Test Automation Engineer in Newcastle upon Tyne

\"At Klipboard we've introduced a flexible hybrid work policy, where employees spend three days in the office and two days working from home.

This approach promotes a balanced work environment that combines office collaboration with the comfort and convenience of remote work.\"

Klipboard provides specialist software, services and support to deliver fully integrated trading and business management solutions to companies in the distributive trade – wherever they are in the world.

With a unique depth of knowledge and experience in ERP/Saa S solutions, Klipboard has a wide range of clients includes wholesalers, distributors, merchants and retailers from small traders to multinational enterprises.

Klipboard has offices in the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, South Africa, Kenya and North America.

Our mission is simple: to design and deliver high performance, integrated ERP solutions that enable our distributive trade customers to source effectively, stock efficiently, sell profitably and service competitively.

We’re looking for people who are curious about or fluid with AI, open to change, and excited to learn how technology can improve the way we work and help our customers which is always supported by strong human insight and communication.

We are looking for a forward-thinking QA Automation Engineer with strong Playwright experience and practical skills in using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accelerate software testing.

At Klipboard, we are evolving how we develop and deliver software, embracing AI-assisted engineering, automated testing and Continuous Delivery to improve quality and increase delivery velocity.

The successful candidate will be comfortable using modern AI development tools to generate, refine and maintain automated tests for complex web applications.

They will combine sound testing principles with an engineering mindset, ensuring that automation provides meaningful validation of product functionality and customer workflows.

This role is particularly suited to someone who enjoys exploring new technologies, challenging traditional testing approaches and finding more efficient ways to deliver high-quality software.

Key Responsibilities

• 1. Automated Testing and Quality Engineering
• Design, develop and maintain automated end-to-end tests using Microsoft Playwright.
• Build reliable automated test coverage for modern web applications, including complex user journeys and business workflows.
• Develop maintainable test suites using Type Script or Java Script.
• Apply risk-based testing principles to prioritise automation where it provides the greatest value.
• Identify defects, investigate failures and provide clear, actionable feedback to engineering teams.
• Ensure tests are reliable, repeatable and suitable for execution within CI/CD pipelines.
• 2. AI-Assisted Test Development
• Use AI coding assistants such as Git Hub Copilot, Cursor, Claude or Codex to accelerate automated test development.
• Generate Playwright tests from requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria and existing application behaviour.
• Use AI-assisted browser exploration and code analysis to identify test scenarios and potential gaps in coverage.
• Apply effective prompt engineering techniques to generate, refine and maintain test automation.
• Review and validate AI-generated tests to ensure they accurately reflect expected application behaviour.
• Experiment with AI-enabled testing approaches to improve productivity, test quality and maintainability.
• Share successful AI techniques and practices with other QA and Engineering colleagues.
• 3. Continuous Integration and Delivery
• Integrate automated tests into Azure Dev Ops or equivalent CI/CD pipelines.
• Support automated validation of software changes through pull requests and deployment workflows.
• Work towards providing rapid, reliable feedback to developers on the quality of their changes.
• Investigate and reduce flaky tests, unreliable execution and unnecessary maintenance overhead.
• Support the engineering team's progression towards Continuous Delivery through effective automation.
• 4. Collaboration and Product Understanding
• Work closely with Software Engineers, Product Managers and other QA colleagues to understand requirements and expected behaviour.
• Develop a sound understanding of the product, its business processes and the customer workflows it supports.
• Participate in refinement, planning, estimation and retrospectives.
• Contribute to discussions on testability, quality risks and opportunities to improve software design.
• Communicate progress, blockers and quality concerns clearly and constructively.
• 5. Continuous Improvement and Professional Development
• Actively explore emerging AI and test automation capabilities.
• Identify opportunities to reduce repetitive manual testing through effective automation.
• Contribute to improvements in testing frameworks, engineering practices and team productivity.
• Maintain awareness of modern testing techniques, tooling and software engineering practices.
• Take ownership of personal development and share knowledge across the wider engineering organisation.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Test Automation
• Practical experience developing automated web application tests using Playwright.
• Good programming skills in Type Script or Java Script.
• Experience testing modern, dynamic web user interfaces.
• Understanding of end-to-end testing, regression testing, functional testing and test design.
• Ability to create maintainable tests using robust locators, assertions and reusable components.
• Experience debugging failed tests and distinguishing application defects from automation issues.
• Artificial Intelligence
• Demonstrable experience using AI coding assistants in software development or test automation.
• Ability to use AI to generate and refine Playwright tests rather than relying exclusively on manually written scripts.
• Understanding of effective prompting and providing appropriate application context to AI tools.
• Ability to critically assess AI-generated code and identify incorrect assumptions, incomplete coverage or unreliable tests.
• Enthusiasm for experimenting with new AI capabilities and applying them to practical engineering challenges.
• Engineering Practices
• Experience using Git and pull request workflows.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, ideally Azure Dev Ops.
• Understanding of Agile software development.
• Ability to work effectively with developers and contribute to shared responsibility for software quality.
• Understanding of secure testing practices and appropriate handling of sensitive application data.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience with Playwright's code generation, tracing and debugging capabilities.
• Experience using AI agents or browser automation agents to explore applications and generate tests.
• Experience with Playwright MCP or similar AI-enabled browser interaction tools.
• Familiarity with API testing and combining API and UI validation.
• Experience with accessibility testing.
• Experience testing complex ERP, automotive, rental or other business management applications.
• Familiarity with C#, . NET or other modern development technologies.
• Experience improving automated test coverage within an established engineering team.
• Personal Attributes

