50435 - Head of Testing
We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.
Roles will be recruited using a combination of Digital, Data and Technology Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We will assess your Experience, Technical Skills, Ability and Behaviours during the selection process.
Pay
Salary band for this role is £60,504,049 to £72,000 (£63,866 - £76,000 for candidates based within the M25)
New recruits to the Civil Service are expected to join at the band minimum
A £ digital allowance may also available
The final allowance awarded will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.
These are exciting times at Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). As an agency of the MoJ, we provide the supporting administration for the judiciary across England and Wales. Within that portfolio, Digital and Technology Services (DTS) has a clear ambition to create an organisational culture where diverse and inclusive multi-disciplinary teams bring together in-house digital, data and technology specialists to build capability, work smarter and more efficiently. Please visit https://www.hmctsjobs.co.uk/dts/ for further details!
We’re building better justice for everyone by harnessing technology, curiosity and our burning mission to make a momentous impact. You have the chance to influence that change and own your mark.
With the scale and size of transformation, you’ll get exposure to bigger opportunities and new ways of learning that will push your potential. It’s a massive challenge doing career defining work, but we also embrace your
individuality and life outside of work. So through flexible working we’ll trust you to shape the future in a way that suits you.
Sound like a challenge you’re up for?
Build_better_justice
for.everyone
The Role
The Head of Test reports to the Deputy Director for Digital Services and is responsible for setting strategic direction for test management and quality assurance, defining and implementing standards and processes, managing the team across a broad portfolio of products and services.
Build a Quality Assurance / Test Management function which supports the delivery of large software development projects/programmes. This role will have line management responsibility for 3 x Test Managers covering each Jurisdictional area. However, there will be dotted line management of up to 50 QA/Test engineers whom are reporting formally into the Development team.
This is a high-impact role where you will be critical in building a team of Automation Testers that will enable the safe delivery of key products, projects, and programs across HMCTS to public citizens.
As Head of Test, as are our Quality Assurance leader, must have experience working with senior leaders, stakeholders and third parties to drive agile transformations at an organisational level. Being part of digital delivery leadership team driving cultural and procedural change and embedding agile approaches and ways of working. With strong test management background, particularly with Test Automation you will primarily focus on quality assurance, while supporting the creation of self-organising and high performing teams, supported closely by the Test Manager.
What will you be doing?
- Build a Quality Assurance / Test Management function which supports the delivery of large software development projects/programmes ultimately accountable for ~50 team members
- Head of Profession for QA/Test Management resources ~50 team members
- Accountable for definition and execution a complete end-to-end testing strategy including both manual and automated testing approaches, working closely with Product Owners and Developers through the entire development lifecycle to a product release.
- Accountable for defining QA strategy, approach and adherance in development projects.
- Accountable for leading and directing the QA Management team.
- Accountable for ensuring quality products are released to Juditiary and Citizens
- Direct the development of the QA strategy, methodology, discipline and framework. Driving and improving the QA team in areas of automated testing and agile testing.
- Provide leadership and technical expertise within Test Automation, Testing Methodologies, Testing Processes, Tools and Techniques and Quality Assurance across the teams.
- Accountable for the test automation projects, mentor, and provide leadership to the QA team.
- Responsibility for managing the 3rd party suppliers which augment the civil service workforce ensuring 3rd party resources are managed effectively and in line with the contractual obligations
- Work with Head of Delivery Management ; Head of Development; Head of Software Engineering and Head of Product to develop and execute QA strategies to meet and exceed department and corporate quality goals.
- Accountable for the development teams adherhence to the principles, guidelines and best practices of the QA strategy as defined.
What are we looking for?
- Able to build successful delivery teams and understand team styles and how people work together.
- Able to maintain, influence and motivate a team.
- Able to give and receive feedback, facilitating the feedback loop.
- Ensures the health of the team and can facilitate conflict resolution, accelerating team performance.
- Able to ensure the team is transparent and that the work is understood externally.
- Able to create an open and collaborative environment to work in, be flexible, adaptable and have a willingness to learn.
- Able to recognise how people best work together, facilitating the best team makeup depending on the situation.
- Able to help teams maintain a focus on delivery whilst being aware of the importance of professional development.
- Working in teams with varying degrees of DevOps maturity
- Developing test professions, helping colleagues to shape career paths and leading discussions about better practice and tooling
- Ability and experience driving agile delivery and transformations, through a solid coaching background
- Prior team management experience having operated as a team leader managing and supporting the work of junior grades
What can we offer you?
- A generous pension scheme on average of up to 27%!
- 25 days leave, plus 8 bank holidays, plus 1 privilege day usually taken around the Queens’ birthday
- Flexible working; whether it’s working from home or remotely, working part-time, job sharing, or working compressed hours, we have people doing it and are happy to discuss options with you
- Great maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!
- Bike loans and secure bike parking (subject to availability and location)
- Season ticket loans, childcare vouchers, and eye-care vouchers.
- Up to 5 days paid leave per year for voluntary work you may wish to undertake
- We also currently have employee-run networks for colleagues of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, those with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees with which you will eligible to join
We are passionate about career development and in order to help support this, we offer a number of training and development platforms that employees will have access to. Working with your manager, you will be given the support and time required to complete agreed courses, as part of your personal development plan.
- Pluralsight - Over 7000 video training courses created by over 1400 subject-matter experts, covering a wide range of software development related skills.
- Microsoft Enterprise Skills Initiative - a range of Azure focused courses that can lead to Microsoft Certification.
- Civil Service Learning - a wide variety of online training to help support your role as a Civil Servant.
Working Arrangements & Further Information
For nationally advertised campaigns, candidates will be appointed to their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) on the completion of pre-employment checks.
The national salary range is £60,504 - £72,000, London salary range is £63,866 - £76,000. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.
Flexible working hours
The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.
Benefits
The MoJ offers a range of benefits:
Annual Leave
Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.
There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
Pension
The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Training
The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
Networks
The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
Support
- A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
- Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
- For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on UKor Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
- Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
- Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order
- To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
- To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk);
- To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.
You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.
We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.
*Application Process*
• In the first instance you will need to submit your application through Oleeo
• The team will then sift applications to find the most suitable candidates. Due to the volume of applications we receive we are unable to provide feedback after the CV review (sift) stage. The sift will be based on your experience listed in your CV.
• Successful candidates will then be invited to an interview via MS Teams where you will be assessed using a combination of Digital, Data and Technology Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We will assess your Experience, Technical Skills, Ability and Behaviours during the selection process.
For more information on Behaviours please see the following link: https://civilservicelearning.civilservice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/behavioursjune18.pdf
For more information on the DDAT framework, please see the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/digital-data-and-technology-profession-capability-framework
03/12/2021, 23:55 hours.
To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why.
For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).
If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:
- You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
- You were studying abroad
- You were living overseas with parents
In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.
Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.
We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.
Application form stage assessments
Interview stage assessments
A Great Place to Work for Veterans
The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans
Redeployment Interview Scheme
Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.
MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.
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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
· 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) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
This Vacancy is closed to applications.