Lead Test Engineer

AQA; Greater Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 57,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

AQA, the UK's leading provider of academic qualifications, seeks a Lead Test Engineer in Manchester. You will combine hands-on test automation with technical leadership to raise quality across products and services used in assessment and learning.

You'll design scalable test frameworks using C#, .NET, Playwright and modern tools, mentor engineers, drive automation across CI/CD, and shape testing strategy while collaborating with developers, analysts and product teams.

Qualifications

• Must have experience developing automated tests and frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and maintain scalable automated test frameworks using C#, .NET and Playwright.
• Develop automated tests across web, API and integration layers for comprehensive quality coverage.
• Act as technical leader for quality engineering and promote automation best practices.
• Drive automation adoption across multiple development teams.
• Improve effectiveness, reliability and performance of automated testing in CI/CD pipelines.
• Establish and promote automation standards and patterns across engineering teams.
• Collaborate with developers to bake in quality from early stages of development.
• Mentor engineers and grow automation capability across the organisation.
• Explore AI-assisted testing approaches to enhance productivity and quality.

Skills

C#/.NET

Playwright

Selenium

BDD

API testing

CI/CD

Automation leadership

Mentoring

Education

Degree in Software Engineering or equivalent

Tools

Playwright

Selenium

Reqnroll

Job description

At AQA, we're committed to advancing education and we're committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it's our people who make this happen.

Job title: Lead Test Engineer

Contract type: x2 Fixed Term Contract positions (a 12 month and an 18 month contract)

Location: Manchester

Salary: Manchester - £57,400 to £64,700

Working arrangements: Hybrid working, 2 days a week in office

Are you a technically skilled test automation engineer who enjoys building solutions in C# and improving quality?

This is a great opportunity to play a key role in delivering reliable, high-quality software that supports assessment and learning across the UK. As a Lead Test Engineer, you'll combine hands-on technical expertise with leadership in testing, helping teams build quality into products from the start and driving the adoption of modern automation practices.

You'll work closely with developers, analysts and product teams to ensure solutions are secure, scalable and fit for purpose. You'll have the opportunity to shape automation strategy, develop robust test frameworks and influence engineering practices across the wider team.

In this role, you'll be responsible for:

• Designing, developing and maintaining scalable automated test frameworks using C#, .NET, Playwright, Reqnroll and other modern testing technologies
• Developing automated tests across web, API and integration layers to ensure comprehensive quality coverage
• Acting as a technical leader for quality engineering, helping teams make informed decisions around test approaches, quality practices and risk management
• Driving the adoption of automation-first testing practices across multiple development teams
• Improving the effectiveness, reliability and performance of automated testing within CI/CD pipelines
• Establishing and promoting automation standards, patterns and best practices across engineering teams
• Collaborating with developers to build quality into products from the earliest stages of development
• Mentoring engineers and supporting the growth of automation capability across the organisation
• Exploring and implementing emerging technologies, including AI-assisted testing approaches, to improve productivity and software quality

You'll thrive in this role if you're a technically minded engineer who enjoys solving complex problems and improving the way software is tested.

You'll bring:

• Strong experience developing automated test frameworks and tests using C#/.NET and modern automation tools such as Playwright, Selenium and Reqnroll, alongside Behaviour-Driven Development (BDD) practices
• Strong API testing experience and integration of automated testing within CI/CD pipelines
• Strong knowledge of quality engineering, test automation and Agile delivery practices
• Experience providing technical leadership, mentoring others and promoting automation best practice
• Strong understanding of test data management and environment automation
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to a range of audiences

This role offers the opportunity to further develop your technical expertise while making a meaningful impact on learners and education.

You'll benefit from:

• A genuinely hands-on technical leadership role where you'll continue to build and develop automation solutions
• The opportunity to shape automation strategy and influence engineering standards across multiple products
• Exposure to modern technologies, cloud platforms and evolving software development practices
• The chance to solve complex engineering challenges and drive continuous improvement in quality engineering
• A collaborative, supportive and inclusive engineering culture
• Ongoing investment in learning, professional development and technical growth
• Flexible working arrangements that support a healthy work-life balance

Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At AQA, we are committed to fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and inclusion. We believe that a diverse team brings richer perspectives and drives better outcomes. Our ED&I strategy ensures that everyone-regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, or background-is valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. We actively promote inclusive language, avoid stereotypes, and strive for representation across all dimensions of diversity. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences.

Full Job Description

Summary

Purpose

• Reporting to the Head of Test and representing the Test Team, this role operates day to day within the "Agile" team as Lead Test Engineer. This role will personally undertake hands on manual and automated functional and non-functional testing. A key purpose of the role will also be to design tests based on requirements / acceptance criteria to produce manual and/or automated test scripts to provide the appropriate level of test coverage.
• To code, debug and maintain automated tests and frameworks. Raising defects when encountered and ensuring that initial process steps are undertaken in accordance with defect management processes.
• To represent the Test Team in the day-to-day activities, identifying areas of risk and applying appropriate testing techniques to mitigate them.
• To help complete AQA's ongoing transition to a single, consistent set of cloud-based technologies (technology re-platform) and move to an agile delivery model in line with current software development best practices (Scrum/Kanban; continuous delivery) - and to continually improve and enhance that technology for new and changing business needs, once that transition is complete.

