QA Tester at Office for National Statistics, UK Office/Remote, 4 Months, £Contract Rate

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK's largest producer of official statistics, covering a range of key economic, social and demographic topics. These include measuring changes in the value of the UK economy, estimating the size, geographic distribution and characteristics of the population, and providing indicators of price inflation, employment, earnings, crime and migration.

These roles are required for The Transformed Labour Force Survey (TLFS) - the largest transformation programme that the ONS has enacted in over 50 years, which is critical to delivering quality data to key stakeholders, shaping economic policy now and in the future. The TLFS collects data from households and individuals across the United Kingdom (UK) and aims to provide high quality data that underpins core National Statistics and the wider UK statistical system. The TLFS is designed to provide data sets for internal ONS and external users, such as the Bank of England (BoE), His Majesty's Treasury (HMT), His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The Programme requires a number of QA Testers to support in the planning, design, execution and reporting of testing across a number of Projects.

As a QA Tester your main responsibilities will be to:

• Listen to and interpret the needs of technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Influence and guide the use of appropriate test types and techniques to mitigate risk early.
• Design, build, maintain and execute tests that align to user needs and requirements.
• Contribute to developing standards for defect management processes.
• Manage and escalate dependencies, defects and risks.
• Contribute to mitigation and contingency plans across teams.
• Use defect patterns and trends to make recommendations on testing and quality approaches, with support.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and communications during defect resolution, with support.

Essential:

• An active SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, as a minimum you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks. (Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance.)
• Strong overall Testing experience.
• Manual Testing experience.
• Understanding of Automation.
• Understanding of Low Code / No Code Automation.
• Test Development and Test Reporting experience.
• ISTQB qualification.
• Stakeholder engagement and management skills and experience.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident 

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, ONS guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.

This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant 

ONS guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.