Senior SDET

Nixor; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Nixor is seeking a Senior Software Engineer in Test for a groundbreaking role in Manchester. This contract position emphasizes proactive quality engineering rather than traditional testing. Responsibilities include driving quality strategy, mentoring engineers, and integrating testing into CI/CD pipelines. The ideal candidate should be experienced in Python and Java, with a strong test-first mindset. The position offers a hybrid work model with long-term progression opportunities, collaborating closely on cutting-edge automotive projects.

Qualifications

• Genuinely senior role requiring initiative in quality strategies.
• Ability to drive quality in collaborative environments.
• Experience in modern testing approaches is essential.

Responsibilities

• Driving quality strategy across squads.
• Mentoring engineers and contributing to continuous improvement.
• Collaborating closely with engineering and SRE teams.

Skills

Test-first mindset

Experience embedding tests into CI/CD pipelines

Influencing engineers on testability

Strong opinions on modern testing

Understanding backend/API and distributed systems

Tools

Python

Java

GitLab

Job description

Senior Software Engineer in Test (Contract) - Manchester | Automotive Giant

We’re partnering with a leading automotive organisation to hire multiple Senior Software Engineers in Test for a major digital programme across a cloud-based, connected data platform.

This isn’t a traditional testing role.

This is about owning quality from day one – not testing at the end.

What makes this role different?

• Automation-first mindset – focused on bug prevention over bug detection
• A mature engineering environment where testing is embedded into delivery
• Opportunity to shape test strategy and influence architecture
• Part of a collaborative test community, sharing best practices across teams

The kind of problems you’ll solve:

• Improving and maintaining existing automation suites
• Embedding testing directly into CI/CD pipelines (not siloed test stages)
• Driving testability in design and refinement sessions
• Moving teams from reactive testing to proactive quality engineering
• Enhancing defect triage and cross-team quality processes
• Supporting integration with third-party systems and services

What we’re really looking for:

This is a genuinely senior role. We need engineers who:

• Think test-first, not "test after build"
• Have experience embedding tests into CI/CD pipelines
• Can influence engineers on testability and quality practices
• Bring strong opinions on modern testing approaches
• Understand backend/API and distributed systems

Tech environment:

• Python + Java-based services
• CI/CD (GitLab or similar)
• Backend-focused (no UI-heavy testing)

The role:

• Driving quality strategy across squads
• Mentoring engineers and contributing to continuous improvement
• Collaborating closely with engineering and SRE teams

Location & setup:

• Manchester
• Hybrid - typically 1-2 days per month onsite
• Work on cutting-edge connected platforms
• Influence how software is built, tested, and delivered at scale
• Opportunity for long-term progression or permanent conversion
• Be part of a team that treats quality as an engineering discipline