Head of Quality Engineering 11 views

465635 Head of Quality Engineering

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 29th June 2026

📍 Location: Swansea, Bristol, Birmingham (Garretts Green), Nottingham, Leeds, Yeading (Hayes), Oldham (Chadderton), Newcastle upon Tyne (This role is suitable for hybrid working)

💷 Salary: £69,501 – Candidates based in Yeading will receive the London Weighting allowance of £4,000
Plus an additional Government Digital and Data Profession allowance (non-pensionable) up to £28,560
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

🕘️ Contract Type: Permanent – Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

🏆️ Available Positions: 1

The Head of Quality Engineering will provide organisational leadership to foster a cohesive quality engineering strategy across the DVSA. They will build capability across the profession and delivery teams, ensuring teams are equipped to support the strategic direction and deliver high-quality digital services.

This role will be responsible for leadership across a variety of quality and testing professionals within the organisation. The role holder will provide Leadership, guidance, coaching and mentorship to teams to adopt and embed modern quality engineering practices that support the delivery of digital services that are critical to the DVSA.

They will advocate for early, sustainable quality practices and a proactive, quality-first, risk-aware engineering culture, ensuring quality is embedded throughout the software development lifecycle. The role holder will be instrumental in influencing quality metrics, governance, and the continuous optimisation of quality engineering strategies, test approaches, and delivery practices.

Top Responsibilities

• Demonstrate leadership by providing influence, direction, and guidance to staff to support the delivery of organisational objectives.

• Define and execute a long-term quality and testing strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives, user needs and DVSA’s digital strategy.

• Guide and influence testing and quality engineering practices across product teams, promoting consistent and scalable approaches to quality.

• Drive the integration of quality engineering practices at every stage of the software development lifecycle, ensuring quality is embedded from design through to delivery and operation.

• Promote the adoption of automation and scalable quality frameworks that support efficient, reliable and repeatable delivery across product teams.

• Shape and refine testing and quality engineering design principles, governance, metrics, and reporting, ensuring clear visibility of quality across DVSA services.

• Establish a strong direction and a persuasive future vision for quality engineering and digital service assurance across DVSA.

• Manage and engage with honesty and integrity, acting as a role model and upholding the reputation of the Agency, Department and Civil Service.

Benefits

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your base salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here

• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).

• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.

• Access to the staff discount portal.

• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.

• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.

About You

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Strong strategic leadership experience within software testing, quality engineering or digital delivery, with the ability to define and implement organisational quality strategies that support the delivery of reliable, secure and user-focused digital services.

• Demonstrable experience of modern quality engineering practices, including test automation, continuous testing, risk-based quality approaches and the integration of quality throughout the software development lifecycle.

• A strong technical understanding of software delivery practices, tooling and engineering approaches, combined with the ability to guide teams in adopting scalable and sustainable quality practices.

• Proven ability to lead, influence and develop professional capability across teams, fostering a collaborative and quality-focused culture.

• Experience of working with senior stakeholders, delivery teams and cross-functional leaders, providing strategic advice and driving continuous improvement in quality practices.
• Strong communication, leadership and decision-making skills, with the ability to represent the organisation, provide expert advice and respond effectively to emerging risks, operational challenges and evolving technology landscapes.

Additional Information

Government Digital and Data Allowance

The role is part of the Government Digital and Data (or Government Security Profession Career Framework) profession and utilises an enhanced Capability–Based Pay Framework which provides access to a Digital and Data allowance.

The base pay is £69,501 In addition to this the role includes a Digital and Data allowance of up to £28,560.

The value of allowance awarded will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated through the selection process.

How to Apply

👉 Read the full description and apply here: https://bit.ly/4b1DeC3

This vacancy closes at 23:55 on Monday 29^th June 2026