Senior Software Tester

Context Recruitment; England; Hybrid; GBP 37,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

A well-established technology organization is looking for a Senior Software Tester / QA Engineer in Southampton. The candidate will lead testing activities for customer-facing systems and core products. Responsibilities include driving software quality, designing test scripts, and collaborating with technical teams. Requirements include proven experience in QA, strong manual testing skills, and the ability to produce test documentation. The role offers hybrid working after probation, with some travel involved.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a Software Testing / QA role with autonomy.
• Strong hands-on experience with manual testing in complex systems.
• Experience designing and maintaining comprehensive test documentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute testing activities on customer systems.
• Design, write, and maintain manual and automated test scripts.
• Create and maintain test plans, test cases, and documentation.

Skills

Manual testing

Test automation tools

Test documentation

SQL

C#

Java

Microsoft Office

Tools

Ranorex

Selenium

SQL Server

Oracle

TFS

Git

Job description

Senior Software Tester / QA Engineer - Up to 44,000 PA

Southampton - Hybrid Working

We are working with a well‑established technology organisation to recruit an experienced Senior Software Tester / QA Engineer to play a key role in the delivery of customer‑facing systems and core software products.

This position sits within a professional services environment and involves testing both standard solutions and complex, customer‑specific implementations. You will work closely with developers, project managers and technical stakeholders, taking ownership of testing activities and ensuring systems meet defined quality standards prior to release and go‑live.

As a Senior Software Tester, you will be responsible for driving software quality through effective manual and automated testing practices. You will contribute to the ongoing improvement of testing processes, support customer UAT, and act as a subject‑matter expert for QA activities across projects, identifying and resolving defects early in the delivery lifecycle.

Key responsibilities:

• Leading and executing software testing activities on customer systems prior to installation and go‑live
• Designing, writing and maintaining robust manual and automated test scripts
• Owning the creation and maintenance of test plans, test cases and supporting documentation
• Working collaboratively with development and technical teams to identify, log, prioritise and resolve defects
• Creating and managing test data to support functional, regression and integration testing
• Supporting and coordinating user acceptance testing, including direct customer engagement
• Providing go‑live support and post‑deployment validation where required
• Contributing to the continuous improvement of testing standards, tools and methodologies
• Providing guidance and best practice advice to customers during UAT and test planning
• Supporting internal product testing and mentoring junior team members where appropriate

Requirements:

• Proven experience in a Software Testing / QA role, operating with a high degree of autonomy
• Strong hands‑on experience with manual testing across complex systems
• Demonstrable experience designing and maintaining comprehensive test documentation
• Experience working in Windows Client and Server environments
• Confident use of Microsoft Office applications for test reporting and documentation

Highly advantageous experience:

• ISTQB Foundation or Advanced certification
• Experience with test automation tools and frameworks (Ranorex, Selenium or similar)
• Exposure to C#, Java, or other object‑oriented programming languages
• Experience with SQL Server and/or Oracle databases, including querying and data validation
• Experience using source control tools such as TFS or Git
• Understanding of network architecture, IT security and Active Directory
• Experience within document management, OCR or enterprise systems environments

The role may involve occasional UK and international travel.

Hybrid working is available once probation is passed, with 1‑2 days per week on site.