Junior QA / System Tester

Margetts; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Margetts Fund Management is seeking a Junior QA / System Tester to join our in-house development team in the Birmingham area. This role focuses on building strong manual testing skills across critical systems while gradually developing automation capabilities.

You will work with developers, business analysts, product owners, and system users to understand requirements, document results, and ensure high-quality releases.

Qualifications

• Experience with manual testing across functional areas and regression suites.
• Ability to design and execute test cases, track defects, and document results clearly.
• Awareness of SQL checks for data validation and basic data validation principles.
• Interest in automation and learning scripting/tools under guidance.

Responsibilities

• Carry out manual testing across multiple internal systems, including functional, regression, integration, exploratory, and user acceptance support.
• Review user stories, requirements, acceptance criteria, and change requests to understand what needs to be tested.
• Prepare and maintain clear test cases, checklists, test scripts, and supporting test evidence.
• Execute test scripts, document results, capture evidence, and raise defects with clear steps to reproduce.
• Retest resolved defects and support regression testing to confirm fixes have not introduced issues.
• Collaborate with developers, business analysts, product owners, and system users to verify expected behavior.

Skills

Manual testing

SQL basics

Agile exposure

Test case development

Communication

Education

ISTQB CTFL

Job description

Margetts Fund Management is excited to offer an opportunity for a Junior QA / System Tester to join our in-house development team. This role is aimed at someone early in their quality assurance career who is keen to build strong manual testing skills across multiple business-critical systems, while developing automation capability over time.

As a growing company in the financial services industry, Margetts relies on a range of proprietary systems that support day‑to‑day operations, data processing, reporting, and customer outcomes. The successful candidate will help ensure these systems are reliable, accurate, and fit for purpose by carrying out structured testing, raising clear defects, and supporting continuous improvement in how testing is planned and delivered.

In this role, you will predominantly perform manual testing, including functional, regression, integration, exploratory, and user acceptance support across several internal applications. You will work closely with developers, business analysts, product owners, and system users to understand requirements, validate changes, document results, and help ensure software is released to a high quality standard.

Over time, you will also contribute to building repeatable testing practices and supporting the gradual introduction of automation where it adds value. This may include helping to identify candidates for automation, maintaining simple automated checks, supporting test data preparation, and learning relevant tools and techniques under guidance from more experienced colleagues.

The development of proprietary systems, through an in‑house team, has played a significant role in our firm's success. These applications are built on Microsoft SQL Server for ELT of significant data from various sources into meaningful information used across the business. The front‑end application is developed using PHP within a Laravel framework.

As a Junior QA / System Tester, you will work as part of the Development team and will receive guidance and support while building confidence across our systems, testing processes, and automation approach.

Responsibilities

• Carry out manual testing across multiple internal systems, including functional, regression, integration, exploratory, and user acceptance support.
• Review user stories, requirements, acceptance criteria, and change requests to understand what needs to be tested.
• Prepare and maintain clear test cases, checklists, test scripts, and supporting test evidence.
• Execute test scripts, document results, capture screenshots or supporting evidence, and raise defects with clear steps to reproduce.
• Retest resolved defects and support regression testing to confirm fixes have not introduced new issues.
• Work with developers, business analysts, and system users to clarify expected behaviour and confirm outcomes.
• Support testing of data‑driven processes, reports, and system outputs, including basic validation against expected results.
• Participate in daily stand‑ups, sprint planning, refinement sessions, reviews, and retrospectives where required.
• Contribute to improving QA processes, templates, documentation, and repeatable testing practices.
• Identify suitable areas for future automation and support the gradual creation or maintenance of automated tests under guidance.
• Build knowledge of the company’s internal systems, business processes, and quality standards over time.
• Some experience of software testing, QA, business systems, support, or a related technical role.
• A good eye for detail and the ability to follow structured test steps accurately.
• Able to investigate issues and explain problems clearly.
• Clear written communication, including documenting test results, evidence, and defect reports.
• Basic understanding of software testing concepts: test cases, regression testing, defect lifecycle, expected vs. actual results.
• Confidence using business systems, spreadsheets, and common productivity tools.
• Collaborative, able to manage own workload and ask for support when needed.
• Experience manually testing web applications, internal systems, reports, workflows, or data‑driven processes.
• Exposure to agile delivery, user stories, acceptance criteria, or defect tracking tools.
• Basic knowledge of SQL for checking data or validating system outputs.
• An interest in learning test automation, API testing, SQL, or development tools for long‑term progression.
• Understanding of financial services, data quality, compliance, or operational business processes.
• ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) qualification, or a willingness to work towards certification

The Company

We are a financial services business, specifically an Investment Manager and an Authorised Corporate Director (ACD) to several ranges of regulated retail funds totalling over £15Bn. The funds managed include multi‑manager, direct equity, mixed investments, derivatives and property.

An ACD is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to establish and manage Collective Investment Schemes (Funds).

The responsibilities of an ACD include maintaining a register of investors, including the settlement of client money, arranging safe custody and valuing the assets held by funds in order to create buying and selling prices of the funds. Margetts focusses on retail investors and also provides fund management to several ranges of Multi Manager funds.

We currently employ over 100 members of staff across multiple departments.

We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best.