and eligible for the Civil Service pension scheme, alongside your salary the NCA contributes £16100. Further information on the benefits of the scheme is available on the Civil Service Pension Website.
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 Technical skills.This vacancy is using the Success Profiles framework and will assess using the following criteria: Behaviours, Experience, Technical Skills 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.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..
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
- Managing and completing end to end testing of a new service or functionality.
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:
- Lead criteria (behaviours/technical/experience)
- If still tied, desirable criteria will be assessed (if advertised)
- If still tied, application sift scores will be used
Eligibility, Pre-Employment Check and Vetting
Please see the NCA T&Cs and Privacy Policy (pdf) for details on how your data is handled. If you are an internal candidate who has passed interview but is undergoing an internal investigation or have a written warning in place preventing a post move you may not be able to be posted until this investigation is concluded or restriction lifted.Nationality Requirements
This role is broadly open to the following groups:• UK nationals or dual nationals, where one component is British• 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)• 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 ServiceFurther information on nationality requirementsYou will be required to participate in digital right to work and address checks as part of the recruitment process.Security and Vetting
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is SC Enhanced. All security clearances will be managed by the NCA.For more information on security vetting please visit: UK Security Vetting guidance for applicants and Demystifying Vetting and see our vetting charter at: The Vetting Charter.Vetting requirements - SC Enhanced
Prior to commencing the role, you will need to successfully complete SC Enhanced clearance and then achieve DV Enhanced clearance within the first 12 months in post. The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.The requirement for DV Enhanced clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 7 of the last 10 years.Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.If the increased clearance cannot be obtained you will be moved to a role appropriate to your clearance level achieved on entry. For further information on National Security Vetting checks please visit the following page Demystifying VettingIndividuals will be required to undertake and pass a substance misuse test as part of pre-employment checks.Occupational Health
Successful candidates will be expected to undertake an occupational health assessment. Depending on the role an in-person medical may be required in either London or Warrington. Unfortunately, travel costs will not be reimbursed.Things you need to know
Multi Location
Where multiple locations are advertised, appointments will be made in merit order per location.
Indicate your preferences clearly; you may be posted to any preferred location. If you decline a post at a location you selected, another offer may not be made.
Only advertised locations are available, any notes added to the application will not be considered.
Near Miss
If you meet the criteria for a lower grade, you may be offered that role if not appointable at the advertised grade.
Conversely, if found appointable at a higher grade but no posts are available, you may be offered a lower-grade role.
All offers are made based on merit.
Hybrid Working
The NCA supports hybrid working. The extent of remote working will depend on the role and can be discussed at the offer stage.Reasonable Adjustments
We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and an inclusive, equal opportunities employer.
We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone can be their authentic self. If you’re neurodiverse, have a disability, or live with a long-term health condition, we encourage you to let us know about any reasonable adjustments you may need during the recruitment process.
If you experience accessibility issues with the advert or require reasonable adjustments, please contact our Recruitment Team at Central.Recruitment@nca.gov.uk before the advert closing date.
Please ensure you complete the ‘Equal opportunities’ and 'Reasonable Adjustments' sections in the application form to inform us on what support you may need in the recruitment process.
For more on our Disability Confident commitment, visit Disability Confident Scheme , Civil Service Careers.
Visit NCA Benefits and Support for more details.
Inclusion
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 Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
In order to monitor the effectiveness of the National Crime Agency's Diversity & Inclusion strategy, we require certain personal details about you on submission of your application for statistical and monitoring purposes only. Please note that this will be treated in confidence and will not impact your application.
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit on merit through fair and open competition, in line with the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.
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.
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.
Working for the NCA
The National Crime Agency is a 24/7 organisation, and working patterns must support business requirements. Some roles may require you to respond at short notice or outside of core hours.If preferable, alternative contract types may be available. Please review the green bar of this advert to view all available contract types for this role. Where Loan or Secondment options are available, these would be for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.If you have any specific queries about the role that are not covered by the advert, please contact:Name : Central Recruitment Team
Email : Central.Recruitment@nca.gov.ukFull advert details for this vacancy can found on the advert on the NCA Recruitment Portal. Please follow the link to apply at advertisers' site.
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.
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
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.
Attachments
We are Government Digital and Data Opens in new window (pdf, 3445kB)Salary range
- £55,575 per year