QA Engineer Job Description
Hire an engineer to ensure software releases are reliable and meet functional, performance and usability expectations through systematic testing, automation and close collaboration with development teams.
What does a QA Engineer professional do?
A QA Engineer designs and executes test strategies, builds and maintains automated tests, and works with developers to find and fix defects before release.
QA Engineer job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
QA Engineer
About the role
We are recruiting a QA Engineer to join our product team in [Location]. You will own test planning and execution across web and mobile features, develop and maintain automated test suites using relevant frameworks, log and track defects, and collaborate with engineers and product owners to improve quality. This is a [Full-time/Part-time/Contract] role with a salary of [Salary range].
Key responsibilities
- Create, maintain and execute test plans, test cases and test suites for new features and regression testing.
- Develop, run and maintain automated tests (UI, API and integration) and integrate them into the CI pipeline.
- Log, prioritise and verify defects and work with engineers to reproduce and resolve issues.
- Perform exploratory testing to identify usability problems and edge cases not covered by automation.
- Collaborate with product managers and developers to clarify acceptance criteria and define testable requirements.
- Measure and report quality metrics such as test coverage, pass/fail rates and defect trends.
- Maintain test data, test environments and test automation infrastructure.
- Propose and implement improvements to QA processes, tooling and test architecture.
Essential skills and experience
- Practical experience in manual and automated testing of web and/or mobile applications.
- Hands-on experience with at least one test automation framework or tool (for example Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, Appium or similar).
- Familiarity with writing scripted tests in a programming or scripting language (for example Python, JavaScript, Java or similar).
- Understanding of software development lifecycle and Agile practices (sprint ceremonies, user stories, acceptance criteria).
- Experience using issue trackers and test management tools to record defects and test results.
- Good communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
Desirable
- Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI or similar).
- Knowledge of API testing tools (Postman, REST-assured, SoapUI) and writing automated API tests.
- Familiarity with performance or security testing basics and relevant tooling.
- Experience with code review, version control systems (Git) and basic branching strategies.
- Formal QA certification (eg ISTQB) or a relevant technical qualification.
- Prior work in a product-led or SaaS environment.
What we offer
- Pension scheme (employer contribution level to be confirmed).
- Generous holiday entitlement (details variable by role).
- Flexible working or hybrid arrangements (employer policy applies).
- Training and development allowance or time for professional learning.
- Private healthcare or employee assistance programme (if offered).
- Annual performance bonus or discretionary pay review (if offered).
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a QA Engineer role?
A QA Engineer focuses on preventing defects and ensuring product quality by designing test strategies, executing manual and automated tests, and collaborating closely with developers and product teams. They balance automation with exploratory testing, manage test environments and pipelines, and help drive continuous improvement in testing practices to reduce production incidents and improve user experience.
Contract type
Permanent, contract or fixed-term roles are common depending on project needs.
Team
Works within engineering/product teams; often reports to a QA lead or engineering manager.
Tools & tech
Typical tooling includes test automation frameworks, CI/CD, issue trackers and API testing tools.
Location
Can be office-based, hybrid or fully remote depending on employer policy.
Typical QA Engineer responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Create
Create, maintain and execute test plans, test cases and test suites for new features and regression testing.
Develop
Develop, run and maintain automated tests (UI, API and integration) and integrate them into the CI pipeline.
Log, prioritise
Log, prioritise and verify defects and work with engineers to reproduce and resolve issues.
Perform exploratory testing
Perform exploratory testing to identify usability problems and edge cases not covered by automation.
Collaborate with product managers
Collaborate with product managers and developers to clarify acceptance criteria and define testable requirements.
Measure
Measure and report quality metrics such as test coverage, pass/fail rates and defect trends.
Maintain test data
Maintain test data, test environments and test automation infrastructure.
Propose
Propose and implement improvements to QA processes, tooling and test architecture.
QA Engineer skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Practical experience in manual and automated testing of web and/or mobile applications.
- Hands-on experience with at least one test automation framework or tool (for example Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, Appium or similar).
- Familiarity with writing scripted tests in a programming or scripting language (for example Python, JavaScript, Java or similar).
- Understanding of software development lifecycle and Agile practices (sprint ceremonies, user stories, acceptance criteria).
- Experience using issue trackers and test management tools to record defects and test results.
- Good communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
Useful where relevant
- Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI or similar).
- Knowledge of API testing tools (Postman, REST-assured, SoapUI) and writing automated API tests.
- Familiarity with performance or security testing basics and relevant tooling.
- Experience with code review, version control systems (Git) and basic branching strategies.
- Formal QA certification (eg ISTQB) or a relevant technical qualification.
- Prior work in a product-led or SaaS environment.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a QA Engineer job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Show technical scope
List the automation frameworks, languages and CI tools candidates will use so applicants can self-assess fit.
Be clear about responsibilities
State whether the role is hands-on automation, exploratory testing, or a mixture, and who they report to.
Quantify expectations
Where possible, include expected outputs such as the size of the test suite, release cadence or target defect metrics.
Separate essential from desirable
Keep the essential requirements realistic and put skills for growth or preference under desirable to widen the candidate pool.
QA Engineer salary considerations
Salaries for QA Engineers vary widely. When setting pay, consider the following factors rather than relying on a single market figure.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What QA Engineer candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What is the release cadence and how are QA cycles scheduled?
Candidates want to know sprint length, frequency of releases and how testing milestones fit into delivery.
Which automation frameworks and languages does the team use?
This affects a candidate's ability to be productive quickly and whether they can reuse existing test code skills.
What test environments and infrastructure are available?
Applicants will ask about staging environments, device labs, cloud test infrastructure and access to CI pipelines.
How large is the QA team and where does QA sit in the organisation?
Experienced testers want to know team size, reporting lines and how QA collaborates with development and product.
Are there opportunities for training and career progression?
Candidates often look for learning budgets, time for training and defined paths to senior/test lead or engineering roles.
Where to post a QA Engineer job
For QA Engineer roles, use a mix of broad UK job boards and specialist tech channels to reach both generalist testers and automation engineers. Post on professional networks such as LinkedIn, technical communities (GitHub, Stack Overflow) and QA-specific forums; consider local tech meetups or university alumni boards if hiring junior talent. If the role requires niche automation skills, target developer-oriented job boards and language-specific communities to attract candidates with the right technical experience.
Related technology / software job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
QA Engineer job description FAQs
Do I need to require a degree for QA Engineer roles?
No — many competent QA Engineers come from varied backgrounds. Make degrees desirable rather than essential unless the role needs a specific academic qualification.
Should I include a salary range in the advert?
Yes. Including a salary range increases the chance of attracting suitable applicants and reduces mismatched applications. Use a realistic range that reflects experience levels and location.
How can I assess a candidate's technical test skills remotely?
Use a short technical task or take-home exercise that reflects typical duties (eg write a small automated test or review a failing test). Pair this with a technical interview to discuss approach and trade-offs.
Is manual testing still relevant?
Yes. Exploratory and domain-specific manual testing remain important alongside automation, particularly for usability, edge cases and early-stage features.
Ready to hire your next QA Engineer?
Use this template to quickly create a clear advert, then post to targeted job channels to reach experienced QA candidates. If you need distribution help, consider specialist tech job boards and professional networks to accelerate applications.
