Software & Systems Test Engineer

Cervus; West of England, Westbury; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 24 days

Cervus Closure days

Bank holidays

Generous pension

Discretionary annual bonus

Private health care

Life insurance

Flexible working

Learning and development

Awesome colleagues

Job summary

Cervus is seeking a motivated Software & System Test Engineer for a hybrid role based in the Southwest, UK. You will validate complex distributed software systems, run integration tests, and ensure quality across backend, data pipelines, UI, and hardware interfaces.

You will collaborate with development, product, and delivery teams to identify defects early, improve robustness, and support production deployment. The role involves 2–3 days in Bristol/Westbury and travel within the UK and overseas.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field preferred or equivalent practical experience.
• Proven experience as a Software & System Test Engineer or similar role.
• Practical implementation of tests and test plans across the whole testing pyramid for good coverage and fast feedback.
• Ability to bring real user empathy to exploratory testing, focusing on friction points that matter.
• Strong understanding of system engineering, verification, and validation methodologies.
• Hands-on experience with protocol analyzers, test equipment, measurement tools, and automation frameworks.
• Solid knowledge of networking protocols, system interfaces, and data flows.
• Experience with requirements management tools (e.g. JIRA, or similar).
• Ability to read and interpret system specifications, schematics, and technical documents.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop, execute, and maintain software integration and test plans, procedures, and scripts.
• Perform system-level integration, verification, and validation activities across system and software components.
• Conduct functional, regression, performance, security and acceptance testing.
• Perform exploratory testing, identify defects, and support troubleshooting with engineering teams.
• Work with design and development engineers to define test requirements and acceptance criteria.
• Contribute to test automation frameworks and tools.
• Maintain test environments, labs, and test equipment.
• Support system certification, compliance, and customer acceptance testing.
• Provide input into system design reviews from an integration and verification perspective.
• Ensure compliance with security, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Champion our users' needs and help to train and support our users on how to use our products.

Skills

Test planning

System testing

Test automation

Agile

User empathy

System engineering

Problem solving

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

JIRA

Protocol analyzers

Test equipment

Automation frameworks

Job description

Wanted: Software & Systems Test Engineer

A Hybrid Role based in the Southwest, UK

About the job

Demand for Cervus’ products and services continues to grow across the Defence sector. We are looking for a motivated, curious, and technically minded Software and System Test Engineer to help us scale and ensure the continued high quality of our data analytics capabilities across the UK and international markets.

The Software & System Test Engineer is responsible for validating complex, distributed software systems through rigorous testing, integration activities, and continuous quality assurance. This role ensures that all components—from backend services and data pipelines to UI layers and software/hardware interfaces—operate reliably, consistently, and in a way that delights our users. The role involves working closely with development, product, and delivery teams to identify defects early, improve system robustness, and support seamless deployment into production and field environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, execute, and maintain software integration and test plans, procedures, and scripts
• Perform system-level integration, verification, and validation activities across system and software components.
• Conduct functional, regression, performance, security and acceptance testing.
• Perform exploratory testing, identify defects, and support troubleshooting with engineering teams.
• Work with design and development engineers to define test requirements and acceptance criteria.
• Contribute to test automation frameworks and tools.
• Maintain test environments, labs, and test equipment.
• Support system certification, compliance, and customer acceptance testing.
• Provide input into system design reviews from an integration and verification perspective.
• Ensure compliance with security, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Champion our users' needs and help to train and support our users on how to use our products.

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field preferred or equivalent practical experience in a professional environment.
• Proven experience as a Software & System Test Engineer or similar role.
• Practical implementation of tests and test plans across the whole testing pyramid for good coverage and fast feedback.
• Ability to bring real user empathy to exploratory testing, focussing on the friction points that matter most.
• Strong understanding of system engineering, verification, and validation methodologies.
• Hands-on experience with protocol analysers, test equipment, measurement tools, and automation frameworks.
• Solid knowledge of networking protocols, system interfaces, and data flows.
• Experience with requirements management tools (e.g. JIRA, or similar).
• Ability to read and interpret system specifications, schematics, and technical documents.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Background in defence, simulation & training systems, real-time data capture or regulated environments is highly advantageous.

We would love it if you also have experience of:

• Working with Agile software development practices and teams.
• Leveraging AI tools to automate testing.
• Integrating with tactical networks, secure environments, and air-gapped deployments.
• UX principles, interaction design, and usability heuristics.
• Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) or software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing.
• Supporting real-time data capture, telemetry processing, and performance analytics.
• Secure development and validation processes.
• Distributed real-time systems and event streaming architectures.

• 24 days annual leave, 3 Cervus Closure days plus bank holidays (increasing with service), generous pension, discretionary annual bonus, family private health care, life insurance, flexible working, generous learning and development opportunities and awesome colleagues.

Working location:

This role will be primarily based at either our Bristol or Westbury offices for approximately 2 – 3 days per week. It operates within a flexible hybrid working model, with the option for regular home working. The role will also involve travel within the UK and overseas.

Cervus is a performance analytics and technology company helping defence and security organisations make better decisions, faster. Based in the southwest UK with offices in Bristol and Westbury, we value hybrid working, curiosity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Joining us means contributing to meaningful, high-impact projects, working with talented colleagues, and helping shape the future of data-driven capability development. This role typically involves 1 –2 days per week in the office and travel within the UK and overseas.

Inclusion & Accessibility

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported to thrive. We actively encourage applications from candidates with disabilities and will provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and in the workplace.