Software Development Engineer in Test

Scrumconnect Consulting; Swansea; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid model

Hybrid schedule (3 days on-site)

Job summary

Scrumconnect Consulting, based in Swansea, is seeking a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) to strengthen our automation testing for government-facing digital services. You will write high-quality test code and validate acceptance criteria while upholding security, accessibility, and maintainability standards.

Join a collaborative agile team, contribute to test strategy, and help continuously improve automation across frameworks and performance testing, with a strong emphasis on on-site

Qualifications

• Strong Ruby programming skills.
• Hands-on experience with Gherkin and BDD frameworks (e.g., Cucumber).
• Knowledge of scripting languages and automation best practices.
• Understanding of software engineering principles, design patterns, and clean code practices.
• Experience in Accessibility and Security testing.
• Familiarity with performance testing concepts and maintaining performance test suites.
• Ability to write scalable, maintainable, and reusable automation code.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks using Ruby and Gherkin (BDD).
• Create readable, maintainable, and reusable test automation scripts.
• Develop automated acceptance tests verifying business requirements.
• Collaborate with developers, product owners, and QA to define and automate test scenarios using BDD.
• Ensure Accessibility and Security testing standards are met in automation.
• Maintain and enhance the Performance Test Pack to support teams.
• Support automation for Use Case 6 and other functional test scenarios.
• Continuously improve test automation frameworks and engineering practices.
• Participate in code reviews to raise software quality.

Skills

Ruby

Gherkin

BDD

Automation

Security testing

Accessibility testing

Performance testing

CI/CD

Code reviews

Debugging

Tools

Ruby-based frameworks

Cucumber

Scripting languages

Job description

Scrumconnect Consulting is a multi-award-winning digital consultancy whose work has positively influenced the lives of over 40 million UK citizens. We deliver impactful technology solutions across UK government departments, working at the forefront of user-centred design, agile delivery, and scalable digital services that genuinely make a difference.

Location: Swansea (with a regular expectation of 60% on-site attendance).

• Strong focus on work-life balance with a flexible hybrid model (3 days onsite)
• Be part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary agile environment alongside civil servants and industry experts

Based in Swansea, South Wales — three days per week on-site

About the Role

We are looking for a highly skilled Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) who combines strong software engineering fundamentals with expertise in test automation. The ideal candidate is a software engineer who writes high-quality test code to validate that product acceptance criteria are fully met while ensuring quality, security, accessibility, and maintainability.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks using Ruby and Gherkin (BDD) following established coding standards and guidelines.
• Create readable, maintainable, and reusable test automation scripts using Ruby-based frameworks. ("Looks like Ruby, feels like Ruby.")
• Develop automated acceptance tests that verify business requirements and demonstrate that acceptance criteria are satisfied.
• Collaborate with developers, product owners, and QA teams to define and automate test scenarios using Behavior-Driven Development (BDD).
• Ensure applications meet Accessibility and Security testing standards as part of the automated testing strategy.
• Maintain and enhance the local, unofficial Performance Test Pack to support engineering teams. (Note: This complements, but does not replace, the organization's formal performance testing plan.)
• Support automation for Use Case 6 and other functional test scenarios as required.
• Continuously improve test automation frameworks, coding standards, and engineering best practices.
• Participate in code reviews and contribute to improving overall software quality.

Required Skills

• Strong programming skills in Ruby.
• Hands-on experience with Gherkin and BDD frameworks (e.g., Cucumber).
• Good understanding of scripting languages and automation best practices.
• Knowledge of software engineering principles, design patterns, and clean code practices.
• Experience in Accessibility and Security testing.
• Familiarity with performance testing concepts and maintaining performance test suites.
• Ability to write scalable, maintainable, and reusable automation code.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments.
• Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and test automation integration.
• Understanding of performance testing methodologies and tools.
• Strong analytical, debugging, and problem-solving skills.

What We're Looking For

We are seeking a Software Development Engineer who happens to write test code—someone who approaches test automation with the same engineering rigor applied to production software and ensures that every automated test provides confidence that the product meets its defined acceptance criteria.

We keep things straightforward. Following an initial CV review, successful candidates will be invited to a short screening call with our recruitment team, followed by a two-stage process comprising a technical assessment and a values-based interview with the hiring team. We aim to move quickly and will keep you informed at every stage.

Scrumconnect Consulting is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and welcome applications from all backgrounds, regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.