Software Test Engineer

🚀 Software Test Engineer | Space Sector

📍 Manchester, Stevenage or Harwell | 4 days onsite, 1 day from home

📄 Permanent opportunity

💷 £50,000–£55,000 per annum + benefits

*Please note we are looking for an immediate starter*

🔧 The Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Software Test Engineer to join a leading organisation within the space sector, supporting the testing and validation of satellite payload and ground control systems.

Working within a multidisciplinary engineering team, you'll play an important role in ensuring software is reliable, complete and fit for purpose. The role combines manual and automated testing, test framework development and collaboration with software engineers to identify defects and improve software quality.

You'll contribute throughout the testing lifecycle, from developing test plans and strategies through to executing tests, investigating issues and reporting results. Experience with Python and automated testing is important, with pytest BDD particularly relevant to the team's existing framework. Experience with Cucumber would also be transferable.

💡 Key Responsibilities

• Develop test plans, strategies and test cases that are traceable to software requirements.
• Test satellite payload systems and satellite ground control systems.
• Develop, implement and maintain automated test frameworks and test suites.
• Execute automated and manual tests, including black-box and white-box testing.
• Identify, investigate and report bugs and defects, working closely with software engineers to support resolution.
• Develop and run tests using Python and relevant automation frameworks.
• Assess both positive and negative test scenarios, including performance and other non-functional requirements.
• Produce clear test reports and communicate results to engineering and project teams.
• Contribute to test planning, scheduling and effort estimation.
• Support continuous improvement of testing processes, tools and frameworks.

🧠 What We're Looking For

Core experience:

• Experience in both manual and automated software testing.
• Ability to develop test plans and test cases from requirements.
• Experience developing and executing automated test suites.
• Python programming experience, or another programming language with willingness to cross-train.
• Experience with pytest BDD or Cucumber .
• Understanding of black-box and white-box testing, defect reporting and test documentation.

Desirable experience:

• Experience developing or maintaining automated test frameworks, ideally for system-level testing.
• Jenkins, GitLab and Agile working environments.
• Experience in space, satellite, telecommunications, embedded systems or other complex engineering environments.
• Linux, hardware interfaces, communications protocols or API testing.

🔒 Security Vetting Note

Successful candidates will be required to complete BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) screening before starting. This includes right-to-work verification, identity checks, a basic criminal record check, employment history verification and reference checks.