QA Engineer, Contract

Xcelirate; Greater London; Remote; GBP 45,481; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

€38/hour + retention bonus scheme

Top-Notch Workstation

Global Co-Working Access

Flexibility in work location and hours

Participate in exciting events throughout the year

Job summary

A technology firm in Greater London seeks an experienced QA Engineer to ensure quality in web applications. You will validate features, collaborate with engineers, and improve QA processes. Ideal candidates will have over 7 years of experience in QA, test APIs, and work comfortably in agile environments. Benefits include a competitive hourly rate, work-from-home flexibility, and access to co-working spaces. If you are passionate about quality assurance and enjoy collaborative environments, this role is for you.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in QA for web-based applications.
• Experience in digital product QA, web apps, e-commerce, and similar.
• Comfortable working in agile / iterative environments.

Responsibilities

• Validate that what's built is what the business actually asked for.
• Help assess release readiness, verification and risk.
• Collaborate closely with engineers during development.

Skills

Experience in QA for web-based applications

Excellent written and verbal English communication skills

Strong experience testing APIs

Experience testing modern frontend applications

Familiarity with test automation tools

Basic knowledge of SQL

Tools

Jira

Notion

Job description

Overview

Xcelirate develops technologically-advanced platforms which are accessed by thousands of users every minute! We are proud to offer a workplace where the sharpest developers come together to strategically plan and swiftly execute practices which see us maintain our existing market dominance and attain global expansion. We owe our success to our customers who have seen us grow across a decade, and our talented team who have made that growth possible!

What are we looking for?

You're a QA Engineer, but not the kind who lurks in the shadows waiting to yell "bug!" at the worst possible moment. Instead, you are the one with the capital "E" - the one who cares about quality like a craft, not a checklist. You know perfection is a myth like 100% test coverage - but reliability, predictability, and confidence? Those are very real, and you're here to make them happen.

You don't just break things. You read the room of the system. You feel when something's off before it explodes into a 3 a.m. incident that people need to wake up to fix. You ask the uncomfortable questions early - the ones that save everyone later, and the ones the code monkeys will totally hate. You see patterns forming where others just see "one weird possibly minor edge case."

You're a collaborator, not a gatekeeper. You don't lob tickets over the wall and disappear. You talk, you clarify, you trace problems back to their roots and help rip them out. When it's time to be firm, you are - but you never hide behind process for the sake of process.

You like structure, but you're not a robot. You know when a release needs a microscope, and when "good enough" is actually the right call for the product and those who build it.

At the end of the day, you make everyone and everything around you better. Engineers trust you. Product listens to you. And once you are done with what you do, fewer people get surprised in the morning.

What will you be doing?

• Validate that what's built is what the business actually asked for - not what development thought they asked for
• Help assess release readiness, verification and risk
• Validate bug fixes and new features before release
• Identify edge cases, regressions, and integration issues
• Collaborate closely with engineers during development
• Provide clear, actionable bug reports with reproduction steps and context
• Plan, execute, and document manual QA across applications
• Test backend APIs and frontend user flows
• Work with existing QAs and Developers to define and improve QA processes, standards, and checklists
• Where needed, support and maintain your own automated test cases to reduce repetition
• Conduct internal and external UATs
• Query databases when required to support the execution of your manual tests
• Continuously look for ways to reduce recurring issues and rework
• Support & Communicate documentation within project management tools such as Jira and Notion

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in QA for web-based applications
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills
• Excellent ability to manage and interpret product requirements
• Experience in digital product QA, web apps, e-commerce, and similar
• Strong experience testing APIs (REST, JSON, HTTP concepts)
• Experience testing modern frontend applications (React, HTTP, CSS, Vue, etc.)
• Familiarity with test automation tools and frameworks
• Comfortable working in agile / iterative environments
• Experience working closely with product owners and engineers on technical products
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines from a QA perspective
• Familiarity with iOS devices (Xcode simulator)
• Basic knowledge of SQL
• Experience designing test strategies or improving QA processes
• Exposure to performance, security, integration and/or exploratory testing

We are always looking for the best candidates, so if you think you would be a good fit even if you don't meet 100% of the requirements, we would love to hear from you!

Benefits

• €38/hour + retention bonus scheme: Competitive contractor rate with a generous bonus paid every 6 months based on your time with us
• Top-Notch Workstation: We provide the latest MacBook, branded merchandise, and everything you need for an optimal work environment
• Global Co-Working Access: Work from a global network of co-working spaces to keep your work-life dynamic and flexible
• Flexibility: Enjoy full flexibility in work location and hours, supporting a work-life balance tailored to your needs
• Events and Gatherings: Participate in exciting events throughout the year, including team gatherings, cultural events, and other fun activities