QA Automation Engineer- Greater Manchester

Searchability; Manchester; On-site; GBP 74,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

Searchability in Manchester is seeking a QA Automation Engineer to lead end-to-end automation across systems, data pipelines and reporting layers, leveraging AI-assisted tools.

You will work with software and data teams to embed quality throughout the development lifecycle and accelerate delivery.

This hybrid role offers on-site work three days a week and a daily rate of 400–500 GBP outside IR35.

Qualifications

• Experience in QA Automation, SDET or quality engineering.
• Ability to design and maintain automated testing frameworks.
• Experience with frontend, backend and data layer testing.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted coding tools.
• Strong communication and collaboration with engineering teams.
• Experience with CI/CD integration.

Responsibilities

• Design and build end-to-end automation frameworks across frontend, backend and data platforms.
• Create automated tests from data ingestion through to reporting.
• Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines for fast feedback.
• Review and refine AI-generated code for quality and security.
• Collaborate with software and data engineers and product teams.
• Mentor teammates on modern automation practices.

Skills

QA Automation

SDET

Test automation frameworks

Playwright

Cypress

APIs testing

CI/CD pipelines

AI-assisted testing

Communication

Tools

Playwright

Cypress

Job description

QA Automation Engineer

QA Automation Engineer - End to End
Hybrid - 3 Days on-site | 400-500 per day (outside of IR35) | Technology & Data

Shape the future of AI-powered quality engineering.

We're working with an organisation that’s embracing AI to transform the way software is tested and delivered. As they continue to invest in automation and engineering excellence, they’re looking for an experiencedQA Automation Engineer to help lead the next generation of test automation.

This is more than a traditional QA role. You'll be responsible for building robust, end-to-end automated test coverage across complex applications, data pipelines and reporting layers, while using the latest AI-assisted development tools to improve quality, speed and efficiency.

Working closely with software engineers, data teams and product stakeholders, you’ll play a key role in embedding quality throughout the development lifecycle and helping shape how AI is used within modern software delivery.

What you'll be doing

• Designing and building scalable end-to-end automation frameworks across frontend, backend and data platforms.
• Creating automated tests that validate applications from data ingestion through to reporting.
• Leveraging AI-powered development tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot or similar to accelerate test development and investigation.
• Reviewing and refining AI-generated code to ensure it meets quality, security and accessibility standards.
• Integrating automated testing into CI/CD pipelines to provide fast, reliable feedback to engineering teams.
• Investigating defects and flaky tests, identifying root causes and improving the stability of automation suites.
• Collaborating with software engineers, data engineers and product teams to promote a shift-left approach to quality.
• Coaching colleagues on modern automation practices and the effective use of AI within testing.

What we're looking for

• Strong commercial experience in QA Automation, SDET or Quality Engineering.
• Proven experience building and maintaining automated testing frameworks.
• Hands-on experience with Playwright, Cypress or similar automation tools.
• Experience testing APIs and backend services.
• A good understanding of CI/CD pipelines and modern software delivery practices.
• Experience working across complex systems, including frontend, backend and data layers.
• Commercial experience using AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor or similar.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence engineering teams and champion best practice.

Nice to have

• Experience testing data platforms such as Databricks.
• SQL and data validation experience.
• Experience working within Agile delivery environments.
• Knowledge of cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure or GCP.
• Experience mentoring or coaching engineers and QA teams.

Why apply?

This is an opportunity to join a forward-thinking engineering team that’s genuinely investing in AI-enabled software delivery. You’ll have the chance to influence testing strategy, work with modern technologies and help define how AI is adopted across engineering teams.

If you’re passionate about automation, quality engineering and using AI to build smarter testing practices, we’d love to hear from you.

Keywords: QA Automation Engineer, Test Automation Engineer, SDET, Playwright, Cypress, API Testing, CI/CD, AI, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Databricks, SQL, Quality Engineering.