Smiths Group—Senior Software Test Engineer

Job description

Description: Every minute of every day, Smiths Detection’s threat detection and security screening technology helps to protect people and infrastructure, making the world a safer place. Smiths Detection is a global leader in the development, manufacture and management of security and detection solutions designed to make the world a safer place. Our technology provides threat detection and screening solutions for customers in our key markets: aviation, ports and borders, defence, and urban security. Our expertise spans 21 global offices, seven manufacturing sites and five R&D centres, with a global network of 3,000 dedicated colleagues contributing towards over 40 years at the frontline of advances in safety and security. This results in careers built on variety and the opportunity to work on a range of state-of-the-art solutions, where you can develop your knowledge and experience every day. Job Purpose: The Senior Software Test Engineer role ensures delivery of high‑quality, reliable, and secure software by leading comprehensive testing across distributed, microservices‑based applications. It involves designing and executing test cases, supporting automation frameworks, and integrating testing into CI/CD pipelines to validate functionality, performance, and scalability. By collaborating with cross‑functional teams, identifying and documenting issues, and driving continuous improvement, the role enhances product stability and accelerates delivery cycles. As per company policy, this role requires presence in the office 4 days per week. Duties: - Test Case Development & Execution: Collaborate with senior engineers to develop and execute comprehensive test cases that align with project requirements, ensuring thorough testing of software functionality, performance, and security. - Automation Support: Contribute to the development and maintenance of automated test scripts and frameworks. Assist in enhancing test automation coverage for both system-level and front-end applications. - Issue Identification & Documentation: Identify, track, and document software defects, functionality issues, and performance problems, working closely with developers to reproduce, debug, and resolve issues. - Collaboration & Communication: Work closely with cross-functional teams, including developers, product owners, and senior testers, to ensure alignment on testing goals and priorities. Communicate findings and progress effectively. - Test Reporting & Metrics: Contribute to the preparation of test reports and track key testing metrics to assess test coverage, defect resolution, and overall testing progress. - Support in Test Planning: Participate in test planning activities, contributing to discussions about scope, approach, and strategy for different types of testing, such as functional, regression, and integration testing. - Version Control & Configuration Management: Utilize version control systems (e.g., Git, Subversion) for maintaining test scripts, test cases, and related artifacts. - CI/CD Integration: Assist in integrating test scripts into Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to ensure that automated tests are executed as part of the development process. - Manual Testing: Conduct manual testing where required, especially in areas that are difficult to automate or require more exploratory testing to identify edge cases. - Collaboration on Automation Strategy: Support senior engineers by contributing ideas and improvements to the automation strategy, tools, and frameworks used in the testing process. - Continuous Improvement: Provide feedback on testing processes and practices, suggesting improvements and applying lessons learned from past testing cycles to enhance efficiency and test effectiveness. What you’ll bring - Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field. - 4–7 years of hands‑on experience testing distributed, microservices‑based applications, including test strategy definition, design, execution, and maintenance. - Strong expertise in automated testing frameworks such as Robot Framework and Python for service‑level and end‑to‑end testing across backend and consumer‑facing applications. - Proficiency in API testing (RESTful services), including contract validation, payload verification, error handling, and service dependency checks. - Hands‑on experience with containerisation technologies (Docker) and orchestration platforms (Kubernetes), including deployment validation and scalability testing. - Working knowledge of cloud platforms and their deployment models. - Experience supporting applications deployed via CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, Bitbucket) with understanding of microservices promotion across environments. - Proficiency with Atlassian tools (Jira, Confluence), test management tools (TestRail), and version control systems (Git). - Strong understanding of software development lifecycles, microservices concepts, and test methodologies with ability to collaborate across development, DevOps, and testing teams. - Demonstrated ability to write clear test cases, maintain accurate documentation, and track quality metrics in fast‑moving environments. Nice to have - Broader exposure to advanced automation strategies or scripting for test environments. - Certifications in testing frameworks, cloud technologies, or DevOps practices. - Experience with performance testing and monitoring tools. - Familiarity with security testing or compliance validation in microservices architectures. - Resourceful with strong analytical and communication skills at all organisational levels. - Self-starter with excellent time management, attention to detail, and initiative. - Proven ability to collaborate effectively in cross-functional and cross-cultural teams. Join us and we’ll help build your career, with excellent training and opportunities for career growth across the business, both locally and globally. You’ll experience an inclusive environment, with strong leadership and a focus on safety and wellbeing. You’ll also have the flexibility to choose from a wide range of benefits to suit your lifestyle, offering you and your family support from a health and wellbeing, financial and lifestyle perspective. Join us and work for a world-leader, with the benefits and training to reward your dedication and skills. Be part of a team where we are making the world a safer place. We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity. At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Detection, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website.