Senior Test Manager

Posting date:	10 April 2026
Salary:	£42,665 to £50,495 per year
Additional salary information:	National: £42,665 - £46,765 London: £46,060 - £50,495 plus industry leading pension and benefits. For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading ‘Salary’.
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	23 April 2026
Location:	Reading
Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	451052/4

Summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Digital, Data, Technology and Security (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group.

We have around 1000 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.

Find out more about DDTS:

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As the Senior Test Manager, you will take ownership of a diverse portfolio of projects, guiding both Test Management and Test Assurance activities through a team of Test Managers to achieve delivery outcomes. You will shape how testing is planned, executed and governed, ensuring every project aligns with DDTS Test Strategy standards and follows best‑practice quality protocols. Your work will directly influence decision‑making throughout the project lifecycle.

You will play a key role in improving how government services are built and delivered. That means challenging the status quo, championing quality and helping teams deliver on time, on budget and to the highest standard. You will be joining a maturing IT organisation that’s evolving quickly, where your expertise will help strengthen both proactive and reactive testing services across Defra and wider government departments.

You will work closely with senior stakeholders, helping them understand the testing activities, risks and decisions needed to keep projects on track. You will bring experience from managing testing across both small initiatives and large, complex programmes.

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