Principal Test Engineer

About The Role

Team – Vitality Applications

Working Pattern - Hybrid – 2 days per week in the London Office. Full time, 37.5 hours per week.

Top 3 skills required:

• Expertise in Test Automation and Framework Engineering
• Leadership and Strategic Influence
• Multi-Specialism Technical Expertise

What this role is all about:

As a Principal Test Engineer, you'll lead testing across multiple teams and drive automation excellence. You'll design and maintain frameworks using C#, Java, and Selenium, ensuring robust, scalable solutions. This role combines hands-on technical expertise with strategic leadership, influencing best practices and standards across Vitality and with external partners.

Key Actions

• Implement the software test life cycle: The process used to test software and ensure that quality standards are met. It includes test analysis and design, test estimation, test planning and approach, test execution, defect management, and reporting.
• Recognised as an expert in a core subset of the testing practices employed by the teams and provide technical management and guidance
• Adhere to testing standards: Adhering to the Group test strategy that defines the required testing standards and practices.
• Recognised as the subject matter expert on adherence to standards and champions a modern test engineering standard approach at Vitality.
• Engage stakeholders. Work with stakeholders to develop an understanding of the needs and requirements of both internal and external stakeholders in order to achieve the desired outcomes. The core team of stakeholders includes project managers, user experience (UX) designers, solution architects, developers, systems or business analysts, other testers, product owners, and heads of journey.
• Working with senior management, internal stakeholders and 3rd parties to understand the business requirements and technology design, discuss and agree product launch requirements and ensure integration across multiple journeys.
• Build and transfer skills and knowledge. Take responsibility for developing personal skills and expertise aligned to role, encourage and coach test engineers to build a competent team.
• An expert in two specialisms (one of which is automation), working towards competency in a third specialism.
• Collaborate within and across teams. Work effectively together with others across varying areas of expertise to achieve the required results.

What do you need to thrive?

• 7+ Years of hands-on Automation Testing experience with extensive knowledge of C#, Java & Selenium.
• Minimum of 2+ years of mentoring Engineers in test automation projects
• Strong hands-on experience in API test automation, including scenario design, data setup, and validation.
• Deep understanding of automation framework design and long-term maintainability.
• Proven ability to lead test teams and mentor junior engineers.
• Experience in defining test strategies and driving quality initiatives across teams.
• Strong communication skills to collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders.
• The ability to work well in a fast paced and dynamic environment.