Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity within the Digital Services team at Companies House. You will be joining us at a time of transformation, playing a key role in shaping the future of our testing and quality assurance approach. We follow Agile methodologies and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
We are looking for an enthusiastic Senior Performance Test Engineer with strong technical skills, capable of coaching and mentoring other testers. You will oversee performance testing efforts, ensuring our systems are scalable, reliable, and performant under load.
As part of our Non-functional testing team, you will work collaboratively with scrum, dev-ops, and support teams, overseeing performance testing and ensuring our systems meet the highest quality standards. You will advocate for performance excellence in non-functional testing and explore frameworks and methodologies to enhance service delivery.
Watch this video to find out more about working in Digital at Companies House
This is a rewarding role within the Test Team and provides an opportunity to contribute to the success of existing and future services provided by Companies House.
Companies House offers a flexible and welcoming culture that promotes a healthy work life balance as well as a proactive approach to wellbeing that allows us to be our best at work. We recognise that people are the key to our success so offer a fantastic benefits package including flexible working with no core hours, 30 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays and 1 privilege day as well as enrolment into the Civil Service Pension scheme with a contribution rate averaging 28%.
Find out more about what a great place Companies House is to work
Please note:
- Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.
- Remote contracts will only be offered to successful candidates who are not within a commutable distance to our Cardiff, Belfast or Edinburgh offices. If you are located in a reasonable distance to one our offices, you will receive a hybrid contract aligned to one of our offices.
Please see 'Things you need to know' and 'Where will you be working' sections below for more information.
Job description
As a practitioner level Senior Performance Test Engineer, you will:
- Design, implement, and execute performance testing strategies that align with business and user requirements, contributing to the overall test and quality planning efforts.
- Take ownership of performance testing within the automated pipeline, primarily using JMeter integrated with our CI/CD process (Concourse).
- Collaborate with teams across Companies House to champion a performance-first mindset throughout the development lifecycle.
- Analyse system performance, using tools such as Grafana, identify bottlenecks, and work closely with business analysts, developers, architects, and DevOps engineers to optimise performance.
- Establish and maintain performance baselines, stress testing, load testing, and scalability testing frameworks.
- Drive best practices and mentor other testers in performance testing techniques and tools.
- Research, recommend, and implement emerging tools to improve the efficiency and accuracy of performance testing.
- Document, and maintain performance testing standards, best practices, methodologies, runbooks, and findings using collaboration platforms such as Confluence, SharePoint, or other designated tools. Ensure knowledge is effectively shared and accessible across relevant teams.
The Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework will help you find out what a test engineer in government does and the skills you need.
Person specification
We are looking for the following, which will be assessed at sift, technical stage and interview.
- Certification in ISTQB, ISEB, or equivalent experience in performance testing.
- 18 months+ hands-on experience with JMeter, Gatling, k6, or similar.
- Proficiency in at least one mainstream programming language (e.g., Java, JavaScript, Python).
- Experience coaching and mentoring others, with strong interpersonal skills to foster a culture of collaboration and learning.
- Working experience with databases (MongoDB, Oracle, SQL, InfluxDB).
- Familiarity with monitoring and observability tools (e.g., New Relic, Grafana, Prometheus, or Datadog).
- Proficient version control experience, preferably Git.
- Experience testing stand-alone services as well as complex systems built of many microservices / sub-systems.
- Experience testing at UI, API, as well as back-end levels.
- Knowledge of AWS cloud environments and performance testing in cloud-based architectures.
- Knowledge of containerisation tools (Docker, Kubernetes).
- Experience with CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, Concourse, GitHub Actions) to integrate performance testing.
- Familiarity with message brokers (Kafka, RabbitMQ)
- Exposure to accessibility and reliability testing principles.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
- Seeing the Big Picture
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Performance testing (using JMeter)
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £40,398, Companies House contributes £11,703 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
We believe that our success is driven by the well-being and satisfaction of our team members at all levels of the organisation. At Companies House we’re committed to providing a comprehensive benefits package that goes beyond the ordinary, ensuring your career journey with us is not only fulfilling, but also rewarding. We pride ourselves on offering a quality work-life balance with our employee wellbeing being central to our working practices.
Head to Our benefits - Working for us - Recruitment (companieshouse.gov.uk) to find out more about the fantastic benefits package we have at Companies House.
We celebrate diversity...
As an equal opportunity employer, we celebrate diversity, being committed to ensuring we’re representative of the citizens we serve and creating an inclusive environment. Everyone in Companies House brings something different, and so will you. To fulfil our commitment to recruiting and attracting diverse talent we welcome applications from underrepresented groups. We also welcome applications from Welsh speakers.
We are proud to be a disability confident leader. Our recruitment process is fully inclusive and we can make adjustments as needed through our process. These could include having an interview buddy, extra time at interviews/assessments and receiving interview questions in advance, to name a few.
If you require any reasonable adjustments at application stage, or if you'd like to discuss any person-centred adjustments, please contact us by emailing recruitmentCH@companieshouse.gov.uk.
