Principal QA Engineer

Principal QA Engineer

Liverpool Full-Time 48000 - 84000 Β£ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead quality engineering efforts, designing tools and frameworks for high-quality solutions.
  • Company: Join The Very Group, a company dedicated to helping families thrive with flexible payment options.
  • Benefits: Enjoy a hybrid working model, Β£1,000 benefits allowance, 30 days holiday, and discounts on products.
  • Why this job: Be part of a collaborative culture focused on continuous improvement and technical excellence.
  • Qualifications: Experience in QA engineering, cloud services, and a passion for code quality are essential.
  • Other info: Inclusive employer offering support for diverse needs throughout the application process.

The predicted salary is between 48000 - 84000 Β£ per year.

2 weeks ago Be among the first 25 applicants

About Us.
We areThe Very Groupand we\’re here to help families get more out of life. We know that our customers work hard for their families and have a lot to balance in their busy lives. That\’s why we combine amazing brands and products with flexible payment options onVery.co.ukto help them say yes to the things they love. We\’re just as passionate about helping our people get more out of life too; building careers with real growth, a sense of purpose, belonging and wellbeing.

About Us.
We areThe Very Groupand we\’re here to help families get more out of life. We know that our customers work hard for their families and have a lot to balance in their busy lives. That\’s why we combine amazing brands and products with flexible payment options onVery.co.ukto help them say yes to the things they love. We\’re just as passionate about helping our people get more out of life too; building careers with real growth, a sense of purpose, belonging and wellbeing.
About The Role.
We\’re looking for an experienced Principal QA Engineer to help shape the future of quality engineering across The Very Group.
As a Principal QA Engineer, you\’ll play a hands-on role in designing, building, and maintaining the tools and frameworks that enable our teams to deliver high-quality, reliable, and secure solutions. You\’ll work across Testing, Observability, and Security, helping squads embed quality automation and monitoring into their products from the ground up.
You\’ll collaborate closely with Engineers, Tech Leads, Architects, and the wider QA community to drive best practices in reliability engineering. You\’ll also champion the use of our observability platform and promote a culture of continuous improvement, automation, and technical excellence.
Key Responsibilities

  • Work with Engineers, Tech Leads, Engineering Managers, Architects, and the QA community to deliver high-quality solutions
  • Design and build solutions that balance commercial needs with the QA roadmap
  • Actively participate in platform, application, and database design
  • Own your code quality and support the quality of the wider team
  • Take ownership of non-functional requirements around performance, security, and scalability
  • Drive best practices in real-time logging, monitoring, and alerting
  • Actively promote the use of The Very Group\’s observability platform
  • Create and maintain threat models for Performance Unit products
  • Continuously enhance CI processes to improve deployment efficiency
  • Identify and mitigate risks, obstacles, and issues impacting technical delivery
  • Adhere to and help shape policies and standards that guide solution development
  • Provide support for technical products within the Performance Unit and beyond

About you.
You\’re someone who thrives in a hands-on technical role and has a passion for building scalable, high-quality solutions. You\’ve worked in a similar capacity and have a strong track record of enabling teams to deliver robust, secure, and observable systems.
You\’re a natural collaborator who enjoys mentoring others, sharing knowledge, and influencing engineering culture. You\’re comfortable working across squads and disciplines, and you\’re always looking for ways to improve processes, reduce toil, and drive automation.
You\’ll be confident in contributing to platform, application, and database design, and you\’ll take ownership of non-functional requirements like performance, security, and scalability.
What you\’ll bring:

  • Considerable experience building, integrating, and managing complex solution architectures, ideally across multi-cloud environments
  • Commercial experience with AWS (EC2, ECS, Lambda, Fargate) and Microsoft Azure services
  • A working knowledge of the Elastic Observability platform (Elastic certification is a plus)
  • Extensive experience building secure, scalable, and highly available software applications
  • Strong understanding and application of threat modelling
  • A background in hands-on software engineering with current, relevant experience
  • A passion for code quality, testing, and engineering best practices
  • Proven ability to influence and negotiate with technical stakeholders at all levels
  • Demonstrable experience in coaching, mentoring, and providing development support
  • A strong collaborator and communicator, comfortable working across teams and disciplines
  • A Computer Science degree or equivalent experience

Our Benefits.

