Test Engineer Job Description
Hire a Test Engineer to design, implement and maintain testing activities that reduce risk and improve product quality. This role suits candidates with a mix of manual testing discipline and automation skills who collaborate closely with developers, product and operations teams.
What does a Test Engineer professional do?
A Test Engineer plans and executes tests, builds automated checks, diagnoses defects and helps embed test practices into the delivery pipeline to ensure products meet functional, performance and reliability requirements.
Test 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.
Test Engineer
About the role
[Company name] is looking for a Test Engineer to join our [team name] in [Location]. You will design test strategies, develop automated test suites, run manual and exploratory testing, log and verify defects, and work with engineers to improve testability and quality. This permanent role offers [Salary] plus [Benefits].
Key responsibilities
- Design and document test plans, test cases and acceptance criteria aligned to product requirements.
- Develop, run and maintain automated test suites for functional, regression and integration testing.
- Execute manual and exploratory tests where automation is not appropriate and reproduce complex defects.
- Integrate tests into CI/CD pipelines and report test results to engineering and product stakeholders.
- Create and maintain test data, mocks and stable test environments (local, staging or lab as applicable).
- Log, triage and verify defects using a defect-tracking system and collaborate with developers to resolve issues.
- Perform non-functional testing as required (performance, load, reliability and basic security checks).
- Produce concise test reports and metrics (coverage, pass/fail, flakiness) to inform release decisions.
Essential skills and experience
- Practical experience designing and executing tests for software or embedded systems.
- Hands-on experience with at least one test automation framework or scripting language (for example Python, JavaScript or a comparable toolset).
- Familiarity with defect tracking and version control systems (for example Git and a ticketing tool).
- Understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC) and common testing methodologies (unit, integration, regression, exploratory).
- Good analytical and problem-solving skills, with clear written and verbal communication.
- Ability to work collaboratively with developers, product owners and operations teams.
Desirable
- Experience with specific automation tools such as Selenium, Appium, Playwright, JMeter or equivalent.
- Knowledge of CI/CD systems (for example Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI) and test integration.
- Familiarity with performance testing, security testing basics, or test environments for embedded/specialist hardware.
- Formal testing certification (for example ISTQB) or a degree in a relevant technical subject.
- Experience writing tests for APIs and working with containerised test environments (Docker/Kubernetes).
- Previous work in regulated or safety-critical sectors (finance, medical devices, automotive) where applicable.
What we offer
- Competitive salary (placeholder)
- Pension contribution (placeholder)
- Generous annual leave allowance (placeholder)
- Flexible or hybrid working options (placeholder)
- Training and certification budget (placeholder)
- Private medical insurance or health cash plan (placeholder)
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 Test Engineer role?
A Test Engineer is responsible for ensuring software or hardware products meet quality expectations by designing test strategies, implementing automated tests and performing manual checks where necessary. They validate functionality, reliability and performance, log and track defects, and work with development teams to prevent regressions. Test Engineers help embed testing into the delivery pipeline and improve overall product stability.
Typical contract
Permanent or fixed-term roles; seniority varies from entry-level through to senior/lead testing positions.
Core skills
Test design, automation scripting, defect management, CI/CD integration and environment management.
Team
Works closely with developers, product owners, DevOps and sometimes customer support or field engineers.
Location
Can be office-based, hybrid or remote depending on test environment requirements and equipment access.
Typical Test Engineer responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Design
Design and document test plans, test cases and acceptance criteria aligned to product requirements.
Develop
Develop, run and maintain automated test suites for functional, regression and integration testing.
Execute manual
Execute manual and exploratory tests where automation is not appropriate and reproduce complex defects.
Integrate tests into CI/CD pipelines
Integrate tests into CI/CD pipelines and report test results to engineering and product stakeholders.
Create
Create and maintain test data, mocks and stable test environments (local, staging or lab as applicable).
Log, triage
Log, triage and verify defects using a defect-tracking system and collaborate with developers to resolve issues.
Perform non-functional testing as required
Perform non-functional testing as required (performance, load, reliability and basic security checks).
Produce concise test reports
Produce concise test reports and metrics (coverage, pass/fail, flakiness) to inform release decisions.
Test 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 designing and executing tests for software or embedded systems.
- Hands-on experience with at least one test automation framework or scripting language (for example Python, JavaScript or a comparable toolset).
- Familiarity with defect tracking and version control systems (for example Git and a ticketing tool).
- Understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC) and common testing methodologies (unit, integration, regression, exploratory).
- Good analytical and problem-solving skills, with clear written and verbal communication.
- Ability to work collaboratively with developers, product owners and operations teams.
Useful where relevant
- Experience with specific automation tools such as Selenium, Appium, Playwright, JMeter or equivalent.
- Knowledge of CI/CD systems (for example Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI) and test integration.
- Familiarity with performance testing, security testing basics, or test environments for embedded/specialist hardware.
- Formal testing certification (for example ISTQB) or a degree in a relevant technical subject.
- Experience writing tests for APIs and working with containerised test environments (Docker/Kubernetes).
- Previous work in regulated or safety-critical sectors (finance, medical devices, automotive) where applicable.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Test Engineer job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Specify the tech stack
Include the main languages, frameworks and test tools candidates will use so applicants can self-assess technical fit.
Be clear about the automation/manual split
State expected proportion of automated versus manual testing and whether you need performance or embedded testing experience.
Describe the test environment
Explain if candidates will need access to physical hardware, simulators, cloud environments or on-premise labs.
Set realistic essential requirements
Reserve ‘essential’ for skills that are non-negotiable (automation, defect tracking) and put other helpful items under ‘desirable’.
Explain the assessment process
Tell applicants if you use take-home tasks, pair-programming or live testing exercises so experienced candidates can prepare.
Test Engineer salary considerations
Test Engineer pay varies widely. Rather than a single national figure, employers should consider multiple factors when setting a salary band. Be transparent about the level and benefits to attract suitable candidates.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Test Engineer candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What test tools and languages do you use?
Experienced candidates need to know the main automation frameworks, scripting languages and CI tools to assess fit.
Will I have access to test environments or hardware?
Candidates must know whether environments are cloud-based, on-premise or require physical lab access, which affects feasibility.
How does the test team interact with developers and product?
Clarify whether testers are embedded within squads, report to a central QA team, and how collaboration is organised.
Is there an on-call or shift requirement?
Testing in production or 24/7 systems may require irregular hours or on-call rotations; candidates need to know upfront.
What metrics define success?
Candidates want to understand KPIs such as defect escape rate, automation coverage, deployment frequency or test flakiness targets.
What is the salary band and benefits package?
Providing a salary range and a clear benefits summary significantly improves the quality and number of applicants.
Where to post a Test Engineer job
Market this role across a mix of broad UK job boards and specialist tech channels. Use developer and QA-specific sites, professional networks such as LinkedIn, and relevant community forums or Slack groups to reach automation engineers. For niche or hardware-focused roles consider targeted recruitment agencies and university engineering departments to attract candidates with the necessary domain experience.
Related technology / engineering job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Test Engineer job description FAQs
Should I include a coding or test task in the hiring process?
Yes—practical tasks that mirror day-to-day work (small automation tasks or debugging exercises) give insight into a candidate’s approach. Keep tasks time-boxed and relevant to the role to respect applicants’ time.
Is a degree required for Test Engineer roles?
Not always. Many employers prioritise demonstrable testing and automation experience over formal qualifications. Specify degree as desirable rather than essential unless the role requires specialist academic knowledge.
How should I assess automation skills?
Ask for examples of test suites they’ve built, code samples or a short live/pair-programming exercise. Review their approach to test design, reuse, flakiness handling and integration with CI pipelines.
How many interview stages are typical?
Two to four stages is common: initial screening, technical assessment (task or technical interview), a practical or pair test, and a final cultural or managerial interview.
Should I advertise as junior/mid/senior separately?
Yes—separate adverts for different seniority levels gives clarity on responsibilities and salary expectations and helps attract candidates at the right career stage.
Ready to hire a Test Engineer?
Customise this template with your company details, specific tech stack and salary band. Use the advert paragraph and responsibilities section to create a clear vacancy and post to your chosen job boards or contact a specialist recruiter for targeted distribution.
