At a Glance
- Tasks: Test and validate complex payment platforms across multiple layers and architectures.
- Company: Join a leading payments technology organisation with a global impact.
- Benefits: Long-term contract, competitive pay, and hands-on experience in a dynamic environment.
- Other info: On-site role in Chester, UK, with opportunities for career growth.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of payment technology and ensure reliability for global transactions.
- Qualifications: Senior QA experience, strong Java skills, and proficiency in SQL required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Insight Global is hiring a Platform SQA Engineer to support a payments technology organisation backing a portfolio of global payment programmes. The portfolio spans ISO 20022 migrations (e.g., CHAPS, TARGET2, SWIFT CBPR+), real‑time payment (RTP) capabilities, modernisation of payment engines and integration layers, and delivery against regulatory and scheme mandates across multiple geographies.
This role is a senior, hands‑on individual contributor focused on platform‑level validation across application, business, data, infrastructure, and network layers that underpin mission‑critical payments flows. The ideal candidate brings senior experience testing complex distributed systems, deep technical breadth across enterprise platform technologies, and the ability to build automated validation within CI/CD pipelines.
The engineer will validate platform changes across on‑prem, cloud, and hybrid architectures while partnering closely with platform engineers, architects, and operations teams to ensure reliability, scalability, compliance, and on‑time delivery for scheme and regulatory timelines. Please note, this is a long-term contract role and would require you to be on-site 3 days a week out of the office in Chester, UK.
Responsibilities- Test all layers of modern platform architectures including application, business, data, infrastructure, and network components.
- Review platform architecture and design specifications to create detailed test strategies, plans, and automated test suites.
- Validate production and non‑production platform changes in accordance with change control, incident management, and problem‑management processes.
- Execute and automate functional, regression, integration, and performance tests across distributed platform components.
- Ensure platform validation aligns with required security, compliance, audit, and infrastructure standards.
- Automate repeatable test scenarios and integrate them into CI/CD pipelines using DevOps tooling.
- Collaborate with platform engineering teams to understand design patterns, system architecture, and integration points to ensure optimal test coverage.
- Provide quality assurance for technologies across on‑prem, cloud, and hybrid platforms.
- Identify and implement improvements to validation tooling, automation, and QA processes.
- Coordinate dependencies across multiple platform teams to support consistent delivery quality.
- Report risks, defects, test results, and platform quality metrics to technical leads and stakeholders.
- Debug and troubleshoot failures in automated test cases and platform integrations.
- Apply strong understanding of business flows, financial data, products, and services to validate platform behaviour end‑to‑end.
- Senior experience in software QA, platform validation, or distributed systems testing.
- Strong hands‑on experience with Java‑based platforms (Java, Spring).
- Proficiency in SQL and validating data flows on enterprise databases (Oracle, Postgres, or similar).
- Strong Linux/Unix skills, including log analysis and shell scripting (Windows experience beneficial).
- Experience testing services on enterprise middleware or app servers (WebLogic, JBoss, Tomcat, or similar).
- Hands‑on experience with Kafka or IBM MQ (at least one is essential).
- Experience with Cucumber/BDD and modern automation frameworks.
- Familiarity with CI/CD and DevOps practices (Jenkins, Git, pipelines, etc.).
- Hands‑on experience validating containerized or cloud‑based deployments (OpenShift, Kubernetes, Docker).
- Strong networking fundamentals: DNS, load balancers, firewalls, proxies, routing, connectivity troubleshooting.
- Experience using observability tools such as Splunk, Grafana, or Prometheus for logs and metrics.
- Ability to troubleshoot distributed systems across multiple layers (service failures, message flows, config issues, connectivity).
- Experience with cloud‑native monitoring (CloudWatch, Dynatrace, or similar).
- Exposure to service mesh, API gateways, or SRE practices.
- Knowledge of financial or regulated enterprise environments.
- Performance testing experience with distributed architectures.
Locations
Platform SQA Engineer in Cheshire, Chester employer: Insight Global
At Insight Global, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic and inclusive work environment that empowers our employees to thrive. As a Platform SQA Engineer in Chester, you'll benefit from a collaborative culture that prioritises professional growth, offering opportunities for skill enhancement and career advancement while working on cutting-edge payment technologies. With a focus on innovation and teamwork, we ensure that our employees are supported in their roles, making it an excellent place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding employment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Platform SQA Engineer in Cheshire, Chester
✨Tip Number 1
Network, network, network! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend meetups, webinars, or even just grab a coffee with someone who works in payments technology. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your automation scripts, testing strategies, or any projects you've worked on. This gives potential employers a tangible look at what you can do, especially for a hands-on role like Platform SQA Engineer.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t just apply blindly! Tailor your approach for each application. Research the company and mention specific projects or technologies they use in your conversations. This shows you're genuinely interested and have done your homework.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We’ve got a streamlined process that makes it easy for you to showcase your skills and experience. Plus, it helps us keep track of your application better, so don’t miss out on that opportunity!
We think you need these skills to ace Platform SQA Engineer in Cheshire, Chester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Platform SQA Engineer role. Highlight your experience with Java-based platforms, SQL, and any relevant automation frameworks. We want to see how your skills match what we're looking for!
Showcase Your Experience:In your cover letter, showcase your senior experience in software QA and platform validation. Share specific examples of how you've tested complex distributed systems and automated validation processes. This helps us see your hands-on expertise!
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, be clear and concise. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to read through your qualifications and experiences. We appreciate a well-structured application!
Apply Through Our Website:Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it makes the whole process smoother for everyone involved.
How to prepare for a job interview at Insight Global
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of Java-based platforms, SQL, and distributed systems testing. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with tools like Kafka or IBM MQ, as well as your familiarity with CI/CD practices. The more you can demonstrate your technical prowess, the better!
✨Understand the Payment Landscape
Since this role is focused on payments technology, it’s crucial to have a solid grasp of payment programmes and regulatory requirements. Familiarise yourself with ISO 20022 migrations and real-time payment capabilities. Showing that you understand the industry will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect to face questions that assess your problem-solving skills in real-world scenarios. Think about past experiences where you had to validate platform changes or troubleshoot failures in automated test cases. Prepare specific examples that highlight your ability to work under pressure and deliver results.
✨Show Your Collaborative Spirit
This role involves working closely with platform engineers and operations teams, so be ready to discuss how you’ve successfully collaborated in the past. Highlight your communication skills and any experience you have coordinating across multiple teams to ensure quality delivery. Teamwork is key!