  • Flexible, hybrid working model
  • Inclusive culture and environment, check out our Glassdoor reviews
  • Β£1,000 flexible benefits allowance to suit your needs
  • 30 days holiday + bank holidays
  • Udemy learning access
  • Bonus potential (performance and business-related)
  • Up to 25% discount on Very.co.uk
  • Matched pension up to 6%
  • More benefits can be found on our career site

How To Apply
Please note that the talent acquisition team are managing this vacancy directly, and if successful in securing this role, you may be required to undertake a credit, CIFAS and DBS check.
What happens next?
Our talent acquisition team will be in touch if you\’re successful so keep an eye on your emails! We\’ll arrange a short call to learn more about you, as well as answer any questions you have. If it feels like we\’re a good match, we\’ll share your CV with the hiring manager to review. Our interview process is tailored to each role and can be in-person or held remotely.
You can expect a three-stage interview process for this position:
1st stage – An informal 45-minute video call with the hiring team to discuss your skills and relevant experience. This is a great opportunity to find out more about the role and to ask any questions you may have.
2nd Stage – A one-hour formal interview where you can expect both competency and technical questions
As an inclusive employer please do let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.
If you\’d like to know more about our interviews, you can find out here.
Equal opportunities
We\’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Seniority level

  • Seniority level

    Mid-Senior level

Employment type

  • Employment type

    Full-time

Job function

  • Job function

    Information Technology

  • Industries

    IT Services and IT Consulting

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Principal QA Engineer employer: The Very Group

At The Very Group, we prioritise the growth and wellbeing of our employees, offering a flexible hybrid working model and a vibrant, inclusive culture that fosters collaboration and innovation. As a Principal QA Engineer, you'll not only contribute to high-quality solutions but also benefit from extensive learning opportunities, a generous holiday allowance, and a Β£1,000 flexible benefits package tailored to your needs, all while being part of a company dedicated to helping families thrive.
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Contact Detail:

The Very Group Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🀫

We think this is how you could land Principal QA Engineer

✨Tip Number 1

Familiarise yourself with The Very Group's products and services. Understanding their offerings will help you demonstrate how your skills as a Principal QA Engineer can directly contribute to enhancing the quality and reliability of their solutions.

✨Tip Number 2

Network with current employees or alumni who have worked at The Very Group. Engaging in conversations about their experiences can provide valuable insights into the company culture and expectations, which you can leverage during your interviews.

✨Tip Number 3

Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've implemented quality automation and monitoring in previous roles. Highlighting your hands-on experience with tools and frameworks relevant to the position will showcase your capability to drive best practices.

✨Tip Number 4

Stay updated on the latest trends in quality assurance and observability platforms, particularly Elastic. Being knowledgeable about current technologies will not only impress the hiring team but also show your commitment to continuous improvement in the field.

We think you need these skills to ace Principal QA Engineer

Hands-on experience in quality assurance engineering
Strong knowledge of AWS services (EC2, ECS, Lambda, Fargate)
Experience with Microsoft Azure services
Proficiency in building secure and scalable software applications
Understanding of threat modelling techniques
Familiarity with the Elastic Observability platform
Ability to design and implement CI processes
Excellent collaboration and communication skills
Experience in mentoring and coaching team members
Strong problem-solving skills
Knowledge of performance, security, and scalability requirements
Ability to influence technical stakeholders
Experience in multi-cloud environments
Passion for code quality and engineering best practices

Some tips for your application 🫑

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience and skills that align with the Principal QA Engineer role. Focus on your hands-on experience in quality engineering, automation, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that showcases your passion for quality assurance and your understanding of The Very Group's mission. Mention specific examples of how you've contributed to high-quality solutions in previous roles.

Highlight Technical Skills: Emphasise your technical expertise, particularly in AWS, Azure, and the Elastic Observability platform. Provide concrete examples of how you've applied these skills in past projects to enhance software quality and security.

Prepare for Interviews: Anticipate both competency and technical questions during the interview process. Be ready to discuss your approach to mentoring others, driving best practices, and your experience with threat modelling and CI processes.

How to prepare for a job interview at The Very Group

✨Understand the Role

Make sure you have a solid grasp of what a Principal QA Engineer does, especially in the context of The Very Group. Familiarise yourself with their focus on quality automation, observability, and security to demonstrate your alignment with their goals.

✨Showcase Your Technical Skills

Be prepared to discuss your experience with AWS, Azure, and the Elastic Observability platform. Highlight specific projects where you've built secure and scalable applications, as this will resonate well with the interviewers.

✨Emphasise Collaboration

Since the role involves working closely with various teams, share examples of how you've successfully collaborated with engineers, tech leads, and other stakeholders. This will show that you're a team player who values communication and mentorship.

✨Prepare for Technical Questions

Expect both competency and technical questions during the formal interview. Brush up on your knowledge of threat modelling, CI processes, and best practices in reliability engineering to confidently tackle these topics.

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