Graduate Software Quality Assurance Engineer

Apetito; England; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food supplier in the UK is seeking a Graduate Test Engineer to ensure applications are robust through comprehensive testing strategies. This hybrid role requires regular collaboration in the Trowbridge office, offering exposure to modern tools like Playwright and Postman. Ideal candidates are pursuing a degree in Computer Science, possess strong analytical skills, and communicate effectively across disciplines. The position includes structured mentorship and opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

Competitive salary

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Discretionary annual bonus

Pension scheme

Subsidised canteen

Qualifications

• Hold or be studying toward a degree with expectation to graduate by August 2026.
• Applied experience programming in a commercial setting.
• Basic programming knowledge in TypeScript and/or C#/.NET.
• Understanding of software testing principles.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement automated tests using Playwright.
• Create and execute API tests using Postman.
• Support developers in writing and maintaining unit tests.
• Ensure testing activities align with defined test strategy.
• Investigate and report bugs with clear documentation.

Skills

Problem-solving skills

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Team collaboration

Education

Degree in Computer Science or related discipline

Tools

TypeScript

.NET

Playwright

Postman

GitHub

Job description

You’ll be involved in testing across the entire testing pyramid - from unit and integration tests to end-to-end and exploratory testing - ensuring our applications are robust, performant, and aligned with our test strategy. You will work as part of the wider digital products team and collaborate with stakeholders across the business on a variety of projects, so you’ll need to be able to engage audiences from different disciplines on the technical aspect of your work. Presentations to the executive board will also be a regular feature of your graduate program. This is a hybrid role, with a requirement to be in our Trowbridge office at least 3 days per week, supporting collaboration and learning within the team.

You’ll work across the Apetito product stack, contributing to the quality of web, desktop, mobile and backend applications.

Tech Stack You’ll Work With

• Languages & Frameworks: TypeScript, .NET
• Automation Tools: Playwright
• API Testing: Postman
• Version Control & CI/CD: GitHub, GitHub Actions

What We Offer

• Structured onboarding and mentorship from experienced QA professionals.
• Hands‑on experience with modern testing tools and frameworks.
• Opportunities to contribute to real‑world projects from day one.
• Career development pathways and training resources.
• Flexible working arrangements and a supportive team culture.
• Work across the Apetito product stack.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement automated tests using Playwright for UI and end‑to‑end scenarios.
• Create and execute API tests using Postman, validating functionality, performance, and security.
• Support developers in writing and maintaining unit and integration tests in TypeScript and .NET.
• Ensure all testing activities align with the defined test strategy, contributing to consistency and continuous improvement.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies and collaborate closely with developers, QA engineers, and product owners.
• Investigate and report bugs with clear documentation and follow‑through to resolution.
• Continuously learn and apply best practices in test automation and software quality.

Qualifications

• Hold, or be studying toward, a degree in Computer Science or a related discipline with the expectation to receive a 2:2 or higher (graduating by August 2026).
• Applied experience of programming in a commercial or project setting.
• Basic programming knowledge in TypeScript and/or C#/.NET.
• Understanding of software testing principles and the testing pyramid.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate with colleagues, including non‑technical.
• Presentation skills, able to convey complex technical concepts to different audiences.
• Undergraduate work placement as part of the degree course.
• Post‑graduate experience in an IT setting.
• Experience with writing or maintaining automated tests (academic or personal projects welcome).

Desirable

• Exposure to Playwright, Postman, or similar tools.
• Familiarity with GitHub and version control workflows.
• Understanding of CI/CD pipelines and Agile development practices.
• Undergraduate work placement as part of degree course.
• Post‑graduate experience in an IT setting.
• Experience with writing or maintaining automated tests (academic or personal projects welcome).

Benefits

• Competitive salary - accredited Living Wage employer.
• 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays.
• Option to purchase up to 5 additional days holiday per year.
• Discretionary annual bonus scheme.
• Pension scheme – employer matched contributions up to 4%.
• Life assurance scheme worth at least 1x annual salary.
• Subsidised canteen.
• Free parking.
• Free turkey or voucher at Christmas.
• Apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts.

Apetito is the UK’s leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors, serving more than 1,300 care homes, health care and education settings. Our meals are expertly crafted by our dieticians and chefs, and then frozen to lock in the goodness. Wiltshire Farm Foods, our sister company, is the UK’s largest ready‑meal supplier, cooking and delivering over 330 different delicious frozen ready meals across the UK.

As a family‑owned business, we take great pride in being a company that makes a real difference and is dedicated to creating outstanding meals to be proud of. We develop a range of products designed to enhance health and well‑being for all our customers. We are driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding some of the UK’s most vulnerable people. We proudly support British food and farming, focusing on using the best ethical and sustainable produce in alignment with our goal to reach Net Zero by 2040. Our ethical standards are recognised by the ETI and we are an accredited Living Wage employer. Learn more about Apetito’s commitment to a more sustainable future. We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds. Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff and we’re on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.