Landscape

To model professional behaviours with confidence, especially the specific AQA and Assessment Technology behavioural cornerstones.

To comply with all AQA's policies and other legislative requirements, including but not limited to HSE, Equal Opportunities and ISMS.

Where business needs change, to undertake other responsibilities which are of a commensurate level outside the terms of this role profile.

Activities

Customer (external or internal)

• Being trusted and reliable in assessment design and delivery
• Build excellent working relationships with our customers internal and external
• Demonstrates commercial flexibility by undertaking other responsibilities which are of a commensurate level as business needs change.
• Deliver high quality software to our customers that has been thoroughly tested.

Product and internal processes

• Delivering quality products and outcomes - as recognised by the customer
• Facilitate product backlog management and iteration planning by providing estimates and advising on Testing approaches and options in the context of delivery cost and risk.
• Deliver high quality software that has been thoroughly tested to our customers
• Ensures AQA is safe and legally compliant by applying AQA's policies and other legislative requirements including but not limited to HSE, Equal Opportunities and ISMS.
• Actively participate in review of acceptance criteria/requirements (static testing) to identify errors, omissions and areas of ambiguity.
• Provide data to colleagues to enable derivation of testing progress reports and quality metrics.
• Facilitate and participate in all Agile ceremonies: Sprint planning, demos, 3 amigos, retrospectives etc.
• Based upon solid foundations in manual testing, derive appropriate test coverage and test techniques.
• Undertake Test Execution (dynamic testing) tasks, preparing test environments, executing test scripts, comparing actual with expected results and documenting and reporting outcomes.

People and culture

• Ensuring we have great people achieving their potential
• Collaborate with the agile team to produce high quality output.
• Be an advocate for testing (especially automation / technical testing) best practices, leading by example.
• Mentor and coach team members in automated testing, embedding automated testing methods in Software Solution activities.
• Assist with the continual improvement of ways of working in both Testing and wider departmental processes. To identify opportunities for testing process improvement and act as advocate for their consideration for implementation

Technology

• Delivering demonstrably secure, reliable, agile and cost-effective systems
• Deliver Test Automation Framework(s) to support the use of Automation in line with the AQA Automation Strategy.
• Provide API testing to support (agile) team delivery.
• Keep abreast of state-of-the-art testing practices by reading and attending external events, share learnings within the Software Solutions group to ensure practices remain appropriate and up to date.

Key internal relationships

• Test colleagues
• Agile team colleagues
• departmental managers
• Business Users
• Product Owners

Key external relationships

• Suppliers
• 3rd Party Development Partner

Key performance indicators

• Delivering demonstrably secure, reliable, agile and cost-effective systems
• Demonstrate proficiency in the use of AI and champion it’s utilisation with the wider team to make Test Prep more efficient
• Deliver Test Automation Framework(s) to support the use of Automation in line with the AQA Automation Strategy
• Implementation of Test Automation frameworks
• Coaching and mentoring of colleagues on automation practices
• Successful delivery of (agile) delivery team output that has been thoroughly tested to a very high standard

To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate:

Knowledge

• A broad understanding of testing and its role, relevance and application in either a commercial or an educational environment
• In-depth understanding of the testing life-cycle in context of the SDLC (Agile and at least one other)
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of testing (including automation) techniques and management tools and their application in Agile and at least one other methodology
• Detailed knowledge of Agile best testing practice techniques and SCRUM

Qualification

• Degree level qualification in Software Engineering or equivalent discipline, or equivalent professional experience

Skills

• Proven ability to develop solutions in a .Net/C# environment
• Proven ability to coach and mentor colleagues in automated testing techniques
• Proven oral and written communication skills and ability to explain issues to technical and non-technical staff
• Proven ability to devise and implement automated testing; egTDD/BDD, Cucumber, Specflow, Selenium, CodedUI
• Ability to undertake both functional and non-functional testing
• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills in a variety of situations
• Excellent analytical skills
• Proactive and motivating who facilitates quality and collaboration amongst the team.
• A questioning and investigative mind
• A pragmatic approach with requisite attention to detail
• Ability and willingness to work effectively and collaboratively as part of a team
• Ability to apply a risk-based testing approach and awareness of commonplace system malfunctions and defects
• Ability to quickly glean knowledge of systems and components under test
• Ability to adapt to new approaches, technologies, tools and procedures
• Ability to positively influence colleagues with regard to Testing matters
• Demonstrates resilience and calmness under pressure to meet tight deadlines in complex contexts
• Receive feedback and learn from mistakes for continuous self-development
• Demonstrates proactive collaborative working across functional areas

Experience

• Demonstrable experience of successfully undertaking Lead Test Engineer tasks in line with the Key Accountabilities
• Demonstrable experience of operating in Agile environments
• Experience in using one or more testing tools in a day-to-day hands-on automated testing role
• Experience in API testing
• Demonstrable experience and knowledge of recognised testing techniques (eg black box, white box, risk-based, scenario-based)
• Experience of different Test Activities (eg System, Integration, User Acceptance) including both functional and non-functional testing