Software Automation Test Engineer

We’re building the next UK-headquartered engineering powerhouse.

There is a gulf between the needs of mission-focused organisations and the development and delivery of the critical technology they rely on. The consequences of this are felt acutely by underserved frontline operators, demanding a new breed of engineering enterprise to bridge this divide.

Rowden exists to meet this need. We design and build systems, infrastructure, and applications to deliver mission advantage to those working to protect the security of the UK and its allies. Rowden is setting a new standard in government technology provision: hyper-efficient engineering, better customer relationships, and rapid assimilation of commercial technology.

The role: Software Automation Test Engineer

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Software Automation Test Engineer to help solve interesting, real-world problems for our customers. The ideal candidate will play a critical role in ensuring the quality and reliability of our software products. This position involves working closely with developers, product owners, and other stakeholders to design and implement automated testing solutions that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our software development lifecycle. The role requires a blend of strong technical expertise, innovative thinking, and a passion for quality.

You’ll join a diverse team of multi-disciplinary engineers at Rowden, with specialisms in machine learning, software, DevOps, systems, electronics, RF and hardware prototyping. You’ll contribute to a hands-on engineering culture, sharing knowledge and lessons with the wider engineering team, and learn some new things yourself along the way.

Key areas of responsibility

As a Software Automation Test Engineer at Rowden, you’ll be responsible for:

• Designing, developing, and maintaining automated test cases and frameworks for functional, integration, and regression testing.
• Collaborating with development teams to integrate automated tests into the CI/CD pipelines.
• Ensuring comprehensive test coverage by identifying and prioritising test cases based on requirements and risk analysis.
• Executing and analysing automated tests, reporting and tracking defects and issues through to resolution.
• Assisting the wider software testing team in developing and maintaining documentation for test plans, test suites and regression packs.
• Designing and executing performance and load tests to ensure the scalability and reliability of our applications.
• Analysing test results and working with the development team to identify and resolve performance bottlenecks.
• Staying current with industry trends and best practices in test automation and quality assurance and driving the adoption of these new tools and technologies.

Key skills, knowledge and behaviours

We are looking for someone who is passionate about technology and who actively invests in their technical skills and abilities. You’ll gain loads of experience in this role but before you do, you should have:

• Proficiency with a variety of test automation tools (e.g. Selenium, JUnit, TestNG, or similar).
• Strong coding skills in one or more programming languages such as Java, Python, C#, or JavaScript.
• Experience with CI/CD tools (e.g., GitHub Actions, Jenkins) and version control systems (e.g., Git).
• Experience with performance testing tools (e.g. JMeter, LoadRunner, or Gatling).
• Knowledge of cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Experience of software development in an agile environment.
• Experience creating clean, maintainable, low complexity, self-describing code.
• An understanding of software security principles and implementation.
• Knowledge of industry-wide technology trends and best practices.​

Some of the technologies we currently use include:

• Kotlin (Android)
• Java
• Python
• C++
• Messaging middleware (DDS, MQTT, etc.)
• AWS
• GitHub

Prior experience in any of these is a bonus, if not, you should be comfortable with learning and using these, and more in the course of your work.

About you: ​

The ideal candidate will have a strong balance of technical skills and experience, and the behavioural competencies that we believe are key to success in the role are as follows:

• Teamworking and collaboration – you’ll work closely with other developers and engineers as part of a cross functional team. The ability to communicate well, share knowledge and challenge constructively is an essential skill for the role.
• Adaptability, resilience and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability (and desire) to learn - our industry changes rapidly, and you should be comfortable with regularly learning new technologies, programming languages, and platforms. Lack of experience in any technology should not be a barrier to your involvement in a project that uses it.

Working at Rowden

We are committed to building a flexible, inclusive, and enabling company. Our aim is to create a diverse team of talented people with unique skills, experience, and backgrounds, so please apply and come as you are

We also recognise the importance of flexible working and support this wherever we can. We typically operate a flexible, hybrid-working model, with an average 3 days in the office each week (dependent on the role). We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility, part-time working requirements and/or workplace adjustments with all our applicants.

Rowden is a Disability Confident Committed company, and we actively encourage people with disabilities and health conditions to apply for our roles. Please let us know your requirements early on so that we can make sure you have everything you need up front to help make the recruitment process and experience as easy as possible.

Finally, if you feel that you don’t meet all the criteria included above but have transferable skills and relevant experience, we’d still love to hear from you

About Rowden

Our Mission:

To create the best possible technology for frontline operators.

We’re upending the conventions of government technology provision and bringing a leaner, more transparent, and lower-friction approach that reduces waste and places outcome over process. We believe every possible measure should be taken to provide frontline operators in today’s dynamic and rapidly changing world with the technology they need to help keep themselves and others safe.

Our Vision:

We offer fast and flexible solutions to the technical challenges of public sector organisations.

We are specialists in software-centric systems, with deep expertise in developing capabilities for constrained networking environments or with challenging cyber security requirements. But the Rowden difference is as much cultural as it is technical: ‘what we do’ and ‘how we do it’ are equally important. We are specifically organised to create and sustain pace, reduce waste and inefficiency, and drive better outcomes. You’ll see and feel that energy and intent all over our business.

What matters to us?

• Our focus is on the end user. We exist to deliver the best possible outcomes for the users of our systems.
• Pace matters. The problems we solve are urgent.
• Our diverse skills and backgrounds make us better. Our team prides itself on being inclusive and multidisciplinary.
• We are radically honest. Saying what we mean, even when it isn’t easy.
• We are pragmatists. We provide realistic, focused solutions that get to the point.
• We improve continuously. We are relentless in our drive to make things better.