Principal Test Automation Engineer

We’re a digital insurance provider with ambitious plans to become The Best and Biggest in the UK market. Over the past few years, we've made significant investments in our data and tech capabilities, particularly within our CIO function. Our CIO team is at the forefront of driving innovation and ensuring our technology infrastructure supports our ambitious goals. We’ve nurtured our 4Cs culture, fostering collaboration, creativity, and continuous improvement.

We’re proud of the journey we’re on as a company and know that our continued success will rely on the contribution of our talented colleagues. The CIO team plays a crucial role in this journey, working on cutting-edge projects that enhance our digital presence and improve customer engagement.

We provide insurance to nearly four million customers, but we know there’s even bigger opportunity out there. The fact you’re now reading this job advert means we’ve tempted you to find out more about #lifeatHD – we really hope you like what you see, and you’ll join us to share in the success of the exciting chapter that lies ahead.

We understand some people may not apply for jobs unless they feel they tick every box. If you are excited about joining us and think you have some of what we are looking for, even if you’re not 100% sure, we would love to hear from you. Our CIO team is always looking for passionate individuals who are eager to make a difference and contribute to our success. 

Job Details

• Provide automation capabilities that support the Scrum Teams to deliver on the Automation Only approach, reducing the percentage of tests that cannot be automated through designing and implementing extensions / adjustments to the Automation Frameworks.  
• Identify new opportunities to enhance / extend our test automation capabilities with new and/or updated tooling, supporting the evaluation, decision making, implementation and maintenance of these tools.  
• Managing the ongoing maintenance of the tooling to meet the growing demand, increasing performance and allowing the Scrum Teams test early and often on a continuous basis. 
• Provide capabilities to support the provision of timely and accurate Test Automation MI for all Scrum Teams, which includes quality measures where possible supporting continuous improvement. 
• Define, implement and maintain test automation best practices and drive proactive collaboration and engagement within Scrum Teams and the wider QA community through the Centre of Excellence as well as regular Brown Bag sessions and other means of engagement. 
• Mentoring all direct reports, junior staff, and new joiners to achieve the necessary competencies to progress. 

Skills we would love you to have  

• Proficient practical experience working in a Testing Automation role 
• Extensive experience working in an agile environment 
• Transformational leadership skills being able to influence decision making and implement new tools, processes and procedures in support of the company’s vision 
• Good mentoring skills to support direct reports in their ongoing development 

Tools & Technologies: 

• Proficient knowledge of at least on agile methodology (e.g. Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) 
• Familiar with backlog and test case management in a system of record such as Jira or Octane 
• Excellent knowledge using declarative Gherkin to capture business rules, run as automated tests with Cucumber 
• Strong coding skills to implement automated tests in one or more of Java, JavaScript, Typescript, C# 
• Comfortable with source control using GitHub  
• Skilled in user interface automation with Selenium & Selenium Grid, Playwright or Cypress 
• Ability to implement tests against API either in code or via tools such as SoapUI, Postman 
• Good understanding and experience using continuous integration platforms such as AzureDevOps or Jenkins (or equivalent) 

What we offer  

Join us and you’ll find a different way of doing things. We call it the 4Cs. We focus on getting it right for our colleagues, customers, company, and community. As one of our colleagues, you’ll be helping to drive our growth, so in return, we’ll give you all the support, training and development you need. Not to mention plenty of recognition and rewards, and the scope to voice your ideas and put them into practice.  

Regrettably we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role

Benefits: in addition to a competitive salary and £5k car allowance you will also receive…  

Flexible working – we champion a flexible hybrid working approach – please speak to your recruiter to discuss in more detail  

Competitive bonus scheme - all colleagues are eligible for our annual 4Cs performance bonus  

Physical wellbeing – as a Band 4 colleague, Hastings pay for you to receive private medical Insurance (also known as PMI). This gives you flexibility and convenience to see a specialist or consultant and allows you to decide when and where you will be seen  

Financial wellbeing – as well as providing you with 4x your salary with our life assurance cover, income protection at no extra cost, and matched pension contributions up to 10%, we are proud to provide you with an award winning package which includes – discounts, cashback, free independent mortgage advice and free access to financial wellbeing support  

Mental wellbeing programme – we have the thrive mental health app, our colleague assistance programme available 24/7, our own in-house mental health first aiders, support groups and a dedicated team to make sure we are covering your needs  

There's more! – 27 days annual leave + bank holidays, with the option to buy or sell one of your  weeks, access to our health care cash back plans, dental plans, discounted health assessments, Cycle to work and tech schemes, discounted and free onsite facilities, social events throughout the year and much more ….  

Join us and you’ll find a different way of doing things. We call it the 4Cs. We focus on getting it right for our colleagues, customers, company and community. As one of our colleagues, you’ll be helping to drive our growth, so in return, we’ll give you all the support, training and development you need.

Our 4Cs principles are simple: we believe by creating the right culture for our colleagues and giving them the right tools to do their job, we’ll deliver good outcomes for every customer, helping us to grow the company profitably and sustainably and allowing us to invest in the communities we serve. 

Hastings Group is an equal opportunities employer which means we treat people fairly. We welcome applications from all suitably skilled persons regardless of their gender, age, race, disability, ethnic background, religion/belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or marital/family status. Please also note that we have a thorough referencing process, which includes credit and criminal record checks.

At Hastings Direct, we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, we encourage you to be open with us. Our recruitment team is here to provide the support you need to ensure a fair and accessible experience for all.

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