The ONS operates a flexible hybrid working model across the UK, with colleagues linked to one of our contractual locations working between office and remote throughout the week. The locations for this role are Newport, Titchfield (Fareham) and Manchester.
All colleagues are required to work from their contractually allocated site for at least 40% of their working time.
The induction process for the role will be conducted in person.
Job Summary
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.
Are you ready to take the lead in driving quality assurance excellence? We are looking for a dynamic Lead Quality Assurance Test Analyst to shape the future of functional testing. In this pivotal role, you'll set the standard for excellence, drive complex problem-solving, and influence senior stakeholders across the organisation.
With a sharp business and operational mindset, you'll mentor and inspire your team, deliver at pace using agile methodologies, and provide expert technical guidance. If you're passionate about raising the bar and making informed decisions that matter, join our vibrant testing community and help define the next generation of delivery practice.
Job Description
The Quality Assurance Test (QAT) Team will define test conditions, design test cases, and create test scripts which comprehensively test the functionality of a system to ensure the system/service meets the required quality standards.
The team will use their Analytical skills, domain, and business knowledge to identify defects within a System and manage defects throughout a project to ensure quality metrics are available which can inform stakeholders in their Go/No-Go decisions.
The QAT Team designs and executes test cases, as part of a broader risk-based test plan to ensure that systems, services, and end-to-end processes are integrated and operationally ready.
Working with development teams, third parties, operations teams, and business areas to plan, co-ordinate and manage/facilitate testing (included inter dependencies) they ensure that the agreed test strategy is correctly implemented by means of the following activities
As a Lead Quality Assurance Test Analyst you will set the functional test approach for test analysis, establishing standards and methods. You are accountable and responsible for activities at high risk.
Responsibilities
- Lead to ensure progress is monitored and reported on to ensure all deliverables are on time and meet defined quality standards.
- Accountable and responsible for reporting testing risks, and identifying potential mitigations to risks at both product and project level
- Take both a business and an operational view when strategising and test planning.
- Lead the delivery practice, focusing on complex problem solving and influencing senior team members.
- To report on test activities and ensure the teams efficiency and quality is of a high standard.
- Be a specialist in an area of testing and have expert technical understanding and provide advice to project teams.
- Have expert technical understanding and provide advice to project team.
- Deliver at pace using the most appropriate delivery methodologies and adopting agile principles.
- Assist decision makers in gathering information to make informed decisions.
- Actively participate in the Testing community and broader communities to refine and develop standards, working practices, sharing of knowledge, and understanding.
- Where appropriate and in line with divisional organisation practice, Line management of QAT Analysts within the ONS community.
- Provide Coaching and Mentoring.
- Have line management responsibilities
The Quality Assurance Test (QAT) Team will define test conditions, design test cases, and create test scripts which comprehensively test the functionality of a system to ensure the system/service meets the required quality standards.
The team will use their Analytical skills, domain, and business knowledge to identify defects within a System and manage defects throughout a project to ensure quality metrics are available which can inform stakeholders in their Go/No-Go decisions.
The QAT Team designs and executes test cases, as part of a broader risk-based test plan to ensure that systems, services, and end-to-end processes are integrated and operationally ready.
Working with development teams, third parties, operations teams, and business areas to plan, co-ordinate and manage/facilitate testing (included inter dependencies) they ensure that the agreed test strategy is correctly implemented by means of the following activities
As a Lead Quality Assurance Test Analyst you will set the functional test approach for test analysis, establishing standards and methods. You are accountable and responsible for activities at high risk.
Responsibilities
- Lead to ensure progress is monitored and reported on to ensure all deliverables are on time and meet defined quality standards.
- Accountable and responsible for reporting testing risks, and identifying potential mitigations to risks at both product and project level
- Take both a business and an operational view when strategising and test planning.
- Lead the delivery practice, focusing on complex problem solving and influencing senior team members.
- To report on test activities and ensure the teams efficiency and quality is of a high standard.
- Be a specialist in an area of testing and have expert technical understanding and provide advice to project teams.
- Have expert technical understanding and provide advice to project team.
- Deliver at pace using the most appropriate delivery methodologies and adopting agile principles.
- Assist decision makers in gathering information to make informed decisions.
- Actively participate in the Testing community and broader communities to refine and develop standards, working practices, sharing of knowledge, and understanding.
- Where appropriate and in line with divisional organisation practice, Line management of QAT Analysts within the ONS community.
- Provide Coaching and Mentoring.
