Senior Software Test Automation Engineer

ESE Recruitment; City of Monash; Hybrid; AUD 129,000 - 166,000; Full time

Job summary

Senior Software Test Automation Engineer sought for a 12-month contract with a global scientific instrumentation leader. You will own the automation strategy for desktop and enterprise software, partnering with Software Development, Product Management, and Quality Engineering to keep releases on track.

You will lead hands-on automation initiatives, mentor peers, and drive continuous improvement across testing practices while delivering high-quality software to researchers worldwide.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in software test automation for desktop/enterprise apps.
• Hands-on with automation frameworks and debugging.
• Experience integrating tests into CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong technical leadership and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks for desktop/enterprise apps.
• Lead the automation strategy for a core software platform.
• Build scalable automated tests using industry-standard tools.
• Integrate testing into CI/CD pipelines to enable continuous delivery.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to implement test strategy.
• Analyze requirements to identify automation opportunities and risks.
• Troubleshoot automation failures and test infra issues.
• Support releases with automated test coverage.
• Drive continuous improvement in testing practices.
• Mentor team members in best-practice automation.

Skills

Test automation

CI/CD integration

Leadership

Desktop/enterprise testing

Tools

Automation frameworks

Job description

Senior Software Test Automation Engineer

The hiring company is a global leader in scientific instrumentation and laboratory technology, delivering software and hardware solutions relied on by researchers and scientists worldwide. To cover a period of leave within their software engineering team, they're seeking an experienced Senior Test Automation Engineer on an initial 12-month contract, with strong potential for extension.

The Opportunity

You'll take ownership of the automation strategy for a suite of scientific software products, working closely with Software Development, Product Management, and Quality Engineering to keep quality high and releases on track. This is a hands-on, high-trust role for someone who can lead automation initiatives while still balancing day-to-day delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain robust automated test frameworks and test suites for desktop and enterprise applications
• Lead the automation strategy for a core scientific software platform and related initiatives
• Build scalable, reliable, maintainable automated tests using industry-standard tools and frameworks
• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines to support continuous quality assurance
• Partner with Software Development, Product Management, and Quality Engineering to define and implement test strategy
• Analyse product requirements and technical designs to spot automation opportunities and quality risks
• Investigate, troubleshoot, and resolve automation failures and test infrastructure issues
• Support releases with appropriate automated test coverage and execution
• Drive continuous improvement in test processes, coverage, and quality practices
• Mentor team members in automation best practice and modern testing methodology
• Contribute to test planning, estimation, and technical decision-making

About You

• Proven experience in software test automation, ideally in desktop or enterprise environments
• Strong hands-on experience with industry-standard automation frameworks and tools
• Experience integrating automated testing into CI/CD pipelines
• Demonstrated technical leadership and the ability to work independently and drive outcomes
• Excellent stakeholder management and collaboration skills
• A continuous improvement mindset and strong attention to detail
• A background or genuine interest in scientific/chemistry-related industries is highly regarded but not essential; attitude and willingness to learn count for a lot here
• Full working rights in Australia, available during Australian business hours

What's on Offer

• Initial 12-month contract with genuine potential for extension (and longer-term possibilities for the right person)
• Hybrid working, with a minimum of 3 days on-site
• A collaborative, growing engineering team
• The chance to work on scientific software used globally
• Competitive contract rate, based on experience