Senior Test Automation Engineer
Up to £40K + bonus + benefits
Reference: WUK671
Please note: Applicants for this position must have authorization to work in the UK.Role
In this role, you will improve the quality and reliability of Sophos products by developing and maintaining test automation systems, tools, and scripts. You will also provide support to the Test and Development teams in their use, as you work with peers in the cross-functional team to influence the design and implementation of products in order to improve the ease of Test Automation.
Skilled in analysing requirements and generating accurate automation estimates, as well as identifying the potential impact of automation projects across the Test Function, you’ll provide guidance and coaching to team members on both technical issues and the wider test automation effort. Your experience of successfully owning, planning and driving test automation projects from inception to completion, along with your ability to develop and critique automation strategies and plans will mean that you’ll enjoy the opportunity that this role presents.
Experienced in writing code in a high-level programming language, you will be able to design automated tools/scripts to exercise use cases, requirements, or message structure/flow. You'll also have a good working knowledge of a common scripting language such as Python, Perl, Tcl or MS Dos Batch.
As well as possessing rigorous attention to detail, you enjoy problem-solving and understanding how things work. Your detailed understanding of the testing responsibilities and processes within the Software Development Lifecycle will mean that you'll enjoy identifying and implementing considerable process improvements for test efficiency
This role is based at our headquarters in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.
Main duties
- Review project information such as use cases, product requirements, and technical specifications to understand the system workflow and document an appropriate automation strategy
- Determine specific automation scenarios using project knowledge and anticipated return on investment, documenting the detailed plan and schedule for all work required
- Track deliverables of Test Automation Engineers against plan (using Microsoft Project) through observations, weekly meetings, reports and 1-2-1’s
- Analyse Change Controls, feeding back to the project team the impact to project and automation artefacts across Product Test
- Review manual test cases, executing where necessary, to understand the low level detail and decompose the tools/functions required to enable scripting/coding
- Write functions/tools/scripts using an appropriate technology in line with standards and guidelines, whilst ensuring platform or language independence wherever possible
- Coordinate peer reviews of automation code and unit tests, owning resulting actions and the associated re-factoring
- Work with colleagues in Development and Test to identify and solve Design and Implementation problems, and negotiate effective solutions
- Based on own experience of operating systems, network structures, and virtual/physical environments proactively suggest appropriate test environments to be used for automation
- Submit automated test tools/scripts to Test Lead for review and approval, link into Quality Centre if required and ensure readiness for other Test Engineers to utilise
- Explain return on investment and rationale for automation to other Test and Software Engineers, to develop their understanding and support for the process
- Review Test Engineers work and provide feedback to increase their understanding and ability to contribute to automation
Working with the Test Lead define, document, and then follow an appropriate Configuration Management Plan for the code you create.
Experience and skills
You will need to demonstrate your experience of the following:
- Writing test automation tools/functions for complex commercial applications using a high level programming language such as VB.NET or C#
- Good working knowledge of common scripting languages such as Python, Perl, Tcl, or MS DOS Batch
- Testing own code using unit and integration testing methodologies
- Good working knowledge of common operating systems (e.g. Windows, Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, OS X)
- Good working knowledge of basic PC Networking (e.g. domains, workgroups, Active Directory)
- Identifying and implementing process improvements for test automation efficiency
- Estimation, planning and tracking techniques
- Defining and using Configuration Management processes to control the branching and merging of source code
- Reviewing recommended automation and the estimates from other engineers to ensure appropriate detail and effort is fully captured
The following experience is desirable
- Creating test automation to test in a Service Orientated Architecture
- Creating test automation to verify component level interfaces
- Writing Functional or System Test Cases
- Manual execution of Test Cases
Benefits
The remuneration package includes:
- Annual holiday entitlement of 25 days, which can increase to 28 days
- Profit-related bonus scheme
- Group personal pension scheme
- Private medical insurance
- Critical illness insurance
- Death in service policy (life assurance)
- Permanent health insurance
- Travel insurance
- Personal accident cover
Working conditions at Sophos are very good and include:
- Subsidised staff restaurant
- Free beverages, fruit and pastries
Please note: Sophos has a non-smoking policy inside its buildings.
