Job Description An exciting opportunity exists within our Revenues & Benefits and Central Government team for a software tester. As a Revenue and Benefits tester, you will be responsible for testing new releases of software that assist our customers in making a difference to the lives of the citizens living in their boroughs, whether this is to ensure benefits are paid on time or simplify the collection of council tax and business rates. Ideally you will have a background in either Revenues or Benefits, you might be an assessor or system administrator looking for a new role that will maximize your existing skills whilst allowing you to develop new ones in the field of software testing. This is more than just a testing role. As part of the team you will be liaising closely with colleagues in the development and product teams, using your previous experience to help improve our software and drive customer satisfaction forwards. The role can be home based following a training period which will be in our Bracknell office The ideal candidate will have some experience of testing complex financial software applications. Key Knowledge and experience Essential Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. Ability to read, understand and interpret complex requirements. Knowledge and understanding of the collection and administration of Council Tax or Non-Domestic rates. Knowledge and understanding of the payment and calculation of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction. Good attention to detail. Proven track record of meeting tight deadlines. An investigative mindset demonstrating the ability to investigate test failures and determine the cause of software defects by working through test scenarios. Understanding of impact/risk analysis and ensure that testing activities reflect this. Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Word. Desirable Understanding of the impact that different versions of software used to run the application (such as internet browsers and operating systems) may have on the application. Basic SQL skills. Experience of working with remote teams. Proven track record of meeting tight deadlines. Understanding of impact/risk analysis and ensure that testing activities reflect this. Knowledge or understanding of the collection and administration of Council Tax or Non-Domestic rates. Understanding of the Software Development lifecycle. Experience of writing test scripts to document the testing of complex applications. Experience of executing test scripts. Ability to investigate test failures where the actual results do not match the documented expected results. Areas of responsibility Learn and understand the underlying Revenues and Benefits the legislation and the NEC Revenues and Benefits application. Review and understand the functional requirements specifications for legislative changes, enhancements and new functionality being developed. With training and guidance produce accurate and thorough test scripts using these specifications to ensure all areas of the functionality are tested against predefined results. Test new technologies as they are introduced to the customer base and/or incorporated into NEC’s releases. Work with the Lead Test Analyst and Test Manager to ensure all testing is carried out in accordance with the project plan and by the specified deadlines, highlighting any items at risk of not being done so. Report test results to the Lead Test Analyst, Test Manager and/or other colleagues in a clear and concise manner. Ensure all required documentation is updated in an accurate and timely manner. Learn and understand NEC’s quality management system and ensure that all testing activities meet with it. Contribute to the continual improvement processes, looking for ways to increase the quality of the testing. Assist in the testing of other applications marketed by NEC, including those used by Central Government depts. Key Behaviours Attention to detail. Ability to work remotely as part of a team. Have a flexible in approach to working hours. Ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines. Use of initiative in solving problems encountered with functionality being tested. Ability to seek information and gather detail to improve knowledge and understanding of a topic. Willingness to take on the challenge of testing unfamiliar areas.