QA engineer (auto)

At Genomics England, we’re looking for an experienced QA Engineer with strong commercial Java and proven test automation experience. You’ll play a key role in ensuring quality is engineered into our products from the outset, working closely with Product Managers, Software Engineers, SMEs, and fellow QA Engineers to deliver reliable, scalable, and secure solutions. Working as part of a cross-functional Agile squad, you'll champion a shift-left approach to quality, building and evolving automated testing frameworks using your expertise and experience in Java, Selenium, and RestAssured, while helping improve test coverage, automation, and delivery confidence across the software development lifecycle.

• Promote and follow Genomics England's software testing standards, processes, and best practices.
• Design, build, maintain, and execute automated test frameworks using Java, Selenium, and RestAssured.
• Contribute to quality engineering practices across the full SDLC, supporting both product-level and service-level assurance.
• Work collaboratively with engineers to improve unit, integration, API, and end-to-end test coverage.
• Help drive shift-left testing practices and ensure quality is built into products from the earliest stages of development.
• Ensure requirements, acceptance criteria, test cases, defects, and evidence are traceable and auditable.
• Support CI/CD implementation and test automation execution within deployment pipelines.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify risks, quality concerns, and opportunities to improve delivery confidence.

• Strong experience in Java test automation, including designing, developing, and maintaining automated test frameworks and test suites using Selenium and RestAssured.
• Experience automating both UI and API testing using Java-based frameworks.
• Good understanding of software testing principles, SDLC, Agile development practices, and quality engineering.
• Experienced in functional, regression, integration, API, and end-to-end testing.
• Experience reviewing requirements and acceptance criteria, creating test cases in Gherkin (Given/When/Then) format, and ensuring full traceability between requirements, acceptance criteria, test cases, defects, and test evidence.
• Strong understanding of test design techniques, requirements analysis, test planning, test execution, and defect management.
• Experience creating and maintaining test documentation, including test plans, test cases, test scripts, test reports, and test evidence.
• Experience working in Agile squads and collaborating effectively with Product Managers, Software Engineers, SMEs, and QA colleagues.
• Experience using Jira, Confluence, Git, and other software delivery and quality management tools.
• Experience executing automated tests within CI/CD pipelines and maintaining automation execution processes.
• Experience managing test data and validating data across multiple systems and databases.
• Good SQL skills and experience extracting and validating data from databases.
• Experience reporting, triaging, and tracking defects through to resolution.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to contribute to shift-left testing practices and work collaboratively to improve quality across the SDLC.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to clearly articulate risks, issues, and quality recommendations.
• ISTQB Foundation Certification (or equivalent software testing qualification).
• No specific qualifications are required. Relevant QA or software testing certifications are desirable but not essential. What really matters most is strong, demonstrable commercial experience as a QA Engineer, alongside proven hands-on Java and test automation skills.
• Будет плюсом: Experienced working in a regulated environment such as Healthcare, NHS, Genomics, Medical Devices, Life Sciences, or other highly governed industries; Experienced with AWS cloud technologies, cloud-native applications, and testing distributed systems; Experienced with modern UI automation tools such as Playwright or Cypress; Experienced implementing contract testing using tools such as PACT; Exposure to Python-based automation frameworks; Experienced creating and maintaining mock APIs and services using tools such as WireMock; Experience with browser and cross-platform compatibility testing using tools such as BrowserStack; Experience using Jira Xray and other test management and reporting tools; Experience with accessibility testing and tools such as Axe Core, with an understanding of accessibility standards and best practices; Experience with security testing and vulnerability scanning tools such as OWASP ZAP, or similar, including knowledge of secure software testing practices; Knowledge of healthcare interoperability standards (e.g. FHIR), non-functional testing, performance testing, CI/CD practices, and test automation framework design

• This is a 12-Month FTC (Fixed Term Contract). For internal candidates, we will consider this as an internal secondment for the same duration.
• Generous Leave: 30 days’ holiday, plus bank holidays, plus additional leave for long service, and also the option to apply for up to 30 days of remote working abroad annually (approval required).
• Family-Friendly: Blended working arrangements, flexible working, enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave benefits.
• Pension & Financial: Defined contribution pension (Genomics England double-matches up to 10%, however you can contribute more if you wish), Life Assurance (3x salary), an Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme and a Give As You Earn scheme.
• Learning & Development: Individual learning budgets, support for training and certifications, and reimbursement for one annual professional subscription (approval required).
• Recognition & Rewards: Employee recognition programme and referral scheme.
• Health & Wellbeing: Subsidised gym membership, a free Headspace account, and access to an Employee Assistance Programme, eye tests, flu jabs.