Senior Test Automation Engineer

You may have been working as a Test Engineer, Software Engineer in Test, or Test Analyst that writes Java the way most people write emails — fluently, without thinking twice. You are as comfortable designing and building an automation framework from scratch as you are executing a test plan, and you take genuine pride in the quality of the test code you produce, not just the coverage it achieves. You will be part of an agile delivery team helping clients achieve meaningful business transformation, embedded alongside developers and product owners with a shared responsibility for quality. This is not a role for someone who treats automation as an optional extra — Java-based test engineering is at the core of what you will be doing, and the expectation is that you bring real depth to it.

Responsibilities

• Designing, building, and maintaining Java-based automation frameworks from the ground up, producing test code that is structured, reusable, version‑controlled, and maintainable to the same standard as production code.
• Delivering automated test coverage across functional, cross‑browser, API, integration, and acceptance testing layers, with overnight regression runs that the team can rely on.
• Building and extending API test suites using frameworks such as Karate or REST‑assured, validating service contracts, data integrity, and integration behaviour.
• Defining and executing test strategies, plans, and scripts across agile delivery cycles, with clear traceability from requirements through to test coverage.
• Supporting development teams to write and automate tests that guide development, including contributing to test‑driven and behaviour‑driven approaches where appropriate.
• Performing front‑end cross‑browser functional testing, exploratory testing, system integration testing, and user acceptance testing as the engagement requires.
• Accurate defect recording, monitoring, and root cause analysis, feeding quality data back into the team to drive continuous improvement.
• Reviewing and improving test environments, CI/CD pipeline integration, and test processes to maintain high quality standards across the delivery lifecycle.
• Providing test estimates and contributing to planning sessions with a realistic, evidence‑based view of testing effort.

Qualifications

• Strong, demonstrable Java skills — this is the core requirement. You should be able to build, review, and own Java‑based test automation frameworks, not just work within one someone else has built.
• Proven experience designing and implementing automation frameworks using Java, with hands‑on knowledge of tools such as Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, or Karate — and the judgement to pick the right one for the context.
• Solid experience delivering automated test coverage across functional, cross‑browser, API, integration, and acceptance testing, ideally with overnight regression pipelines as part of your normal delivery rhythm.
• Practical experience with API testing using Java‑based frameworks, including the ability to write contract tests, validate request/response behaviour, authentication flows, and data consistency across integrated services.
• Comfortable working across both automated and manual testing disciplines — you know when to automate and when not to, and you can do both well.
• Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines and maintaining quality gates that give the team genuine confidence in each release.
• Worked in agile or scrum delivery environments, with an understanding of how testing fits within sprints and how to keep pace with a fast‑moving development team.
• Clear communication skills, with the ability to report on test progress, coverage gaps, and defect trends in a way that is useful to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Resident in the UK for five or more years with no more than 30 days per year out of the UK to meet Security Clearance (SC) eligibility, or currently holding Security Clearance.

Benefits

• Share in our success with our Quarterly Performance‑Related Profit Share Scheme, where employees collectively benefit from a share of our company’s profits.
• Strong Career Progression & mentorship coaching through our Strength in Balance & Leadership schemes with a dedicated quarterly Pathways Career Development programme.
• Flexible/remote working, Version 1 is tremendously understanding of life events and people’s individual circumstances and offer flexibility to help achieve a healthy work life balance.
• Financial Wellbeing initiatives including Pension, Private Healthcare Cover, Life Assurance, Financial advice and an Employee Discount scheme.
• Employee Wellbeing schemes including Gym Discounts, Bike to Work, Fitness classes, Mindfulness Workshops, Employee Assistance Programme and much more.
• Generous holiday allowance, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, marriage/civil partnership leave and special leave policies.
• Educational assistance, incentivised certifications, and accreditations, including AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat.
• Reward schemes including Version 1’s Annual Excellence Awards & Call‑Out platform.
• Environment, Social and Community First initiatives allow you to get involved in local fundraising and development opportunities as part of fostering our diversity, inclusion and belonging schemes.

Version 1 is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace where everyone feels valued and able to thrive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and lived experiences, and we value the different perspectives people bring including those shaped by disability and neurodiversity. We want every candidate to have a positive and accessible recruitment experience. If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process, please contact your recruiter at Version 1. We will consider all requests carefully, respectfully and confidentially.