We are looking for someone who

• Embraces AI: Actively uses AI to improve how they work and is curious about emerging capabilities.
• Thinks like an engineer: Approaches testing as a software engineering discipline rather than simply executing test cases.
• Understands quality: Recognises that generating more tests does not necessarily mean better testing.
• Takes ownership: Accepts responsibility for the reliability, maintainability and effectiveness of their automation.
• Challenges convention: Looks for better approaches and is comfortable questioning established practices.
• Collaborates effectively: Works constructively with colleagues and communicates clearly.
• Continues learning: Demonstrates a genuine interest in improving technical skills and understanding new technologies.
• What Success Looks Like

A successful QA Automation Engineer will

• Consistently deliver reliable, maintainable Playwright automation for important customer workflows.
• Demonstrate effective use of AI to accelerate test development without compromising quality.
• Increase meaningful automated regression coverage and reduce reliance on repetitive manual testing.
• Contribute to faster feedback through automated testing integrated into engineering pipelines.
• Help identify defects earlier in the development lifecycle.
• Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the wider QA and Engineering team.
• Klipboard Engineering Culture

At Klipboard, we believe software quality is a shared engineering responsibility.

We are actively investing in AI-assisted development, test automation and Continuous Delivery.

We encourage our engineers to experiment, learn and challenge established approaches where better outcomes can be achieved.

We are particularly interested in people who see AI as an opportunity to fundamentally improve how software is built and tested, rather than simply another tool in the development process.

Company Info

You may also have seen from our recent posts that we are excited to begin sharing our new company name – Klipboard.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) is becoming Klipboard and our new brand is designed to bring together our expertise across distribution, automotive, retail, rental, transport management, manufacturing, and field service management.

We have offices based across the world and we are looking for talented individuals to join our growing teams.

Due to our growth over the last few years it is an exciting time to join us as we enter our next chapter!

At Klipboard we've introduced a flexible hybrid work policy, where employees spend three days in the office and two days working from home.

This approach promotes a balanced work environment that combines office collaboration with the comfort and convenience of remote work.

Equal Opportunities

As a global company, we value and respect the diversity of our workforce, aiming to empower everyone to embrace each other's differences.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where diversity, equity, and inclusion are integral to our company and culture.

We recognize the benefits of a diverse workforce, where creativity and valuing differences enable us all to thrive and sparks innovation.

If you require any help, adjustments and/or support during the interview and offer process then please advise our TA or HR team.

Research shows that women and other underrepresented groups are less likely to apply for a role unless they meet every listed requirement.

However, we recognise that skills and experience come in many forms, and we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every criterion.

If you are passionate about this role and believe you have the right mindset and transferrable skills, we would love to hear from you!

To all recruitment agencies: Klipboard does not accept agency speculative resumes.

At present we only accept CV’s from Agencies on our PSL who have been assigned specific position/s.

Please do not forward resumes to our careers site or direct to Klipboard employee as this does not constitute an introduction and Klipboard retrospectively will not be liable for any candidate ownership or fees related to unsolicited resumes.

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