At Instil, we develop digital products for a range of blue-chip clients. Our work is impactful and varied, often at the leading edge of technology. Our clients choose Instil because we are seen as a cut above.

We are looking for an experienced and highly skilled Senior QA Engineer with a strong background in automated and manual testing to join our dynamic team.  Over the years we have built a reputation like no other; creating great software through a culture of engineering excellence, curiosity and continuous learning.

As a Senior QA Engineer, you will have extensive experience in QA practices and processes and a deep understanding of automated testing frameworks and tools, particularly Playwright, JMeter, and Postman.  You will play a critical role in helping to ensure the quality, reliability, and performance of our software products through effective test automation and continuous process improvement.  In this role, you will represent Instil to our clients, demonstrating our commitment to excellence and ensuring their satisfaction through exceptional quality assurance practices.

In return, we offer varied, challenging work in a supportive environment where you will find yourself constantly evolving and learning.  If this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you.

Location Requirements

This role requires regular in office attendance. Therefore, candidates should be located in Northern Ireland.

Benefits include

• Competitive Salary & Annual Bonus
• Hybrid Working
• Flexible Working Hours
• Summer Working Hours
• 35 Days Holiday
• Private Pension (8% Employer, 5% Employee)
• Private Healthcare
• Life Assurance
• Cycle to Work Scheme

Day to Day

Test Strategy & Planning

• Define, develop, and implement comprehensive test strategies and plans that ensure the delivery of high-quality software.
• Establish QA processes, standards, and best practices to be followed across the software development lifecycle.
• Collaborate with product owners, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to understand product requirements and ensure testability of the software.

Automation and Testing

• Design, develop, and maintain robust test automation frameworks using tools such as: Playwright, JMeter, and Postman.
• Automate different types of functional and non-functional tests using appropriate tools and methodologies.
• Write and execute test plans and test cases for both UI and API testing.
• Integrate automated tests with CI/CD pipelines to ensure continuous testing.

Performance & Load Testing

• Utilise JMeter and other tools to conduct performance and load testing, analysing the results to identify potential bottlenecks and areas for optimization.
• Provide recommendations for improving application performance and scalability based on test results.

QA Discipline & Process Improvement

• Establish and maintain a QA discipline that includes rigorous testing procedures, clear documentation, and effective communication of testing progress and results.
• Support, mentor and guide junior QA engineers and developers in best practices for testing and quality assurance.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and methodologies in software QA and automation, and advocate for their adoption where appropriate.

Defect Management

• Identify, document, and track software defects using an agreed standardised process.
• Work closely with development teams to reproduce, diagnose, and resolve defects.

Reporting & Metrics

• Generate and analyse quality metrics to assess the effectiveness of the QA processes and to identify areas for improvement.
• Provide detailed reports on testing activities, results, and quality trends to stakeholders.

Need to Have

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field. Equivalent experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in software quality assurance, with a focus on test automation.
• Proven experience in establishing and scaling QA practices within an Engineering organisation.
• Strong hands-on experience of using test automation tools, such as: Playwright (UI/E2E), Postman (API) and JMeter (Performance).
• Experience of working in an Agile team.
• Solid understanding of software development life cycle (SDLC) and agile methodologies.
• Experience of various types of testing and executing against web applications, APIs, and microservices.
• Proficiency in one or more programming/scripting languages (e.g., JavaScript, Python, C# or Java).
• Extensive experience with test automation tools, frameworks and good practice approaches.Strong knowledge of performance testing and performance testing tools such as JMeter.
• Familiarity with CI/CD tools and integration of automated tests within pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI).
• Understanding of version control systems (e.g., Git).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Leadership abilities with a proactive and results-oriented approach.
• Ability to mentor and train junior team members.
• Eligibility to live and work in the UK.

Nice to Have

• Relevant certifications in software testing (e.g., ISTQB, Certified Software Test Professional).
• Knowledge of continuous integration and continuous deployment tools (e.g., Jenkins, Github Actions).
• Experience with cloud-based testing environments and services.
• Knowledge of different types of non-functional testing, tools and approaches to support this effort
• Experience with test management tools such as X-ray, TestRail or Zephyr

Equality

Instil is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff. Applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.