Data Test Engineer
At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is “Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.”
Royal Berkshire Hospital are pleased to announce that following our CQC inspection we have been rated ‘Good’ with inspectors reporting that we have made significant improvements. The Trust’s overall rating has also improved to ‘good’.
We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions
We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate
We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live
We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice
At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, we value candidates who bring their unique personalities, skills, and experiences to the Trust. When completing your application, we encourage you to highlight your individual achievements and strengths, showing us how they align with the requirements outlined in the job description and person specification.While we recognise that some applicants may use AI tools during the process, please be mindful that AI-generated responses can often lack the personal detail and relevance needed to demonstrate your suitability for the role. AI generated content is discouraged by the Trust and may diminish the candidates chances of success.
Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don’t you come and join us. We offer a range of learning and development for all employees may you be clinical or non-clinical.
Please note: all vacancies automatically close when 50 applications have been received.
Job overview
Previous apply need not apply
The Data Test Engineer plays a key role in ensuring the quality, reliability, and performance of the Trust’s digital applications, data platforms, and integrated clinical systems, focusing on areas such as Electronic Patient Records (EPR), Clinical Applications, Interoperability, Data Systems, Infrastructure, and Digital Assurance.
Reporting to the Data Assurance and Quality Lead, the role requires strong expertise in data testing and validation and involves designing, executing, and maintaining manual and automated testing processes, ensuring that all systems meet the highest standards of performance, security, and usability.
The Test Engineer will work closely with developers, business analysts, and other cross-functional teams to integrate testing into the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), identify and prioritize defects, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.
The role requires both functional and non-functional testing expertise, the ability to mentor junior testers, and effective collaboration with stakeholders to drive quality assurance processes.
This position also includes responsibilities for managing relationships with vendors, coordinating Systems Integration Testing (SIT) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT), and overseeing the use of large data sets across relational databases.
Main duties of the job- Design and execute a wide range of functional tests across data pipelines and data integrations to ensure data accuracy and completeness for the Trust’s systems, ensuring they meet defined quality standards.
- Communicate test results to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, helping the business prioritise defect resolution.
- Conduct a variety of non-functional tests of data systems to ensure systems meet requirements for speed, scalability, and security.
- Identify, document, and track defects using tools like JIRA, collaborating with developers to ensure timely resolution. Help prioritise defects based on severity and impact on business operations.
- Develop, execute, and maintain automated test scripts using automation tools. Ensure automated tests cover key functionality and validate data quality.
- Lead regression testing efforts to ensure system updates do not negatively affect existing data flows and data quality, with a focus on mitigating risks in EPR, clinical applications, and infrastructure systems.
- Collaborate with external stakeholders as needed to manage dependencies and ensure seamless integration across systems.
- Work with internal and external stakeholders, including the Care Group Directors, Directors of Operations, and IT leadership, ensuring their feedback is incorporated into data testing strategies and outcomes.
- Identify and mitigate risks related to data accuracy and quality, addressing issues before they impact Trust operations.
Working for our organisation
Diversity makes us interesting… Inclusion is what will make us outstanding.
Inequality exists and the journey to eliminate it is not easy. Every step we take will be a purposeful step forward to deliver a truly inclusive culture where all our people are enabled to deliver outstanding care, where background is no barrier, and where everyone can be their authentic self and we truly represent our patient community.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where possible. All applicants who have a disability and meet the minimum criteria for the post can opt for a guaranteed interview.
If you need additional help with your application please get in touch by calling the recruitment team on 0118 322 6997 or 0118 322 5342.
Our primary method of communication will be via email. However, if you would prefer to be contacted through a different method, please inform the recruitment team.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the job description for more details on the role responsibilities and person specification.
Candidates who have applied for this position within the past six months are kindly requested not to submit another application.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria- Extensive experience in data testing and data quality assurance, including both manual and automated testing techniques within large-scale, complex environments, preferably within healthcare settings.
- Experience with EPR systems, clinical applications, data platforms, and digital infrastructure.
- Expertise with automation frameworks such as Selenium or Protractor for data focused testing.
- Strong experience in functional and non-functional testing, including performance, security, and scalability, with a focus on data validation, data quality, and testing of data flows and integrations.
- Testing experience gained in Acute NHS or a healthcare environment, with knowledge of healthcare-specific digital and data systems.
- Experience with Agile and DevOps practices, particularly within data driven CI/CD pipelines.
Skills, Knowledge & Abilities
Essential criteria- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with the capability to collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary data-focused team.
- Strong understanding of testing frameworks and methodologies, including functional, non-functional, data flow and integrations, performance, and regression testing.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively convey technical information to non-technical stakeholders.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple testing activities simultaneously and meet tight deadlines.
- Advanced programming skills in languages such as Java, JavaScript, or Python, particularly in the context of writing and maintaining automated tests.
- Strong understanding of NHS digital platforms, data flows, and data driven applications.
We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.
Staff Benefits- Flexible working opportunities and a strong emphasis on your work, life balance
- Annual leave – 27 days for new starters, plus bank holidays. Increasing to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years NHS service. Pro rata for part time staff
- NHS pension scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Money Advice Service
- Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave for eligible staff
- On-site nursery (based at RBH)
- Full educational library services
- Cycle to work scheme, lockable storage for cycles
- Bus to work scheme
- Excellent rail and bus links
- A huge range of Health Service Discounts at hundreds of big brands from holidays to gadgets and restaurants to retail.
After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third party recruitment system (TRAC). All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, that as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website.
By applying for this post you are agreeing to Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
Appointment to any position is conditional on the satisfactory completion of the core NHS Employment Checks Standards. Information disclosed in your application will be checked and any offer of appointment may be withdrawn if you knowingly withhold information or provide false or misleading information.All new appointments to the Trust, with the exception of executive positions, are subject to a 6 month probationary period.
The Trust may close any vacancy prior to the advertised closing date due to the high level of responses we receive for some of our vacancies.
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is committed to improving the health of its staff, patients and the wider community by providing a smoke free environment. A smoke free policy is in operation and smoking is not permitted on any of the Trust’s sites.
The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults.