Automation Test Engineer

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.
** Role**: QA/Automation Test Engineer
*
* Contract:

** 12 - 18 Month Fixed Term Contract
** Location**:
Remote first; with fortnightly to monthly face-to-face in Gloucester.
** Tech**: C#, Azure, ADO, Playwright, Jmeter.

As one of the largest insurance groups in the world and the fifth largest employee-owned business in the UK, we manage premiums on behalf of millions of clients across a wide range of product offerings and our development team work on solutions that innovate and put the user’s needs at the forefront.
** Role
* * As a QA/Automation Test Engineer, you’ll be a key member of one of our agile product teams, helping to shape the future of our digital platforms. You’ll use your expertise in
** C#**,
** Playwright,
** and
** Microsoft Azure
** to build scalable, high-performing, and user-centric applications.

Your role will be pivotal in driving a quality-first mindset, embedding test automation into every stage of the development lifecycle, and championing continuous delivery practices.

You’ll collaborate closely with engineers, product managers, and QA peers in a supportive environment that values knowledge sharing and cross-team learning. As a senior member of the team, you’ll also mentor and coach others, contribute to architectural decisions, and help raise the bar for quality and delivery across the board.
*
* Key Responsibilities:

** Design, build, and maintain robust automated test frameworks using tools like
** Playwright, Spec Flow,
** and
** Postman**.
* Collaborate with developers and product teams to define test strategies and acceptance criteria.
* Promote a shift-left approach and embed quality throughout the software development lifecycle.
* Participate in agile ceremonies and contribute to planning, refinement, and retrospectives.
* Lead by example in implementing CI/CD practices and improving test coverage.
* Mentor and support junior team members, helping them grow into senior roles.
* Contribute to architectural and technical design discussions, presenting ideas to the wider team.
* Continuously improve testing processes and introduce innovative practices.
*
* About you:

*** You will have a strong understanding of the test pyramid and a myriad of testing techniques (Smoke, white-box, performance, exploratory etc).
* You will have demonstrable experience working with C# or other object oriented language
* Experience implementing end to end tests with testing frameworks such as Playwright, Spec Flow etc.
* You are comfortable working closely with software engineers.
* A keen eye for detail and a focus on putting end users first.
* You have had exposure to cloud technologies (preferably Azure)
* A strong communicator and facilitator.
* An understanding of agile development methodologies
* Genuinely believes in the value of continuous delivery practices and iterative development based on feedback.
* Strong documentation skills in generating acceptance criteria, test plans, and test cases
** Rewards:
** We believe that great work and dedication should be rewarded, that’s why we offer:
* ** 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays), pro-rated for part year service**
* ** A set of core benefits, designed with your health and financial protection in mind:**  + Life Assurance up to 4x salary, protecting your loved ones in case the worst should happen  + Income protection, guaranteeing an income for up to 5 years in the event of an illness or injury  + Contributory pension scheme – 5% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution…