Senior Software Engineer in Test

MRJ Recruitment; Manchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

MRJ Recruitment is seeking a Senior SDET to own test automation in a fast-growing UK SaaS company headquartered in Manchester. You will design, implement, and maintain Playwright-based end-to-end tests and partner closely with engineers to embed quality across the SDLC.

In this hands-on role, you will leverage AI tools like Claude to accelerate test creation and troubleshooting, improve CI pipelines, and drive continuous quality improvements in a collaborative product environment.

Qualifications

• Must have a developer/engineer background (essential for consideration).
• Proven experience as an SDET or in a software engineering role with strong test automation ownership.
• Strong hands-on Playwright experience (end-to-end UI automation).
• Comfortable pairing with engineers in a highly collaborative environment; experience using AI tools such as Claude to improve productivity and quality.
• Strong understanding of modern engineering practices (CI/CD, code reviews, agile delivery).
• Proactive mindset: you spot issues early, propose solutions, and drive change.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain automated test frameworks and end-to-end test suites using Playwright.
• Partner closely with software engineers through regular pairing to embed quality throughout the SDLC.
• Contribute to improving CI pipelines and test execution reliability (speed, stability, reporting).
• Identify risk areas, define test strategy, and help shape quality standards across the product.
• Use AI tools (e.g., Claude) to support test design, automation efficiency, and problem-solving.
• Analyse test results, troubleshoot failures, and drive root-cause fixes with engineering teams.
• Champion best practices in test automation, maintainability, and continuous improvement.

Skills

Playwright

Test automation

CI/CD

Pairing with engineers

AI tooling Claude

SDET experience

Agile delivery

Tools

Claude

Job description

Join one of the fastest-growing SaaS companies in the UK, headquartered in Manchester, as a Senior SDET. This is a hands-on role for someone who loves building robust test automation, partnering closely with engineers, and pushing quality upstream in a modern product environment.

You’ll work with Playwright to create scalable, reliable automated testing, and you’ll be encouraged to use AI tooling (including Claude) to accelerate test creation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement. If you thrive in collaborative teams and enjoy pairing with engineers to solve real product problems, this role will suit you

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain automated test frameworks and end-to-end test suites using Playwright
• Partner closely with software engineers through regular pairing to embed quality throughout the SDLC
• Contribute to improving CI pipelines and test execution reliability (speed, stability, reporting)
• Identify risk areas, define test strategy, and help shape quality standards across the product
• Use AI tools (e.g., Claude) to support test design, automation efficiency, and problem-solving
• Analyse test results, troubleshoot failures, and drive root-cause fixes with engineering teams
• Champion best practices in test automation, maintainability, and continuous improvement

Requirements

• Must have a developer/engineer background (this is essential for consideration)
• Proven experience as an SDET or in a software engineering role with strong test automation ownership
• Strong hands-on Playwright experience (end-to-end UI automation)
• Comfortable pairing with engineers and working in a highly collaborative environment Experience using AI tools such as Claude (or similar) to improve productivity and quality out
• comes
• Strong understanding of modern engineering practices (CI/CD, code reviews, agile delivery)
• A proactive mindset: you spot issues early, propose solutions, and drive change