Read our 'Applying under the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS)' guide to find out how to successfully complete an application under the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS).
Where will you be working?
We are currently using a hybrid approach to the way we work which provides opportunities for you to be adaptable in the way you work so that you can achieve a healthy balance between your work and home life. The degree of choice you have will depend on your role and your day-to-day work activities. Your manager will agree regular patterns of attendance with you, however you may be required to make yourself available to attend the office more frequently when required to meet business needs. Remote contracts will only be offered to successful candidates who are not within a commutable distance to our Cardiff, Belfast or Edinburgh offices. If you are located in a reasonable distance to one our offices, you will receive a hybrid contract aligned to one of our offices.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
In your application form we’d like you to:
- Tell us about your employment history, including any key responsibilities and achievements.
- Write a personal statement of 750 words where you demonstrate how you meet the skills required for this role, providing examples to evidence your level of skill. In your personal statement we are looking for evidence of:
- Certification in ISTQB, ISEB, or equivalent experience in performance testing.
- 18 months+ hands-on experience with JMeter, Gatling, k6, or similar.
- Proficiency in at least one mainstream programming language (e.g., Java, JavaScript, Python).
- Experience coaching and mentoring others, with strong interpersonal skills to foster a culture of collaboration and learning.
What will the process look like?
Sift
- Once the advert has closed we will sift applications - this involves reading through them all, please bear with us as this can take some time.
- We may raise the score required if we receive a high number of applications.
- At sift we may choose to take through the highest performing candidates to the next stage. If, after the final stage is completed and roles are unfilled, we will proceed to invite lower scoring candidates to interview.
- At sift candidates will be assessed against the experience listed in the advert and alongside your work history the panel will score your application against the following criteria:
- Certification in ISTQB, ISEB, or equivalent experience in performance testing.
- 18 months+ hands-on experience with JMeter, Gatling, k6, or similar.
- Proficiency in at least one mainstream programming language (e.g., Java, JavaScript, Python).
- Experience coaching and mentoring others, with strong interpersonal skills to foster a culture of collaboration and learning.
Technical assessment stage
- Candidates successful at sift will progress to the assessment stage, where you will be asked to complete a technical activity to demonstrate the technical skills and experience listed in the job description.
- Full details will be emailed across to candidates, including information about submission deadlines.
- The technical assessment stage will be assessing Technical Skill: Performance testing (using JMeter).
Interview
- Candidates successful at technical assessment stage will progress to the interview stage, where you will will be invited to attend an interview. This will conducted using Microsoft Teams.
- We use a blended interview technique, allowing us to find out more about you.
- We use the Success Profile framework and at interview we will use Success Profiles assessing the Behaviours, Technical Skills and Experience listed in the advert, and Strengths.
- As part of your interview, you will be asked to discuss your technical assessment stage. This will be assessing Technical Skill: Performance testing (using JMeter).
- After the technical assessment stage discussion, there will be Behaviour and Strengths questions.
- A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.
- If after interview you are not found appointable at the advertised grade you may be offered the lower grade role if you are considered to meet the skills, experience and behaviours for the lower level. The benchmark for appointing to the lower grade is set at the start of each campaign. All offers will be made in merit.
Key dates (dates are indicative only and could be subject to change)
- Closing date: 17 August (at 23:55)
- Sifting: w/c 18 August & w/c 25 August 2025
- Technical assessment: w/c 1 September 2025
- Interviews - w/c 8 September & w/c 15 September 2025
We’re committed to being diverse and inclusive, so please make your application anonymous by removing all identifying personal information (such as names and dates) from your employment history and personal statement.
Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of recruitment based on fair and open competition with decisions made on the basis of merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Sponsorship
Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. Companies House holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship, your application may be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment withdrawn.
Security
Successful candidates must pass a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check before they can be appointed.
BPSS is an entry level security check. It uses the Police National Computer (PNC) to make sure a candidate has no convictions. The check returns evidence of any current criminal record and un-spent convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Nationality statement
Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. If you're applying for a role requiring security clearance, please be aware that foreign or dual nationality is not an automatic bar. However certain posts may have restrictions which could affect those who do not have sole British nationality or who have personal connections with certain countries outside the UK.
As part of our recruitment process, it is essential for all candidates to independently verify their eligibility to work in the UK before applying. This includes a thorough check of your right to work to ensure compliance with UK employment laws, being mindful of the recent changes to going rates detailed on GOV.UK.
Please ensure you have the necessary documentation and permissions in place. Our team is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce and encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply. However, it is the candidate's responsibility to ensure they meet the UK's legal requirements to work.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
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.
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).
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
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 :
- Name :
- Katie Jones
- Email :
- kjones6@companieshouse.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email :
- recruitmentch@companieshouse.gov.uk
Further information
We welcome applications in Welsh / Rydym yn croesawi ceisiadau yn y Gymraeg. Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact infopoint@companieshouse.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission .
info@csc.gov.uk
Civil Service Commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road SW1A 2HQ
