DDaT Corporate Services Modernisation Lead Test Engineer - MoD - G7

Are you ready to shape how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is designed and is operated, directly enabling the defence of the UK? The MOD is seeking exceptional and experienced professionals for one of MOD’s top strategic priorities, Corporate Services Modernisation.

Corporate Services are critically important for the 250,000 people working across Defence to do their day-to-day jobs. For example, every time the department procures military equipment, personnel receive their monthly pay or request their vacation, they are using Corporate Services. As part of the wider government Shared Services Strategy, MOD has established the Corporate Services Modernisation (CSM) portfolio to drive Human Resources, Commercial and Finance policy, process, organisational, data and systems transformation. More information on the Shared Services agenda can be found through this link: A Shared Services Strategy for Government - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Our ambition is to revolutionise MOD corporate services to:

• Improve the user experience by simplifying our policies and processes, providing easier and better interfaces to systems and self-service and; making services more responsive and providing easy access to help.
• Deliver better data driven decision making by introducing and fully exploiting the latest Oracle Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Human Capital Management (HCM) technology; improving visibility, accuracy and accessibility of management information across defence; and, using integrated data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to inform decision making.
• Improve Productivity and Efficiency by automating transactional processes ; expanding and improving MOD’s shared service centre operations; and, reducing MOD’s overall corporate services spend to maximise our reinvestment into the front-line.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. 

Job description

The CSM portfolio is looking to deliver a predominantly Oracle-based corporate services solution, incorporating Fusion Enterprise Resource Planning, Human Capital Management and Enterprise Performance Management, alongside other best of breed cloud solutions. We are seeking an experienced Lead Test Engineer to: 

• Work with our Delivery Partner to produce a comprehensive test strategy including:
  • Functional Testing
  • System Integration Testing (SIT)
  • User Assurance Testing (UAT)
  • End to End Testing
  • Operational Testing
  • Performance testing
  • Regression Testing
  • Provision and management of test environments and data
  • Provision and management of automated test capability
• Design, plan and implement approaches to assure, measure and build quality into every phase of the software development life cycle.
• Support implementation and transition planning for the CSM Portfolio.
• Manage communications, integration, and dependencies across the Portfolio.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be a highly experienced Test Engineer with:

• A comprehensive understanding of product and service lifecycle
• Demonstrable experience of testing in a complex environment
• Practical hand-on experience of testing tools, including automated testing.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering a test plan and associated test cases

An understanding of MOD’s Corporate Service (HR, Finance, Commercial) processes, structures and systems or Corporate Service arrangements of similar complexity in the wider public or private sectors would be advantageous.

Experience of utilising Oracle Fusion and SmartBear is desirable.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

• Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Framework: Functional testing - Expert
• Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Framework: Non-functional testing - Expert
• Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Framework: Technical Breadth - Expert
• Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Framework: Test analysis - Practitioner

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,670, Ministry of Defence contributes £16,706 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

The post does not offer relocation expenses. 

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.  

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed. 

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.  

Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/. 

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.  

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights. 

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Experience:

• Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.  
• Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability. (1000 Word count)  

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours/Technical Skills:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making effective decisions
• Seeing the Bigger Picture

Technical skills:Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Framework:

• Functional testing - Expert
• Non-functional testing - Expert
• Technical breadth - Expert
• Test analysis - Practitioner

When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected. 

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk . 

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa.  It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. 

  Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.  

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.

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 the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).