Software Development Test Engineer (SDET)
Location: Manchester
Inside IR35 Contract: 12 Months (Full Time)
Rate: Up to £50 per hr
A leading engineering and technology organisation is seeking an experienced Software Development Test Engineer (SDET) to support the delivery of high-quality, reliable, and robust software across complex systems and platforms.
This opportunity is ideally suited to someone with a strong background in software testing, automation, and systems integration, who enjoys solving technical challenges and working closely with engineering teams to improve quality throughout the full software development lifecycle.
The Role
The Software Development Test Engineer will play a key role in developing and executing comprehensive test strategies for a range of software applications, platforms, and system-level solutions. This is a technically focused role that goes beyond traditional manual QA and would suit someone who is comfortable writing code to test software, building automation, and contributing to quality at both component and system level.
Key responsibilities will include:
* Developing and directing the preparation and execution of test plans, quality assurance procedures, and validation strategies
* Designing, maintaining, and executing automated and manual test solutions
* Conducting regression, ad-hoc, functional, and integration testing
* Analysing test outcomes to identify defects, trends, and potential risks
* Tracking and reporting quality and risk levels throughout the testing lifecycle
* Diagnosing software, hardware, and data interface issues
* Supporting system integration, validation, and release readiness
* Working collaboratively with wider engineering teams to improve software quality and test effectiveness
The Candidate
This role is suited to a technically strong testing professional with experience in software development testing, automation, and debugging within complex engineering or software environments.
Candidates are likely to bring experience in:
* Software testing and quality assurance across the development lifecycle
* Building and maintaining test automation frameworks
* Writing code or scripts for automated testing and validation
* Regression, integration, and system testing
* Defect investigation, root cause analysis, and troubleshooting
* Working within structured engineering or product development environments
* Supporting release confidence through robust validation and risk-based testing
Experience with tools, frameworks, or languages commonly used in test automation and software validation would be highly beneficial.
Why Apply?
This role offers the opportunity to work on technically challenging projects within a forward-thinking engineering environment, where quality, innovation, and collaboration are central to success.
It would suit someone looking to take the next step in a technically driven SDET / Software Test Engineering career and play a meaningful role in delivering reliable, high-performing software solutions.