Lead SDET I/II

You'll work across key business areas—Motor, Anti-Fraud, Property and Personal Injury—within the UK Insurance sector, helping to shape and embed best practices in test automation, API and performance testing, and overall test strategy. You will lead by example while supporting the continuous development of our QA capability and helping us deliver robust, high-quality software at pace.
This role is open to candidates with the right to work in the UK, as well as those who require visa sponsorship. We welcome applications from individuals with a degree or equivalent qualification, or those with significant relevant experience in software testing and automation leadership.

Key Responsibilities

•    Lead the design, development, and execution of automated testing frameworks using , following BDD principles with Cucumber.

•    Define and own the test strategy for critical projects, ensuring alignment with business goals and development processes across teams.

•    Mentor and support other testers across teams, fostering knowledge sharing, technical growth, and adherence to best practices.

•    Work closely with developers, product owners and business analysts to establish clear acceptance criteria and drive quality from the outset.

•    Provide expert input into sprint planning, backlog grooming, and estimation to ensure test coverage is well represented and achievable.

•    Perform and guide others in API testing using tools such as Postman or Insomnia.

•    Review, contribute to, and maintain detailed test documentation in QMetry, ensuring visibility and traceability.

•    Track and manage issues using JIRA, support teams in reproducing complex bugs, and contribute to root cause analysis.

•    Support continuous integration and delivery by contributing to the automation of test pipelines.

•    Promote and monitor compliance with quality standards and drive improvements in testing processes.

•    Advise on and oversee performance and load testing, including the use of tools such as JMeter, where appropriate.

•    Accurately track time and contribute to reporting and release planning activities.

•    Champion quality engineering across the business, identifying opportunities to improve coverage, efficiency and team capability.

Essential Skills and Experience

•    Significant hands-on experience in test automation, particularly using and Cucumber within an Agile/Scrum environment.

•    Proven track record in mentoring testers, guiding cross-team QA efforts and promoting test-first thinking.

•    Strong experience in API testing using Postman or Insomnia.

•    Deep understanding of Agile principles and experience contributing to sprint and release planning.

•    Confident in defining and implementing test strategies across teams and projects.

•    Familiarity with test management and defect tracking tools, especially QMetry and JIRA.

•    Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

•    Strong administrative and organisational skills, with a keen eye for quality and detail.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

•    Knowledge of JavaScript, SQL, or experience in Java-based development environments.

•    Hands-on experience with performance and load testing tools such as JMeter.

•    Prior experience working in the insurance industry, especially in Motor Claims, Anti-Fraud, or Property & Personal Injury domains.

•    Industry-recognised testing certifications such as ISTQB Advanced Level, ISEB, or equivalent.

•    Experience working in regulated or compliance-heavy environments with formalised test reporting requirements.

•    Experience with load testing tools such as JMeter or K6.

•    Experience in using AI tools to drive/improve testing such as CoPilot.
What We Offer

•    A leadership opportunity in a forward-thinking tech environment within a respected and growing insurance organisation.

•    Support for ongoing professional development, including training and certification.

•    A culture of collaboration, quality, and innovation where your expertise will shape our testing capability.

•    A hybrid and flexible working model, with modern tools and platforms to support remote collaboration.