Principal QA Test Engineer

Role Overview

• Designing and implementing automation frameworks across web, mobile, app, and API layers, including the architecture, tooling, and patterns squads build upon
• Building and evolving performance testing practices using k6 to help teams understand system behaviour under load
• Defining coding standards, contribution guidelines, and reusable patterns that make automated tests easier to write and maintain
• Integrating automation and quality checks into CI/CD pipelines and embedding quality practices into day‑to‑day squad workflows
• Exploring and introducing AI‑assisted testing and development approaches (such as Copilot or AI agents) where they meaningfully improve test development, debugging, or engineering productivity
• Partnering with engineering teams to support strong unit and integration testing practices, while ensuring end‑to‑end journeys and critical patient flows are well covered
• Introducing accessibility testing practices and automated accessibility checks into testing workflows
• Influencing how quality is measured in production through observability, monitoring, and meaningful release health signals
• Investigating complex issues across services, integrations, and environments using logs, monitoring, and debugging tools
• Providing technical mentorship to QA Engineers and developers adopting modern testing practices
• Helping shape quality gates and automated feedback loops that provide fast, reliable confidence without slowing delivery
• Contributing actively to the QA Guild and Communities of Practice, sharing knowledge and supporting growth across the wider engineering function
• Translating complex technical context into clear, accessible language for non‑technical leadership and contributing to capability and investment discussions alongside QA leadership

Requirements

• Comfortable working with large codebases or monolithic repositories
• Enjoys mentoring engineers and QA Engineers, with impact measured by how much the wider team improves
• Comfortable influencing technical direction across multiple teams without direct authority and translating technical complexity for non‑technical leadership
• Stays curious about industry direction and brings informed perspectives on emerging tools, frameworks, and approaches
• Explored or implemented AI‑assisted testing and development approaches and can articulate what worked well and what did not
• Cares about the end users of what is built, with a clear understanding that this means patients in this context
• Brings extensive experience building automation frameworks for modern web, mobile, and API platforms
• Deep coding experience, ideally in TypeScript or JavaScript
• Hands‑on experience with Playwright, Cypress, or similar modern automation frameworks
• Experience designing automation architecture for complex systems, not just writing automated tests
• Experience implementing performance testing strategies using k6 or similar tooling
• Experience testing systems with multiple services, APIs, and third‑party integrations
• Experience integrating automation into CI/CD pipelines and modern delivery workflows
• Strong understanding of modern testing strategies, including unit, integration, and end‑to‑end approaches
• Strong understanding of service‑based architectures, distributed systems, and modern web platforms

Tech Stack

• Cypress
• Distributed Systems
• JavaScript
• TypeScript

Benefits

• Competitive contributory pension
• Occupational sick pay
• Long-service awards and refer-a-friend bonuses
• Professional registration fees covered (GPhC, NMC, CIPD and more)
• Cycle to Work and Green Car schemes (subject to eligibility)
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
• Flexible hybrid working to help balance work and home life
• Private healthcare insurance at discounted rates (Aviva)
• Employee Assistance Programme and in-house mental health support
• Access to discounted gym memberships via Blue Light Card and benefits schemes
• Regular health and wellbeing initiatives
• Strong commitment to CPD, training and professional development
• 25 days’ annual leave, increasing with service
• Buy and sell holiday scheme
• Blue Light Card and employee discount platform
• Exclusive discounts at The Springs, Leeds
• 25% off health & beauty purchases
• 25% off Pharmacy2U Private Online Doctor services
• Regular social events throughout the year