At a Glance
- Tasks: Test and validate innovative marine surveillance technology to ensure reliability and performance.
- Company: Join a leading multinational company making waves in marine security and sustainability.
- Benefits: Hybrid working, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on innovation and quality results.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the marine industry while working with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Strong experience in software testing and familiarity with distributed systems.
The predicted salary is between 45000 - 60000 £ per year.
SRT Marine Systems plc (SRT) is a market leader in the domain of international marine surveillance technology and systems. We are a respected, established, and ambitious multi-national company headquartered in the UK with a global customer base. The company has a worldwide impact in the marine sector by leading the next generation of Maritime Domain Awareness technologies (MDA), products, and systems that significantly enhance security, safety, environmental protection, and sustainability. Our customers range from the largest national coast guards to individual vessel owners.
As a Senior Software Tester, you will work on the continued build of our Marine Domain Awareness (MDA) platform which is used to create an operational picture of maritime activity. Our system ingests large volumes of streaming data including satellite and terrestrial, along with other sensor sources. These data streams are processed through an event-driven architecture, where messages are ingested via RabbitMQ queues and handled by a suite of approximately 50 distributed services. In addition to asynchronous message processing, our services expose CRUD APIs used to manage and query maritime entities and system state.
The role of Senior Software Tester is a hybrid working position based from our Cardiff office, requiring attendance in the office 1 day per week as per the team’s requirements.
How We Work
- Development tickets move across the Jira board through the delivery workflow.
- Tickets reaching the Test stage are assigned to a tester.
- Testers validate functionality using a mix of automated and manual testing approaches.
QA Release Cycles
Every six weeks, we conduct a dedicated two-week QA phase where:
- Testers pause normal sprint board work.
- The focus shifts to release-wide regression testing.
- Both manual and automated test suites are executed to validate the full platform.
Responsibilities (not exhaustive):
- Test new features and improvements delivered during sprint cycles.
- Design, implement, and maintain automated tests where appropriate.
- Validate message-driven workflows across distributed services.
- Test REST API endpoints supporting CRUD operations within the system.
- Participate in release regression cycles and help validate production-ready builds.
- Investigate issues, reproduce defects, and provide clear bug reports.
- Work closely with developers and product teams to clarify requirements and ensure testability.
- Become comfortable operating within the platform’s technical environment, including investigating minor non-prod environment config issues and understanding data flows across services.
Required Skills and Experience:
- Strong experience as a software tester or QA engineer.
- Experience testing complex distributed systems or backend platforms.
- Familiarity with tools such as Postman (or similar API testing tools).
- Ability to understand system behaviour through logs, messages, and APIs.
- Strong debugging and problem-solving skills.
- Experience working within Agile / Scrum teams.
- Familiarity with Jira or similar issue-tracking tools.
SRT Marine Systems plc are an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive working environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.
Senior Software Tester - Contract employer: SRT Marine Systems plc
SRT Marine Systems plc is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and innovative work environment in the heart of Bristol. As a multi-national leader in marine surveillance technology, we provide our employees with excellent career development opportunities, a competitive salary, and private healthcare, all while fostering a culture of inclusivity and collaboration. Join us to make a meaningful impact in the marine industry and be part of a team that values high-quality results and continuous improvement.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Tester - Contract
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at SRT Marine Systems plc or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to SRT Marine Systems plc.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like SRT Marine Systems plc.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like SRT Marine Systems plc that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Software Tester - Contract
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at SRT Marine Systems plc.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at SRT Marine Systems plc and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at SRT Marine Systems plc
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If SRT Marine Systems plc uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