- Have line management responsibilities
Person specification
Essential Criteria:
- Communicating between the technical and non-technical (Expert) - Mediate between people and strengthen relationships, adopting the appropriate communication method with stakeholders at all levels,manage stakeholder expectations and moderate difficult discussions about high risk and complex topics, even within constrained timescales and speak on behalf of, and represent the community to, large audiences inside and outside the organisation.
- Designing and executing tests (Expert) - Set standards and influence organisational decisions for test types, techniques, design and execution, coach others in test types, techniques, design and execution, advocate for continuous improvement and refinement of test types and techniques and make strategic decisions on new or improved test types and techniques used in your area.
- Managing, reporting and resolving defects (Expert) - Lead and coach others in improving test and defect management processes, support others in assessing complex and challenging defects across the organisation, lead and coach others in using defect patterns and trends to make tactical and strategic recommendations and influence improvements to quality processes, informed by defect patterns and trends.
- Test analysis (Expert) - Lead and guide multiple teams in test analysis, ensuring it is implemented early in the life cycle, advocate for risk-based analysis to drive improvements across many teams and set standards and principles for test analysis across the organisation.
- Test and quality planning (Expert) - Create and manage multiple quality testing plans, approaches and strategies, lead and guide multiple teams in adopting quality testing strategy, advocate for early quality testing involvement in organisational delivery processes and guide teams across an organisation in optimising quality testing approaches, plans and strategies by using appropriate data.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Comprehensive working knowledge of using test tools to plan, report and manage all test deliverables. Set up and configure tools as required.
- Knowledge of the Software Delivery Life Cycle (SDLC)
- An understanding of common functional test techniques and the ability to apply them accordingly.
Alongside your salary of £56,020, Office for National Statistics contributes £16,228 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
The Office for National Statistics is part of the Civil Service, and as such we share a number of key benefits with other departments, whilst also having our own unique offerings to support our valued colleagues across the organisation.
Whether you are hearing about us for the first time or already know a bit about our organisation, we hope that our careers site will give you a great insight into the benefits and facilities available to our colleagues, and our fantastic working culture.
Inclusion & Accessibility
At ONS we are always looking to attract the very best people from the widest possible talent pool, and we are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. As a Disability Confident Leader we’re committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process.
As part of our application process, you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process that you need. If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying, please contact the recruitment team in the first instance.
If you would like an accessible version of any of the attachments or recruitment documents below or linked to in this advert, please contact the recruitment team who will be happy to assist.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
Security Clearance
For ONS the requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for 3 consecutive years immediately prior to applying and the department will consider eligibility by exception on a case-by-case basis. You will be asked to provide information regarding your UK residency during your application, and failure to provide this will result in your application being rejected.
If you are unsure that you meet the eligibility above, please read the information available on Gov.uk on this link or contact the recruitment email on the advert before applying to discuss, as failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected and any offer of employment being withdrawn.
At the point of SC application, you will need to provide or give access to the following evidence:
- Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
- UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
- Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
- Security Services records
We may also reach out to you mid-campaign to confirm eligibility for this role.
Application Support
Artificial intelligence (AI) software such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and Gemini are powerful tools that can create and review text in ways that mimic what people can do. These tools can help you enhance your application and prepare for the process, but it is essential you use them appropriately.
They must also not be used to provide misleading or false information at any stage of the application journey.
It is also important to understand that while AI can help you prepare for an interview, you must not use it to produce responses during an interview.
For full guidance in relation to the use of AI through the recruitment process, please click here.
Application Process
Number of Stages: 2 stage process
Stage 1: Application
Stage 2: Interview
Stage 1 – Application
The assessment process at the application stage will be based on your work history, skills, experience, CV, and personal statement. It is important that your application is tailored to highlight the skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to the role.
A personal statement is required at application stage, it will state the maximum word count allowed (1250 words), which should not be exceeded. Where it is a requirement to make a personal statement, you should provide evidence for each essential skill criterion listed in the person specification. As these criteria are scored, it is advisable to give clear examples for each one, including the impact of your actions, ideally utilising the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
Please note that Success Profiles Behaviour examples are not required at this stage of the application process.
In instances where a high number of applications are received, the sift pass mark may be adjusted, and candidates will be invited to interview based on merit order, i.e., those with the highest scores.
Stage 2 – Interview
If invited to interview, you will be assessed using techniques aligned with the Civil Service Success Profiles framework, covering all behaviours listed in the job advert and any required technical skills.
Interviews may be in person or via Microsoft Teams.
A presentation will be required at interview.
A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made.
The Sift will be conducted from 11/09/2025
Interviews will be conducted from 29/09/2025
For the full terms and conditions of the post, please see attachment.
Please note that all campaigns may be subject to withdrawal at any stage if the internal resource position changes.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
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.
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.
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).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact
[email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission
