Quality Assurance Automation Engineer in Manchester

Contract Automation QA | Hybrid/Remote | Up to £500 p/d | Outside IR35 I'm working with a technology-driven organisation looking for an experienced Automation Test Lead to help drive quality engineering standards across a modern software delivery environment. This is a hands-on role combining technical leadership with automation engineering. You'll play a key part in embedding quality throughout the development lifecycle, championing Test-Driven Development (TDD) and helping teams build robust, scalable, and highly automated testing solutions. Working closely with developers, architects, and product teams, you'll be responsible for designing automation frameworks, improving testing practices, and ensuring quality is built into every stage of delivery. Key Responsibilities Lead the automation testing strategy across multiple products and platforms Design, build, and maintain scalable automation frameworks Champion TDD and quality engineering best practices across development teams Develop automated UI, API, integration, and end-to-end test suites Collaborate closely with engineers to ensure quality is embedded from design through to production Drive continuous improvement across testing processes, tooling, and frameworks Mentor and support other QA and engineering team members Technical Skills Essential Strong understanding and practical experience of Test-Driven Development (TDD) Proficiency in at least one programming language: Java C# Python JavaScript / TypeScript Experience building and maintaining automation frameworks Automation & Testing UI Automation using Playwright API Automation using tools such as Rest Assured Framework design using Page Object Model (POM) Cross-browser and cross-device testing experience Strong unit testing capabilities Integration testing across microservices and service-based architectures API testing (REST and GraphQL) Tools & Technologies Playwright Rest Assured Postman CI/CD environments and automated delivery pipelines What They're Looking For A strong advocate for quality engineering and automation-first testing Someone who can combine hands-on technical delivery with leadership and coaching Experience working in Agile software delivery environments Strong communication skills and the ability to influence engineering teams A collaborative mindset with a passion for continuous improvement