At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead testing strategies and mentor junior testers in a hybrid role.
- Company: Join a key player in the UK's government digital transformation.
- Benefits: 6-12 month contract with flexible working and competitive pay.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for continuous improvement and professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on mission-critical systems while advancing your career.
- Qualifications: SC Clearance required; expertise in JUnit, Cucumber, and Selenium essential.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 £ per year.
Role: Senior System Tester
Location: Hybrid - Solihull, UK (2 days a week) with occasional travel to Croydon
Work Mode: 6 - 12 Months Contract
About the Role
As a Senior System Tester, you will take a leading role in ensuring the quality, reliability, and performance of complex, mission‑critical systems within one of the UK's most significant government digital transformation programmes. You will guide testing strategy, mentor junior testers, and work closely with multidisciplinary teams to embed a culture of quality, automation, and continuous improvement. You will be responsible for designing robust test frameworks, driving automation‑first practices, and ensuring that services meet stringent functional and non‑functional requirements. This role requires deep technical expertise across modern testing tools, backend validation, and service‑based architectures, along with the ability to influence, challenge, and lead teams toward high‑quality delivery.
Key Responsibilities
- Candidate must have the Valid SC Clearance & NPPV3
- Lead the design, development, and maintenance of automated test suites using JUnit, Cucumber, and Selenium
- Own system, integration, regression, and end‑to‑end testing across distributed and microservice‑based applications.
- Conduct advanced backend validation and data integrity checks using PostgreSQL, including complex query analysis.
- Use WireMock to design sophisticated mocks and stubs for external service simulation.
- Collaborate with engineering teams building Spring‑based applications to ensure testability, quality gates, and robust engineering practices.
- Lead performance and load testing using JMeter, interpreting results and advising on system optimisation.
- Facilitate workshops, technical discussions, and quality reviews with stakeholders across engineering, product, and operations.
- Manage and prioritise defects, risks, and issues, ensuring clear communication and timely resolution.
- Mentor and support junior testers, promoting best practices in automation, CI/CD integration, and quality engineering.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives across testing processes, tooling, and delivery workflows.
Essential Skills and Experience
- Extensive hands‑on experience with JUnit, Cucumber, and Selenium WebDriver in complex system environments.
- Strong understanding of Spring applications, microservices, and distributed architectures.
- Advanced proficiency with PostgreSQL, including query optimisation and data validation techniques.
- Deep experience using WireMock for service virtualisation and integration isolation.
- Strong expertise with JMeter for performance, load, and stress testing.
- Proven experience leading testing activities within agile delivery teams.
- Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines and tooling (e.g., Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI).
Desired Skills and Experience
- Experience testing microservices at scale, including contract testing approaches.
- Exposure to containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes) and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
- Understanding of BDD/TDD practices and quality‑driven engineering.
- Experience with monitoring and observability tools (Grafana, Prometheus, ELK).
- Experience working in consultancy or government digital delivery environments.
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to lead testing independently while supporting team collaboration.
Lead Automation Tester – SC Cleared, Hybrid, 6–12m Contract employer: ThriveIT Systems
As a leading employer in the UK government digital transformation sector, we offer a dynamic work environment that fosters innovation and collaboration. Our hybrid model allows for flexibility while working on mission-critical systems, and we prioritise employee growth through mentorship and continuous improvement initiatives. Join us to be part of a culture that values quality, automation, and impactful contributions to public service.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Automation Tester – SC Cleared, Hybrid, 6–12m Contract
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with people in the industry! Attend meetups, webinars, or even just grab a coffee with someone who works in testing. You never know when a casual chat could lead to your next opportunity.
✨Show Off Your Skills
Don’t just talk about your experience; demonstrate it! Create a portfolio showcasing your automated test suites or any projects you've led. This gives potential employers a tangible look at what you can bring to the table.
✨Ace the Interview
Prepare for those tricky interview questions by practising your responses. Focus on your problem-solving skills and how you've tackled challenges in past roles. Remember, they want to see how you think and approach testing!
✨Apply Through Us!
Make sure to apply through our website for the best chance of landing that role. We’re always on the lookout for talented testers like you, and applying directly helps us get to know you better!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Automation Tester – SC Cleared, Hybrid, 6–12m Contract
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV highlights your experience with JUnit, Cucumber, and Selenium. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t be shy about showcasing your hands-on experience in complex system environments.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re the perfect fit for the Senior System Tester role. Mention your experience with backend validation and how you’ve led testing activities in agile teams.
Showcase Your Technical Expertise:Don’t forget to highlight your deep technical expertise in modern testing tools and methodologies. We’re looking for someone who can influence and lead teams, so share examples of how you’ve done this in past roles.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at ThriveIT Systems
✨Know Your Tools Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in JUnit, Cucumber, and Selenium. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with these tools, as well as how you've used them in complex system environments. Prepare examples of how you've designed automated test suites and the impact they had on project outcomes.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Lead Automation Tester, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to mentor junior testers and lead teams. Think of specific instances where you've guided others or influenced testing strategies. Highlight your experience in facilitating workshops and technical discussions to show you can drive a culture of quality.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect deep dives into your technical expertise, especially around backend validation and data integrity checks using PostgreSQL. Brush up on complex query analysis and be ready to explain how you’ve tackled performance and load testing with JMeter. Real-world scenarios will help illustrate your problem-solving skills.
✨Understand the Bigger Picture
Familiarise yourself with the government digital transformation programme and its significance. Be prepared to discuss how your role as a Senior System Tester fits into this context. Showing that you understand the mission-critical nature of the systems you'll be working on will set you apart from other candidates.
