Test Engineer in Slough

Test Engineer — Testing Services

Locations: London Speechmark / Newbury / Birmingham Small Heath / Manchester / Glasgow — hybrid, with customer site visits

• Clearance: SC-cleared/Non SC
• Immediate Start
• LOCATION, TRAVEL & CLEARANCE

Candidates must be in proximity to one of the office locations of demand: London (Speechmark), Newbury, Birmingham (Small Heath), Manchester or Glasgow.

Working pattern is hybrid, with attendance at the relevant hub and occasional customer site visits as required by project scope (including, where applicable, the customer lab in Spain).

Newbury HQ attendance is required to liaise with the wider Test team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Create test scripts from Test Plans, High-Level Designs (HLD) and Low-Level Designs (LLD) for network infrastructure — routers, switches and firewalls.
• Execute test cases across the full VBTS estate: hosting, data centre, LAN/Wi Fi, SD-WAN, fixed connectivity, mobility, telephony, UC & Unity, MPN & cloud, Io T, cloud & security, and service transition.
• Support all test phases: Unit, System Integration, Functional, Non-Functional, Disaster Recovery and Operational Acceptance Testing.
• Import test cases into ALM and link test cases to requirements, maintaining full requirements traceability.
• Capture and collect test execution evidence to the standard required for milestone sign-off and audit.
• Report test execution status, defects and outcomes in ALM and other Vodafone-approved tools.
• Raise, track and retest defects; work with delivery, design and engineering teams to resolve defects against project milestones.
• Set up and operate network test equipment, including RFC 2544 throughput/latency/frame-loss testing.
• Handle fibre optic cabling and follow Data Centre operating procedures when working in DC environments.
• Interpret network infrastructure designs from HLD/LLD and translate them into executable test scenarios.
• Use network and service management toolsets (e. g. Stable Net) to validate service behaviour.
• Support test environment preparation, smoke testing and readiness checks ahead of formal execution windows.
• Attend Vodafone hub locations and customer sites as required by project scope; support the wider Test team from Newbury HQ when needed.
• Produce clear, accurate status inputs for daily/weekly test reporting and defect triage calls.
• Escalate blockers within the same working day to the Test Manager, in line with the programme's proactive-management obligations.
• Comply with Vodafone security policy, data handling requirements and audit-logging obligations at all times.
• Contribute test assets to the reuse library and support the programme's year-on-year productivity commitments (automation, reuse, AI-assisted test design).
• Support knowledge transfer, onboarding of new pool members, and continuity across resource transitions with no impact to the Project Test Plan.
• TECHNICAL SCOPE & DOMAIN COVERAGE

Testing services are delivered across the full VBTS UK product and service estate: Hosting; LAN & Wi Fi; Data Centre; Service Transition; SD-WAN; Telephony; UC & Unity; MPN & Cloud; Io T;

Fixed Connectivity; Mobility; Cloud & Security.

Test phases in scope: Unit Testing, System Integration Testing (SIT), Functional Testing, Non-Functional Testing, Disaster Recovery Testing and Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT).

• Hands-on network infrastructure testing: routers, switches, firewalls — including Cisco switch/router console commands.
• Data Centre environments: operating procedures, physical layer work, fibre optic handling.
• Test equipment: configuration and operation for RFC 2544 and related performance testing.
• ALM: test case management, requirements linkage, defect management, execution reporting.
• Service and network management tooling exposure (e. g. Stable Net).
• MANDATORY SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
• Minimum 5 years' relevant testing experience (RFP-mandated minimum for all resources on this engagement).
• Proven telecom / network infrastructure testing experience.
• Cisco switch/router console command competence.
• Ability to read and interpret HLD and LLD documentation.
• ALM-based test case management, defect management and reporting.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills — proficient Excel is mandatory; working knowledge of Teams and Share Point.
• Excellent stakeholder management, time management and documentation discipline.

DESIRABLE SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• RFC 2544 test experience and network test equipment setup.
• Stable Net or comparable network/service management toolsets.
• Experience in CNI or other critical infrastructure environments (e. g. National Grid).
• Exposure to SD-WAN, cloud/security or UC testing programmes.
• Test automation awareness and experience contributing to reusable test assets.

CERTIFICATIONS & QUALIFICATIONS

• ISTQB Foundation — preferred.
• Relevant network certification (e. g. CCNA) — desirable.
• Appropriate accreditation for the position, per Vodafone requirement that all resources are appropriately accredited