AMS PSR

On behalf of FCDO, we are looking for a OAT Tester (Inside IR35) for a contract until March '26 based hybrid in East Kilbride 2-3 days per week.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) pursues our national interests and projects the UK as a force for good in the world. We promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK's security, defend our values, reduce poverty, and tackle global challenges with our international partners.

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.

As a OAT Tester, your main responsibilities will be:

• Design, develop, and execute OAT test plans and scripts based on operational requirements.
• Validate system performance under expected load conditions.
• Ensure backup, recovery, monitoring, and alerting mechanisms are functioning correctly.
• Collaborate with infrastructure, application, and support teams to ensure readiness for production deployment.
• Identify and document defects, risks, and operational gaps.
• Participate in release planning and provide go/no-go recommendations based on test results.
• Maintain test environments and ensure they reflect production configurations.
• Support incident and problem management processes during testing phases.

Essential:

• Proven experience in Operational Acceptance Testing or similar roles (e.g., QA, DevOps, Systems Testing).
• Strong understanding of ITIL processes and operational readiness.
• Familiarity with system monitoring tools, backup solutions, and disaster recovery procedures.
• Experience with scripting languages (e.g., PowerShell, Bash) and automation tools.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and documentation abilities.

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, FCDO 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 Commitment

FCDO 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".