Job Title:
Senior SDET – Full Ownership of QA Strategy
Location:
Hybrid – Cambridge (2 days per week)
Salary:
£85, % Bonus + Benefits
About the Role
We're hiring a
Senior Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)
to lead the QA strategy for a growing, cloud-first SaaS company headquartered in Cambridge. This is a newly created, high-impact role focused on establishing robust, scalable quality practices across the engineering function.
As the Senior SDET, you'll take
full ownership of test automation architecture
, define quality standards, and drive improvements across all layers of testing, from unit and integration to performance and contract testing.
You'll work closely with engineering leadership to shape a modern QA roadmap that aligns with Agile delivery, DevOps principles, and continuous integration best practices.
Key Responsibilities
* Define and implement the end-to-end test automation strategy
* Build automation frameworks for UI, API, and integration tests
* Refactor and modernise the existing Cypress-based test suite
* Integrate testing into CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions and Azure DevOps
* Lead adoption of shift-left testing practices and risk-based testing
* Collaborate with developers, DevOps, and product teams to improve quality across the SDLC
* Mentor engineers on testing principles and quality-first development
* Introduce tools and practices for load testing, monitoring, and contract testing where needed
Tech Environment
* Languages & Frameworks:
JavaScript, C#, .NET Core
* Automation Tools:
Cypress, Selenium, Rest#
* Performance & Contract Testing:
JMeter, Azure Load Test, Pact
* Cloud & DevOps:
Azure, Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions
* Monitoring:
Datadog
* Methodologies:
Agile, CI/CD, Shift-Left Testing
Requirements
* Proven experience as a Senior SDET or QA Automation Engineer in a SaaS or cloud-native environment
* Strong background in test automation frameworks and architecture design
* Experience integrating test automation into CI/CD pipelines
* Working knowledge of Azure (or other cloud platforms like AWS/GCP)
* Familiarity with performance, load, and contract testing tools
* Excellent communication and leadership skills—able to influence process and culture
* Comfortable working in a hybrid Agile team and guiding engineering quality across squads
* Strong background in C# development
Location & Working Pattern
* Hybrid working model – 2 days per week in the Cambridge office
* Standard office day: Wednesday + one flexible day
* The rest of the week can be remote
Compensation & Benefits
* £85,000 base salary
* 15% annual performance bonus
* Private healthcare
* 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
* L&D budget and career progression support
* Strong engineering culture with high autonomy and trust
Application Process
* CV Review
* 1st Interview: QA Lead + Engineering Manager
* Take-home test (tooling of your choice)
* Final Onsite: test walk-through, short presentation, and architecture discussion
Apply now to take full ownership of QA in a modern, forward-thinking engineering team.