Senior Automation Tester – Playwright - SC Cleared - Inside IR35

SR2; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A secure technology provider in the UK seeks a Senior Automation Test Engineer. The candidate will contribute to a high-profile government programme, ensuring quality assurance in a complex digital environment. Responsibilities include developing automated testing frameworks and leading on testing standards. Essential skills include proficiency in Playwright, TypeScript, Java, and Docker, along with active SC Clearance.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in test automation engineering using Playwright, TypeScript, Java, and Docker.
• Excellent understanding of automation frameworks, CI/CD practices, and quality assurance processes.
• Ability to mentor and guide other engineers; comfortable stepping up to lead when required.
• Active SC Clearance (essential).

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and maintain automated test frameworks using Playwright, TypeScript, and Java.
• Execute end-to-end, integration, and regression testing across distributed systems.
• Collaborate with developers, QA, and DevOps to drive continuous testing and improve release quality.
• Support integration testing with tools such as WireMock and Kafka.
• Build and manage test environments using Docker.
• Lead on testing standards and act as a point of escalation or stand‑in for the Lead Engineer.

Skills

Test automation engineering

Mentoring

Agile practices

Tools

Playwright

TypeScript

Java

Docker

Job description

Senior Automation Test Engineer – Playwright - SC Cleared - Inside IR35

We’re seeking a Senior Automation Test Engineer to join a high‑profile secure government programme, contributing to the delivery of complex digital platforms.

This role requires a hands‑on engineer with strong test automation experience and the confidence to act as a Lead when needed — providing quality assurance oversight, mentoring peers, and maintaining high testing standards across the team.

You’ll work within an agile, multidisciplinary environment, helping design and implement robust automated testing frameworks that ensure reliability and performance at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop and maintain automated test frameworks using Playwright, TypeScript and Java.
• Execute end-to-end, integration, and regression testing across distributed systems.
• Collaborate with developers, QA and DevOps to drive continuous testing and improve release quality.
• Support integration testing with tools such as WireMock and Kafka.
• Build and manage test environments using Docker.
• Lead on testing standards and act as a point of escalation or stand‑in for the Lead Engineer.

Essential Qualifications

• Strong experience in test automation engineering using Playwright, TypeScript, Java and Docker.
• Excellent understanding of automation frameworks, CI/CD practices and quality assurance processes.
• Ability to mentor and guide other engineers; comfortable stepping up to lead when required.
• Active SC Clearance (essential).

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience with WireMock, Kafka, or other service mocking/event‑driven test tools.
• Familiarity with CI/CD tooling (e.g. Jenkins, GitLab, Bamboo).