Senior QA Automation Engineer

Acorn Insurance Ltd; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

35 days holiday (incl. bank holidays)

24/7 mental health support

Career growth opportunities

Flexible benefits

Hybrid working

Recognition awards

Job summary

Acorn Insurance Ltd in Liverpool is seeking a Senior QA Automation Engineer to own day-to-day QA across web and mobile, driving automation strategy for a customer-facing motor insurance product.

The role focuses on designing automated tests with Playwright and Maestro, integrating into Azure DevOps pipelines, mentoring junior testers, and ensuring end-to-end quality across quote-to-buy journeys and the customer portal.

Qualifications

• Experience with automated test suites using Playwright and Maestro.
• Knowledge of BrowserStack, TestFlight, and Intune for mobile testing.
• Experience with Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines.
• Ability to work within cross-functional teams.
• Proven mentoring of junior QA team members.
• Skilled in functional, regression, integration and cross-browser testing.
• Experience in defining and tracking quality metrics.
• Ability to own end-to-end quality across squad deliverables.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain automated test suites using Playwright (web) and Maestro (mobile).
• Define and implement the automation framework architecture aligned with squad needs and QA standards.
• Identify high-value automation opportunities across journeys.
• Integrate automated tests into Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines for continuous testing.
• Develop and maintain API test automation for backend services and integrations.
• Lead mobile automation initiatives using Maestro and establish QA best practices.
• Manage mobile testing across iOS and Android using BrowserStack, TestFlight, and Intune.
• Ensure comprehensive test coverage for native mobile app functionality.

Skills

Automation testing

Test automation leadership

Mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

Functional testing

Regression testing

Integration testing

Quality metrics

Tools

Playwright

Maestro

BrowserStack

TestFlight

Intune

Azure DevOps

Job description

Senior QA Automation Engineer

Location: Liverpool City Centre HQ / Hybrid (3 days in office)

Salary: £50,000 - £60,000 per annum

Job Type: Permanent, Full Time

Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

We are looking for a Senior QA Automation Engineer who is driving for excellence with a passion for their craft, who will have an amazing opportunity to manage the day-to-day squad's quality assurance activities for a customer facing motor insurance product, making sure to drive the automation strategy and implementation across web and mobile platforms,

You will have the chance to own the squads test automation roadmap, champion mobile automation practices and mentor junior team members ensuring high quality, timely delivery of quote-to-buy journeys, mobile applications and customer portal functionality.

What you will be doing:

• Design, develop, and maintain automated test suites using Playwright (web) and Maestro (mobile)
• Define and implement the automation framework architecture aligned with squad needs and wider QA standards
• Identify high-value automation opportunities across quote, buy, and portal journeys
• Integrate automated tests into Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines to enable continuous testing
• Develop and maintain API test automation to validate backend services and third-party integrations
• Mobile Testing Leadership: Lead mobile automation initiatives using Maestro, establishing best practices for the wider QA team
• Manage mobile testing across iOS and Android using BrowserStack, TestFlight, and Intune
• Ensure comprehensive test coverage for native mobile app functionality, including offline behaviour, push notifications, and device-specific scenarios
• Quality Assurance Delivery: Own end-to-end quality for squad deliverables, including functional, regression, integration, and cross-browser testing
• Collaborate with developers, product owners and Business Analysts to ensure requirements are testable and understood
• Execute exploratory testing and risk-based testing for new features and complex changes
• Validate integrations with payment gateways, enrichment services, and external data providers
• Mentoring & Collaboration: Mentor and upskill junior QA team members, supporting their growth in automation and testing best practices
• Conduct test case and automation code reviews to ensure quality and maintainability
• Define and track quality metrics (defect leakage, automation coverage, test execution times) with inputs from QA lead to maintain consistency across squads
• Proactively identify process improvements and implement them within the squad

What we are looking for:

• Experienced user of Automated test suites e.g. Playright (web) and Maestro (mobile)
• Knowledge of BrowserStack, Testflight, and Intune for mobile testing would be desirable
• Demonstrable knowledge of Azure DevOps CI/CD Pipelines
• Abitlity to work within cross functional teams
• Proven ability to mentor junior QA team members
• Skilled in Functional, Regression, Integration and cross-browser testing
• Experience in defining and tracking quality metrics

Grow with Acorn

At Acorn Insurance, we're proud of our Liverpool roots - and even prouder of how far we've come. As part of the Acorn Group, we bring over 40 years of specialist insurance expertise to the table. From humble beginnings, we've grown into a national leader, now employing 1,700+ people across the UK and reached a milestone £750 million in total value of insurance policies written in 2024.

Benefits:

• A maximum of 35 days' holiday (including bank holidays) with additional buy/sell options
• 24/7 mental health support & free counselling available
• Grow with us: Through career fairs, leadership programs, and learning on the go!
• Flexible benefits, including early access to salary via our internal platform
• Hybrid working options to support work-life balance and individual needs
• Recognition awards, social events & more

A Few Things to Know Before You Apply

We're really excited that you're considering joining Acorn! To help everything go smoothly, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

Checks & Clearances

All roles at Acorn are subject to DBS and financial checks. Any offer we make will be conditional until these are completed to a satisfactory standard.

Visa Requirements

Because our training is quite comprehensive, we can only consider applicants who have at least one year remaining on their Graduate or Post-Study Work visa. At the moment, we're not able to offer visa sponsorship.

We're Here to Support You

We're committed to creating an inclusive, supportive workplace where everyone can flourish. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process-or once you're part of the team-just let us know. Whether it's flexible hours, adapted equipment, or a bit of extra support, we'll work with you to make sure you can do your best work.

Candidates with experience or relevant job titles of; Software Development Engineer, Senior Test Automation Engineer, Senior Test Engineer, QA Automation Lead, Test Automation Lead may also be considered for this role