Test Engineer

Job summary

The Test Engineer plays a critical role in ensuring the reliability, quality and performance of the NCA’s technical solutions. They will apply a strong understanding of modern testing practices to validate systems across complex business operations, projects and programmes. The role requires an ability to design and execute effective test strategies, identify defects and performance issues, and provide clear, evidence‑based assurance to stakeholders. Working closely with developers, analysts and delivery teams, the Test Engineer will help ensure that services are robust, secure and meet operational needs, while continuously improving test processes and advocating for quality throughout the delivery lifecycle.

Job description

As a Test Engineer, you will be responsible for assuring the quality, reliability and performance of tooling and capabilities delivered across Tier 1 and Tier 2. You will work within defined quality and performance strategies, ensuring all testing activity is completed within agreed timescales, budgets and standards, and that outcomes meet or exceed stakeholder expectations.

You will apply a demonstrable understanding of IT solution architecture - including GUIs, operating systems, databases, hardware and input devices, networks and security components, applications and services - to shape test strategies, approaches and detailed plans. This technical insight will guide the Quality and Performance team and ensure testing is risk‑based, robust and aligned to the Agency's operational needs.

A key part of the role is building strong relationships across the Agency and with wider stakeholders. You will work closely with these partners to ensure products, tooling and services are aligned to the appropriate standards, fully assured and able to support the NCA’s broader digital and operational objectives.

This role aligns to Test Engineer in the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework - Test engineer - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

Duties and Responsbilities

Test Improvement, Optimisation and Strategy - Help deliver the ongoing improvement and optimisation of testing practices, ensuring test environments, techniques and approaches are fit for purpose. Design, build, maintain and execute high‑quality functional and non‑functional tests that align to user needs and system requirements. Develop, maintain and apply key test artefacts, including Quality and Performance Test Strategies and Test Plans, while proactively identifying opportunities to enhance the end‑to‑end test process.

Risk Management and Quality Assurance - Identify, document and manage testing‑related risks and issues, putting appropriate mitigations in place and escalating to the Test Manager where necessary to avoid delivery impacts. Make informed, context‑aware decisions relating to testing activities within the delivery environment, ensuring quality assurance remains robust and aligned to programme objectives.

Test Execution, Data and Automation - Manage and deliver functional and non‑functional test activities, using a broad range of testing techniques to assure performance, quality and reliability. Create, manage and maintain test data, and support the development, enhancement and use of automation frameworks and scripts. Complete test work, provide feedback to team members, and collect testing metrics and statistics to support clear, evidence‑based reporting.

Stakeholder Collaboration - Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to ensure testing activities support high‑quality delivery aligned to organisational standards.

Person specification

Communication and Stakeholder Engagement - Communicate effectively with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders, including gathering non‑functional requirements and clearly articulating complex risks or issues to senior audiences. Apply critical thinking and ask insightful questions to ensure requirements, processes and deliverables are fully understood. Present findings, risks and recommendations clearly to wider teams, ensuring shared understanding and informed decision‑making.

Test Analysis, Design and Execution - Conduct investigative work to understand problems, inefficiencies and opportunities within existing processes. Collect, analyse and interpret complex or conflicting information to propose practical, evidence‑based solutions. Design and execute tests across all phases - functional, non‑functional and User Acceptance Testing - ensuring coverage aligns to user needs and requirements. Apply Specification by Example and similar techniques to support requirement clarity and testability.

Test Planning, Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement - Develop and maintain robust quality practices, advocating accountable quality throughout the delivery lifecycle. Verify that the right work is being undertaken (Verification) and validate that it has been completed correctly (Validation). Put measures in place to monitor and improve quality outcomes, promoting consistency of approach across teams. Provide supportive but assertive challenge to ensure quality standards are upheld and embedded.

Test Engineering and Technical Practice - Apply modern test engineering practices, including source control, CI/CD pipelines and automated testing approaches. Integrate and execute tests within continuous delivery environments to enable rapid feedback loops. Demonstrate experience in planning and managing tests across multiple phases, including User Acceptance Testing and performance testing. Contribute to automation framework development and the improvement of engineering standards.

Requirements, Data and Technical Understanding - Understand and apply requirements engineering principles to support the creation, clarification and validation of deliverables. Validate requirements to ensure solutions meet operational, business and technical needs. Demonstrate knowledge of data solutions in cloud and on‑premise environments, including data‑exploitation tooling and platforms.

Behaviours

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

• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,326, National Crime Agency contributes £13,130 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.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: Candidates should provide a clear, up‑to‑date CV that includes a short professional summary, key technical skills, and relevant career history presented in reverse‑chronological order with brief evidence of responsibilities and achievements (please explain any gaps over the past two years). The CV should highlight how you meet the criteria listed in the Person Specification.

Experience Criteria - will be assessed by 250 word examples on:

• Demonstrates the ability to design and execute test plans across functional and non‑functional phases aligned to user needs.

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.

- Demonstrates the ability to design and execute test plans across functional and non‑functional phases aligned to user needs. .

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

• Managing a Quality Service

Experience

• Demonstrates the ability to design and execute test plans across functional and non‑functional phases aligned to user needs.

• Applies modern test engineering practices (source control, branching, continuous integration / continuous deployment, test data management) and contributes to reliable, maintainable automation.

• Demonstrates a structured approach to identify defects, analyse logs/metrics to support issue resolution, and promote quality practices across the development lifecycle.

Assessment OutcomeOutcomes 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.

Vetting requirements

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.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.

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
• Telephone : 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.