Test Automation Specialist

Location: Newcastle (Hybrid - approximately 3 days onsite per week)

Contract Duration: 12 Months FTC with possibility of converting Perm.

Security Clearance: SC Cleared Preferred but MUST be eligible.

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior Test Automation Consultant to join a high-profile programme and take ownership of the testing strategy, planning, and execution across a complex technology environment.

This is a hands‑on leadership role requiring a strong testing professional who can define and drive quality assurance practices, work collaboratively with development teams, and engage confidently with client stakeholders. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable operating at a strategic level while remaining actively involved in test automation delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Define, develop, and maintain the overall Test Strategy and Test Plan.
• Establish the testing approach, governance, and quality assurance processes across the programme.
• Design, develop, and execute automated test scripts and frameworks.
• Collaborate closely with Development, DevOps, and Architecture teams to ensure quality is embedded throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Support testing within Agile and TDD environments.
• Perform API, middleware, integration, and end-to-end testing.
• Identify, manage, and communicate testing risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Provide test reporting, progress updates, and quality recommendations to stakeholders.
• Work directly with client teams and senior stakeholders to ensure testing objectives are achieved.
• Mentor and support wider project teams on testing best practices and automation approaches.

Required Skills & Experience

• Strong background in Test Automation and Quality Engineering.
• Experience working within Microsoft Azure environments.
• Solid programming/scripting skills using Java and Python .
• Proven experience with TDD (Test-Driven Development) and JUnit .
• Strong experience testing REST APIs .
• Experience with test automation frameworks and scripting-based testing.
• Proven track record of producing and owning Test Strategies , Test Plans , and test execution approaches.
• Experience testing middleware, integrations, and distributed systems.
• Strong stakeholder management and client-facing communication skills.
• Experience working within Agile delivery environments.
• Knowledge of Terraform and Infrastructure as Code.
• Performance and non-functional testing experience.
• Experience working within CI/CD pipelines and DevOps environments.
• Exposure to cloud-native architectures and automated deployment practices.