Senior Test Engineer

UBDS Group is looking for a highly skilled Senior Test Engineer with a strong focus on test automation and data validation to support complex data and cloud transformation programmes. This role is ideal for an engineer with deep experience in ETL testing, modern automation practices, and cloud-native data platforms.

You will play a key role in designing, building, and improving automated testing solutions, ensuring data quality, reliability, and alignment with client strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement automated test frameworks for data pipelines, ETL processes, and cloud-based platforms
• Lead data validation activities, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and integrity across complex datasets
• Develop and maintain test automation using Python and pytest, applying TDD and BDD (Behave) approaches
• Create and manage test data to support ETL and data warehousing validation
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of automation frameworks, increasing efficiency, reusability, and scalability
• Collaborate with engineering teams to embed shift-left testing practices across the development lifecycle
• Participate in peer reviews, code reviews, and CI/CD processes, ensuring quality and consistency of deliverables
• Support cloud adoption initiatives, working with platforms such as AWS and Azure, and technologies like Kafka
• Identify opportunities for re-use and standardisation, contributing to a growing toolbox of data engineering and testing patterns
• Ensure testing outcomes align with client strategies (e.g. Digital, Data, and Analytics strategies and business plans)
• Support knowledge transfer and capability uplift within client teams, ensuring sustainable delivery

Skills & Experience Essential

• Strong experience in test automation for data and ETL processes
• Expertise in data validation techniques, including working with large and complex datasets
• Proficiency in SQL scripting and working with databases such as Oracle (or equivalent)
• Hands on experience with Python, including frameworks such as pytest
• Experience with BDD (Behave) and/or TDD approaches
• Knowledge of ETL tools, data warehousing concepts, and technologies such as PySpark (or similar)
• Experience working with cloud platforms such as AWS and/or Azure
• Familiarity with event driven/data streaming technologies (e.g. Kafka)
• Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines, version control, and modern engineering practices
• Experience contributing to or improving test automation frameworks
• Active SC clearance is required for this role, or candidates must be eligible to obtain it.

Desirable

• Experience working in government or regulated environments
• Familiarity with large-scale data transformation programmes
• Experience aligning engineering outputs to strategic organisational frameworks (e.g. Digital/Data strategies)
• Knowledge of data architecture patterns and reusable testing approaches

Personal Attributes

• Analytical mindset with strong problem solving capability
• Detail oriented, with a focus on data quality and accuracy
• Collaborative and proactive, with strong communication skills
• Comfortable working in agile, fast paced delivery environments
• Passionate about continuous improvement and engineering excellence

Employee Benefits

• Training - All team members are offered a number of options in terms of personal development, whether it is technical led, business acumen or methodologies. We want you to grow with us and to help us achieve more
• Private medical cover for you and your spouse/partner, offered via Vitality
• Discretionary bonus based on a blend of personal and company performance
• Holiday - You will receive 25 Days holiday, plus 1 day for Birthday and 1 day for your work anniversary in addition to UK bank holidays
• Electric Vehicle leasing with salary sacrifice
• Contributed Pension Scheme
• Death in service cover

We are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age.