Senior QA Engineer - fixed-term contract (maternity cover) in London

Drive Global Film Delivery. Elevate the Cinema Experience. Join MPS as a Senior QA Engineer on a 12-month fixed-term contract and ensure software quality and reliability, which includes software testing, contributing to Process Improvement, performing quality assurance and audit activities, and working closely with product and departmental managers to identify non-conformances and assist in the implementation of cost effective, timely solutions.

Responsibilities

• Execute hands‑on quality assurance activities, primarily manual testing, to ensure stable and reliable product releases.
• Collaborate closely with Developers, Product Owners, and Business Analysts to ensure solutions meet functional, non‑functional, performance, and scalability requirements.
• Design, maintain, and execute test artefacts including test plans, test cases, acceptance criteria, and regression test suites.
• Manage the full defect lifecycle, including accurate logging, prioritisation, investigation, escalation, and verification through to resolution.
• Define, track, and report on quality metrics to provide clear visibility of product quality and release readiness.
• Act as the quality subject‑matter expert within the team, promoting testing standards, best practices, and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Lead and participate in root cause analysis of defects and incidents, ensuring corrective and preventative actions are identified and implemented.
• Validate backend data integrity and test outcomes using SQL queries and database checks.
• Analyse application behaviour and performance using logs and metrics (e.g. Splunk) to identify quality risks.
• Perform API validation using tools such as Postman.
• Support deployments to test and staging environments using SSH and Git.
• Work within AWS environments (including S3, EC2, RDS, and Lambda) to support QA and testing activities.
• Design and execute complex test scenarios across multiple browsers and platforms.
• Prepare, manage, and maintain appropriate test data to support functional and end‑to‑end testing.
• Ensure effective fault reporting, monitoring, and communication throughout the testing lifecycle.
• Mentor and support team members by sharing QA knowledge, guidance, and best practices.
• Foster a positive, solution‑focused approach, providing clear, constructive, and open feedback.

Essential Qualifications

• Degree‑level education in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working as a QA Engineer in a fast‑paced Agile environment.
• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban.
• Experience across the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and Software Testing Lifecycle (STLC).
• Proven experience in manual testing across functional and non‑functional requirements.
• Hands‑on experience testing APIs using tools such as Postman or Swagger.
• Comfortable working with Unix/Linux command line environments.
• Experience working closely with developers and coordinating test and release branches using Git.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Desirable Qualifications

• ISTQB Certified Tester – Foundation Level (or equivalent).
• Exposure to non‑functional testing areas such as performance, scalability, load, or security testing.
• Experience with Git version control, including Gitflow branching strategies.
• Knowledge of media file formats and metadata (e.g. XML).
• Familiarity with Digital Cinema Industry (DCI) file types and standards.
• Awareness of scripting or programming languages such as PHP, Python, or JavaScript.

Competencies & Behaviours

• Strong ownership of quality, with a proactive and risk‑aware mindset.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Collaborative approach to working across cross‑functional teams.
• Analytical and problem‑solving skills, with attention to detail.
• Ability to manage priorities effectively in a fast‑moving environment.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and raising quality standards.
• Professional, pragmatic, and solution‑oriented approach to challenges.

Benefits

• Access to EOT (Employee Ownership Trust) tax‑free bonus.
• 25 days’ Annual Leave.
• Enhanced Parental Leave.
• Enhanced Sick Leave.
• Retention recognition – extra perks at key milestones: from increased employer pension to private medical care.
• Birthday or work anniversary day off on us.
• Cinema perks, including access to premieres and special screenings.
• Rental Housing Deposit Support.
• Access to hybrid and remote working arrangements.
• Volunteering Day off.