At a Glance
- Tasks: Design automated solutions and build test frameworks for modern digital platforms.
- Company: Join a leading tech firm scaling innovative engineering teams across the UK and USA.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, bonus, hybrid work, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with excellent career advancement opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on quality and stability in a hands-on engineering role.
- Qualifications: Experience in software testing, strong programming skills in C#, and Agile team collaboration.
The predicted salary is between 42000 - 84000 £ per year.
Building the best Engineering and Business Intelligence teams across the UK and the USA. Our client is scaling several modern digital platforms and is looking for a highly technical Software Engineer in Test (SDET) to strengthen automation, quality engineering and delivery across multiple product teams. This is not a traditional QA role — it is a hands‑on engineering position where you will design automated solutions, build test frameworks, work closely with developers, and contribute directly to the quality and stability of services used at scale. You will be expected to think like an engineer, work with clean, maintainable code, and provide technical input into testing strategy and architecture.
Key Responsibilities
- Build and maintain scalable automated test frameworks, with a strong focus on API, integration and microservices testing.
- Write clean, production‑quality test code in C# (strong preference) or another modern programming language (Java, TypeScript, Python).
- Analyse complex scenarios, transform API data programmatically, and validate end‑to‑end workflows.
- Implement reusable design patterns, utilities and abstraction layers for test automation.
- Enhance quality gates within CI/CD pipelines and support continuous testing practices.
- Work collaboratively with software engineers to debug issues, improve reliability and refine testability.
- Perform exploratory and risk‑based functional testing where needed.
- Participate in technical design discussions, providing input on architecture, automation patterns and quality impact.
- Complete a second‑stage technical challenge involving API automation, framework structure and code review discussions.
Core Skills & Experience
- Strong experience as a Software Engineer in Test / SDET within modern Agile product teams.
- Solid programming ability in C# (preferred), including writing reusable automation code, applying OOP principles and structuring maintainable test suites.
- Demonstrable experience building API automation from scratch using libraries such as RestSharp, HttpClient, Playwright API, or similar frameworks.
- Skilled in working with REST APIs, microservices and distributed systems.
- Confident applying patterns such as Page/Service Objects, builders, and modular test design.
- Familiar with mocking, data‑driven testing and handling dynamic or complex API payloads.
- Proficient with version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins).
- Comfortable reviewing logs, debugging failures and collaborating closely with developers.
- Able to clearly explain technical choices, design decisions and automation strategy during interviews.
- Experience with Azure cloud environments.
- Familiarity with event‑driven architectures or messaging platforms.
- Exposure to containerised test execution (Docker).
- Experience mentoring other engineers or championing automation initiatives.
Seniority Level Mid‑Senior level
Employment Type Full‑time
Software Engineer in Test in Manchester employer: djr
djr is an excellent employer that prioritises employee development and fosters a collaborative work culture in Greenwich. With a competitive salary of up to £60,000 and a commitment to investing in technology and staff growth, you'll have the opportunity to shape application strategy while working alongside a dedicated team. Join us to enjoy meaningful career progression in a supportive environment that values your contributions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Software Engineer in Test in Manchester
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at djr or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to djr.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like djr.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like djr that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Software Engineer in Test in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at djr.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at djr and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at djr
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If djr uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
