QA Engineer

Contract type: Permanent Hours: 37.5/week Salary: circa £45,000 depending on experience Location: Birmingham WFH policy: Employees are required to attend the office 2 days/week Flexible working : Variety of flexible work patterns subject to line manager discretion e.g. Compressed 9-day fortnight. Reports to: Software Engineering Manager Deadline Note: We reserve the right to close the advert before the advertised deadline if there are a high volume of applications. Role Summary: As a QA Engineer here at LCCC, reporting to the Software Engineering Manager, you will play a vital role in ensuring the quality and reliability of our software systems and applications. You will collaborate closely with the Principal and Senior QA Engineers, development teams, and other stakeholders to implement effective testing strategies and drive continuous improvement in testing processes. Your expertise in testing methodologies, automation, and quality assurance will be instrumental in delivering high-quality software products. Key Responsibilities Test Execution: Execute test cases for functional, regression, and integration testing as outlined by the Principal or Senior QA Engineer. Log and verify bugs, and maintain accurate test execution records. Follow predefined test plans and escalate unclear requirements or test scenarios. Test Case Design: Assist in writing and maintaining manual test cases under the guidance of senior QA team members. Contribute to updating regression test suites based on new features or bug fixes. Test Automation Support: Maintain and update existing automated test scripts as directed. Learn and apply automation tools and scripting languages with support from senior QA team members. Execute automated test suites and report results. Defect Reporting: Reproduce and document bugs clearly with necessary logs, screenshots, and steps. Work with developers to clarify defects and retest once resolved. Environment and Test Data Management: Use existing test environments for test execution and raise issues when environments are unstable or misconfigured. Help generate or request test data as needed. Collaboration and Learning: Participate in daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and QA-related discussions. Learn QA best practices, tools, and processes from Principal QA and Sr. QA Engineers. Ask questions and seek clarity to improve testing effectiveness and technical knowledge. Skills Knowledge and Expertise Essential: Testing Fundamentals : Solid understanding of software testing life cycle (STLC) and software development life cycle (SDLC). Knowledge of different testing types: functional, regression, integration, smoke, and exploratory. Manual Testing Experience: Experience in executing test cases, reporting bugs, and verifying fixes. Ability to identify edge cases and test beyond the “happy path.” Basic Automation Skills: Exposure to writing or editing automated test scripts in tools like Selenium, Playwright or Cypress . Familiarity with scripting languages (e.g. Java, Python, or JavaScript) used in test automation. Bug Tracking and Test Management: Ability to write clear, reproducible bug reports and test documentation. Version Control: Basic experience with version control systems like Git – pulling code, checking logs, etc. Desirable: Experience running or monitoring automated tests (e.g. GitHub Actions, GitLab CI). Ability to break down requirements and identify ambiguous or missing information. Logical approach to isolating and reproducing defects. Hands-on experience with tools like JIRA, XRAY, TestRail, Zephyr, BrowserStack, Postman or equivalent. Personal Attributes Dedication to Quality: Demonstrate a commitment to delivering high-quality software by conducting thorough and meticulous testing. Collaborative Team Player: Work effectively as part of a cross-functional team, collaborating with developers, QA team members, and stakeholders. Analytical Mindset: Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve testing issues. Continuous Learner: Stay updated with the latest testing trends, tools, and methodologies to continuously improve testing practices. Team Commitments to QA Team Excellence: Strive for excellence in delivering high-quality software through comprehensive testing and continuous improvement of testing processes. Diversity: Encourage diversity and inclusivity within the QA team, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment. Dynamic: Stay informed about emerging trends and technologies in software testing and actively seek opportunities to enhance testing practices. Integrity: Uphold the highest level of integrity in conducting testing activities and handling sensitive data. Independence: Promote independence and autonomy within the QA team, empowering team members to make informed decisions and take ownership of their testing responsibilities. Knowledge Sharing: Promote a culture of knowledge sharing within the QA team and across other technical teams to improve overall software quality. Continuous Learning: Encourage and support ongoing learning and development opportunities for QA team members to enhance their skills and expertise. Employee Benefits As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn’t rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. Key benefits that may be available depending on the role include: Annual performance based bonus, up to 10% 25 days annual leave, plus eight bank holidays Up to 8% pension contribution Financial support and time off for study relevant to your role, plus a professional membership subscription Employee referral scheme (up to £1500), and colleague recognition scheme Family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity leave and shared parental leave Free, confidential employee assistance, including financial management, family care, mental health, and on-call GP service Three paid volunteering days a year Season ticket loan and cycle to work schemes Family savings on days out and English Heritage, gym discounts, cash back and discounts at selected retailers Employee resource groups