Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)

Job Description

The Role

We are looking for an SDET who is passionate about quality, not just as a phase, but as a core part of how great software gets built. In this role, you will help shape what "great" looks like for our engineering teams, including setting test standards, supporting engineers and making sure quality is everyone's responsibility. This role requires strong software development skills, a deep understanding of distributed systems, and the ability to influence quality across the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC).

You will be embedded in a collaborative environment where software is shipped fast, iteratively and often. Your work will focus on making sure things do not just work but work well together. You will bring clarity, structure and confidence to the way we test by balancing automation with human insight and keeping the end user in mind.

You will drive the automated testing efforts covering contract testing, smoke testing, regression testing and end-to-end testing, ensuring that we deliver fast with full confidence. You will bring your considerable knowledge of test automation to help us build new products that are reliable, secure, performant and resilient.

If you are curious, love asking the awkward questions, and want to support software engineers to build and iterate quickly, you will thrive here.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop and maintain test automation frameworks from scratch or extend existing ones.
• Define and uphold the standards for test quality, ensuring consistency and confidence in our releases.
• Write high-quality, maintainable integration and end-to-end tests that follow production engineering standards.
• Build reusable test utilities, mocks and simulators.
• Contribute to and help evolve the overall test strategy for one or more products or services.
• Partner with engineers, product managers and delivery leads to embed quality thinking from day one, and not as an afterthought.
• Design and oversee test strategies that combine automation, exploratory testing and regression coverage.
• Drive the implementation and evolution of automated testing frameworks, ensuring integration into our CI/CD pipelines.
• Own the structure and health of test suites and regression packs, helping teams keep them lean, relevant and valuable.
• Actively test front-end, back-end, API and distributed microservices using tools like Playwright, Cypress, Postman, RestAssured and other modern frameworks.
• Perform and organise performance testing with tools such as K6 and JMeter.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure cross-squad functionality and integration is properly tested.
• Get involved in the testing cycle, helping to investigate issues, write tests, support on manual QA and sign off changes.
• Investigate defects and production issues; ensure fixes are validated through automation.

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours

Essential

• 4+ years' experience in Test Automation.
• Strong hands-on experience in building and maintaining test automation frameworks and API testing tools, not just executing them.
• Confident writing automated tests in TypeScript.
• Expertise in designing and executing end-to-end test strategies that align with Agile delivery.
• Solid experience embedding quality early in the SDLC by working closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Principal Engineers and Delivery Managers.
• Experience working in agile continuous delivery teams, including daily coordination with cross-functional stakeholders to evaluate, prioritise and drive resolution of defects based on reproducibility, business impact and release scope.
• Quality mindset: deeply values software quality and strives for continuous improvement across teams.
• Collaborative nature: works well with, and constructively challenges, engineers, product managers and delivery managers to embed quality early in the SDLC.
• Proactive attitude toward continuous improvement, always seeking better ways to optimise automation.
• Critical thinker: approaches testing with curiosity and rigour; digs deep to uncover root causes.
• Adaptability: comfortable with change and able to pivot priorities in fast-paced, agile environments.
• Detail-oriented: thorough in reviewing test cases, strategies and outcomes without losing sight of the bigger picture.
• Ownership-driven: takes responsibility for the overall health of the QA process and quality outcomes.
• Learner: willing to learn and adapt as systems and tools evolve.

Desirable

• Computer Science or Information Technology degree, diploma or similar.
• CSTAE or ASTQB ISTQB Advanced Certification.
• Certified Automation Tester (i.e. Cypress, Playwright).
• Familiarity with pipeline and event-driven systems (Kafka, AWS EventBridge, AWS Step Functions, queues, streams, SnapLogic).

Reward & Benefits: What's in it for me?

We want our people to feel recognised, supported and able to thrive both at work and beyond it.

We offer a competitive reward package designed to support your financial, physical and mental wellbeing, alongside opportunities to learn, develop and be recognised for the contribution you make. Benefits vary by role and location, and full details will be shared as part of the application process.

Equal opportunities: Our commitment to inclusion

Collinson Group is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and experiences, and believe that different perspectives make our business stronger.