At a Glance
- Tasks: Architect and scale automation frameworks while driving AI-augmented testing practices.
- Company: Join PolyAI, a leader in automating customer service with innovative voice assistants.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, flexible working, and generous holiday allowances.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team that values continuous improvement and ownership.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the world of conversational AI and drive quality innovation.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in test automation, strong skills in TypeScript or Python, and CI/CD experience.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
PolyAI automates customer service through lifelike voice assistants that let customers lead a conversation. Our voice assistants make it possible for businesses to deliver outstanding customer service that rivals their human agents. Our customers, which include the world’s leading logos, are expanding how they use our platform, driving automation of critical customer service operations and integrating PolyAI into their daily customer service workflows.
We are seeking a Senior Software Quality Engineer to join our SQX team at PolyAI. In this role, you will architect and scale automation frameworks, define quality strategy across pods, and drive AI-augmented testing practices - engineering quality into the product lifecycle rather than gatekeeping at the end. The Senior SQE operates across pods with deep technical mastery, defines strategy, mentors teams, and drives innovation. This role blends Engineering Craft, Quality Strategy & Insights, and Experience-Driven Quality - and requires someone who can influence technical decisions and champion a culture of continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities:- Engineering Craft Automation & CI/CD
- Architect automation frameworks from scratch and define tooling standards for the organisation
- Evaluate and introduce new automation technologies; build reusable libraries and utilities adopted across teams
- Drive automation coverage targets and ROI measurement
- Architect scalable test infrastructure and environment provisioning
- Champion feature flag-based release strategies with quality controls
- Partner with platform engineering to embed quality into the deployment lifecycle
- Own flaky test detection, quarantine strategies, and test suite reliability - ensuring the automation suite is a trusted signal, not noise
- Quality Strategy & Insights:
- Drive innovation in generative test design, predictive defect analysis, and AI powered observability
- Define org-wide quality metrics taxonomy; build exec-facing quality intelligence dashboards using data analysis tools (SQL, BI/observability platforms)
- Architect observability pipelines and anomaly detection
- Establish feedback loops between production user data and quality engineering
- Testing & Experience-Driven Quality:
- Define the experience quality strategy, ensuring quality is measured by customer outcomes, not just defect counts
- Define quality gates that connect release decisions to real user impact data
- Perform root cause analysis on failures and lead RCA sessions
- Support exploratory, regression, and release testing efforts when needed
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
- 5+ years of experience in test automation and quality engineering.
- Strong hands-on experience architecting automation frameworks using Playwright, Cypress, or similar.
- Proficiency in TypeScript or Python.
- Solid experience with CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, GitOps).
- Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and containerised test infrastructure.
- Strong knowledge of API testing (Postman, REST Assured, Karate, etc.).
- Experience defining quality metrics, telemetry, and reporting dashboards.
- Proven ability to mentor and guide junior and mid-level engineers.
- Deep understanding of QA methodologies, shift-left practices, and the full SDLC.
- Hands-on experience with Git and version control best practices.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills - able to influence without authority and advocate for quality across teams.
- Practical experience with AI/ML-based testing tools and strategies (self-healing frameworks, LLM-assisted test generation, predictive defect analysis).
- Experience with AI-powered observability to detect real-time UX drift.
- Experience with performance and load testing tools (JMeter, Grafana, k6).
- Background in experience-driven quality — tying quality outcomes to user experience metrics (task completion rates, CSAT, error rates).
- SDET background or equivalent engineering depth.
We offer competitive compensation based on experience, expertise, and the level of responsibility. This role also includes equity, giving you the opportunity to share in the long-term success of the business. The listed expectations reflect what we are hiring for, so we encourage you to review the job description carefully.
Benefits:- Participation in the company’s employee share options plan
- Tenure-Based PTO: You will receive 25 holidays when you join and will gain an additional 1 day after 2 years of service, then 1 day each year until capped at 32 holidays
- Flexible working from home policy
- Work from outside of the UK for up to 6 months each year
- TELUS Health EAP 24/7 - offers you and your chosen family confidential, judgment-free support for any work, health, or life challenge
- Enhanced parental leave
- Bike2Work scheme
- Annual learning and development allowance
- We’re all about making WFH work for you - that’s why we offer a one-off WFH allowance when you join. Offering perks like noise-cancelling headphones or a comfortable desk chair to boost your comfort and focus!
- Company-funded fertility and family-forming programmes
- Menopause care programme with Maven
- Private healthcare and dental cover, discounts on gym members and relaxation apps, and access to a range of mental health programs
- Sabbatical Program: 5-week paid sabbatical available after 5 years of employment
At PolyAI, we take great pride in our values - they guide everything we do. We believe that a strong culture leads to meaningful work and lasting impact. Our core values are:
- Only the best: We expect the best from our people, we hire people that expect the best from themselves, and we nurture this drive for excellence.
- Ownership: We care deeply about what we do. We take ownership of our initiatives, decisions and outcomes.
- Relentlessly improve: We demand more from ourselves and are always evolving. Continuous, obsessive improvement is the only way we will transform the world of conversational AI.
- Bias for action: Our world moves quickly and so do we. We take calculated risks and we deliver impact fast.
- Disagree and commit: We are all working toward the same goal. If we don’t agree with something, we work hard to understand it and when a decision is made, we accept it and give it our all.
- Build for people: We want the world to enjoy the experiences they have with us. We are building for a future that prefers automation.
PolyAI is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions at PolyAI will be based on the business needs without attention to ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, neurodiversity status or disability status.
Senior Software Quality Engineer in London employer: PolyAI
At PolyAI, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic and inclusive work culture that champions innovation and continuous improvement. As a Senior Software Quality Engineer, you'll not only have the opportunity to architect cutting-edge automation frameworks but also benefit from our generous employee share options, flexible working arrangements, and a commitment to your professional growth through annual learning allowances. Join us in shaping the future of conversational AI while enjoying a supportive environment that values excellence and ownership.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Quality Engineer in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, attend meetups, and connect with current PolyAI employees on LinkedIn. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you’ve got a portfolio or GitHub repo, make sure it’s up to date. Share projects that highlight your automation frameworks and testing strategies. This is your chance to shine!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into PolyAI’s products and values. Understand how our voice assistants work and think about how you can contribute to our mission of delivering top-notch customer service.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Software Quality Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Senior Software Quality Engineer role. Highlight your experience with automation frameworks and quality engineering, and don’t forget to mention any relevant tools like Playwright or Cypress!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re passionate about quality engineering and how your skills align with our mission at PolyAI. Keep it engaging and personal!
Showcase Your Achievements:When detailing your experience, focus on your achievements rather than just responsibilities. Quantify your impact where possible, like how you improved automation coverage or reduced flaky tests.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates!
How to prepare for a job interview at PolyAI
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, like Playwright, Cypress, TypeScript, and Python. Brush up on your CI/CD pipeline knowledge too, as you'll need to demonstrate your hands-on experience with tools like GitHub Actions and Docker.
✨Showcase Your Quality Strategy Skills
Prepare to discuss how you've defined quality strategies in previous roles. Think about specific examples where you've driven innovation in testing practices or established quality metrics that had a real impact on user experience.
✨Be Ready to Mentor
Since this role involves mentoring junior engineers, come prepared with examples of how you've guided others in the past. Highlight your communication skills and how you’ve influenced teams without direct authority—this will show you can champion a culture of continuous improvement.
✨Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Skills
Expect questions around root cause analysis and how you've tackled flaky tests or reliability issues in automation suites. Be ready to share your thought process and any innovative solutions you've implemented to enhance test infrastructure.
