At a Glance
- Tasks: Ensure quality and stability of UCL’s digital systems through testing and defect management.
- Company: Join UCL's Information Services Division, a leader in IT services for education.
- Benefits: 41 days holiday, pension scheme, on-site gym, and employee support services.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace committed to equality and representation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on student and staff experiences while developing your skills.
- Qualifications: Strong analytical skills, teamwork experience, and familiarity with testing methodologies.
The predicted salary is between 37800 - 46200 £ per year.
About us
The Information Services Division (ISD) is the primary provider of IT services to UCL. We support and enhance learning, teaching, research and administrative processes by providing information- and technology-related services to over 50,000 staff and students of UCL and associated institutions.
Our goal is to be the leading IT services group in the HE sector and we are growing our team’s capability in experience/UX, agile development, security, cloud, service management and partnering. We are modernising our technology foundations, digitising the processes of the university to transform experience for students and staff, and partnering across the university to drive differentiation in UCL education and research.
Portfolio and Product Delivery manage the delivery of technology led change, partnering with colleagues across UCL. We collaborate as cross functional agile teams and have core capabilities in experience, development & test, analysis and agile delivery management.
About the role
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a detail-oriented and motivated internal candidate to join our team as a Software Engineer - QA on a secondment basis. In this role, you will play a crucial part in ensuring the quality, stability, and accessibility of UCL’s digital systems and platforms. You will work closely with developers, business analysts, product owners, and stakeholders to write and execute test scripts, document test results and defects, track issues through to resolution, and communicate testing progress, risks, and outcomes.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
- Test Design & Execution: Create, maintain, and execute test cases and test scripts for system updates, new features, and core integrations.
- Defect Management: Identify, log, and track software defects, working closely with engineering teams to ensure timely resolution.
- Requirements Review: Participate in requirements-gathering sessions to ensure business criteria are clear, testable, and robust.
- Reporting: Compile concise test reports and exit summaries for stakeholders before system deployment.
- Support: Offer local and remote QA support during critical deployment and user-acceptance testing (UAT) phases.
This secondment is an excellent opportunity to expand your analytical and technical skills whilst gaining experience within a fast-paced delivery environment.
About you
To be considered for this exciting and challenging role, the candidate will be required to have strong mix of the following technical skills and experience:
Essential Criteria
- Analytical Skills: Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to systematically diagnose system issues and identify root causes.
- Documentation: Demonstrable ability to write clear, structured test cases, scripts, and clear defect reports.
- Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate technical issues to non-technical stakeholders clearly.
- Teamwork: Experience working collaboratively within a team environment to meet shared project deadlines.
Desirable Criteria
- Testing Experience: Proven experience or strong practical understanding of software testing methodologies, including manual or automated testing.
- Experience with automated testing tools (e.g., Selenium, Playwright) and bug-tracking software (e.g., Jira).
- Familiarity with UCL's core applications or higher education digital platforms (e.g., SITS).
What we offer
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits:
- 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays, and 6 closure days)
- Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
- Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
- Immigration loan
- Relocation scheme for certain posts
- On-Site nursery
- On-site gym
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
- Discounted medical insurance
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.
QA Automation Engineer in London employer: UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
UCL's Information Services Division (ISD) is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment that fosters innovation and collaboration among over 50,000 staff and students. With a commitment to employee growth, ISD provides extensive benefits including 41 days of holiday, a defined benefit pension scheme, and opportunities for professional development in cutting-edge technology areas. Located in the heart of London, UCL promotes a diverse and inclusive culture, making it an ideal place for those looking to make a meaningful impact in higher education.
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