Job Title: Senior QA Engineer - 12-Week Contract Location: Abbeywood, Bristol Clearance Required: MOD SC Start Date: January 2026 About the Role We are seeking an experienced Senior QA Engineer to join the DE&S AI team for a 12-week engagement starting in January. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a confirmed MOD project focused on leveraging AI to enhance platform availability and drive productivity improvements across Defence operations. Project Overview The current project involves rebuilding an existing tool used to predict asset availability based on variable parameters. Following a successful discovery phase, the team has determined that a full rebuild is required - including the application infrastructure, simulation model, and user interface. This phase will focus on delivering the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and setting the foundation for the full-scale product build. Key Responsibilities Develop and execute comprehensive testing strategies to ensure product quality and reliability. Design and implement test automation frameworks for both frontend and backend systems. Create, maintain, and execute automated test scripts using tools such as Selenium, Cypress, Postman, and RestAssured. Collaborate closely with developers and stakeholders to identify, investigate, and resolve defects. Define test plans, coverage, and overall QA approach for the project. Work independently as the initial sole QA resource, while providing leadership and mentorship for future QA team expansion. Skills and Experience Essential: Proven experience in test automation for web and API-based applications. Strong knowledge of Selenium, Page Object Models, and test automation frameworks. Familiarity with software testing methodologies and CI/CD integration. Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, agile environment. Desirable: Experience using Cypress, Postman, or RestAssured for testing frontend and backend APIs. Previous experience working within MOD or Defence environments. Understanding of AI or simulation-based systems