Test engineer

Band 6 · Test engineer · 411 job evaluation points

UK GDaD PCF level: Test engineer

Most often performed at Civil Service grade HEO or SEO.

A test engineer develops solutions to enable more efficient testing. They follow engineering standards to design and execute appropriate technical tests.
At this role level, you will:
determine test scope and estimate the effort required
select and use the most appropriate test approaches and techniques to mitigate risk
use technical tooling and engineering approaches to design and execute tests
develop and maintain technical test suites
develop reports, record outcomes and support the resolution of defects
contribute to and follow engineering practices and standards

Contains public sector information from the UK Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (https://understand-digital-data-roles-skills.service.gov.uk/), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.

Responsibilities

Design and build automated functional, integration, and API tests for clinical and patient-facing services.
Build tests that check messages against HL7 FHIR profiles and other interoperability specifications.
Generate synthetic patient data that covers realistic and edge clinical cases.
Add tests to delivery pipelines so that safety-related checks run on every change.
Estimate test effort, report outcomes, and support the resolution of defects.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Communicating between the technical and non-technicalUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders support and host discussions within a multidisciplinary team, with potentially difficult dynamics be an advocate for the team externally manage differing stakeholder perspectives
Designing and executing testsUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: set up suitable environments with some support select appropriate test types and techniques with some support design, build, maintain and execute tests that align to user needs and requirements conduct exploratory testing research and try new test types and techniques
Managing, reporting and resolving defectsUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: collaborate with others to create a defect management process to report, communicate and resolve defects, with support critically assess dependencies, defects and risks, with support contribute to mitigation and contingency plans clearly communicate risks and the impact of defects to stakeholders
Test analysisUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: work with stakeholders to determine which functional and non-functional quality characteristics add value determine what to test following an agreed approach identify and advocate for test needs, such as data, access and environments, with support analyse information to identify risks
Test and quality planningUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: create or adapt quality testing approaches based on risk, with some support follow a quality testing strategy and contribute to its development contribute to continuous improvement of quality testing approaches, plans and strategies
Test engineeringUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: use test engineering frameworks and tools to support testing activities follow test engineering practices and standards, such as source control and continuous integration, continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines integrate and execute tests to ensure early testing and continuous feedback create and maintain automated tests, with some support write and review coded solutions, with some support
Understanding health and care servicesThis reference	Working (2)	You can: explain the clinical and care workflows your work supports use common health care terms correctly with clinical and care colleagues recognize when a change could affect patient care and raise it
Clinical risk managementThis reference	Working (2)	You can: take part in hazard workshops and contribute to a hazard log follow the clinical risk management process for your work provide evidence for a clinical safety case, such as test results
Information governance and data protectionThis reference	Working (2)	You can: apply data protection principles to your work contribute to data protection impact assessments handle information requests and records correctly
Health data interoperabilityThis reference	Working (2)	You can: read and use FHIR resources, profiles, and APIs build or test simple integrations under guidance check messages against a specification

Typical qualifications and experience

A degree in computing or a related subject, or equivalent experience.
Experience of building automated tests.

Band 6 outline

Knowledge: Specialist knowledge across a range of procedures, built through further training or experience.
Autonomy: Works independently; interprets policy for own area; seeks advice on complex issues.
Scope: A product, service, or workstream.
Leadership: May lead a small team or mentor colleagues.
Accountability: Outcomes of own workstream and quality of advice given.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	4	Gives complex, sensitive, or contentious information needing persuasion, negotiation, or training skills, or highly complex information.	32
Knowledge, training, and experience	6	Specialist knowledge across the range of the specialism (postgraduate diploma level or equivalent).	156
Analytical and judgmental skills	4	Judgments on complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	42
Planning and organizational skills	3	Plans several complex activities, adjusting plans as needed.	27
Physical skills	3	Developed skills needing speed or accuracy, such as advanced keyboard use.	27
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	2	Implements policies for own area and proposes changes to its practices.	12
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	1	Takes personal care of equipment and resources used in own work.	5
Responsibility for people	1	Shows own work routines to new or less experienced colleagues.	5
Responsibility for information resources	4	Adapts or designs information systems to others' specifications, or runs information systems for a department as the main duty.	24
Responsibility for research and development	2	Regularly does research, development, trials, or equipment and system testing as part of the job.	12
Freedom to act	4	Results are defined, but the job holder decides how to achieve them, within broad policy.	32
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	4	Frequent prolonged concentration, or occasional intense concentration.	18
Emotional effort	1	Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	5
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 6: 396 to 465)			411