Software Development Engineer in Test

Reed in Partnership has been delivering public services since 1998. We are a British, family-owned company, whose mission has always been to positively transform people and their communities. This is reflected in our services, which we deliver to help people from all backgrounds and circumstances to change their lives for the better.

Pay Range

£60,000

Working Hours/Pattern:

Full-time, although we would be happy to consider applicants who are looking to work on a part time basis. If you would like to explore this further please discuss this with the talent partner for this role. Please note our ability to accommodate flexible working arrangements will vary from role to role, dependent on business requirements.

Job Description

About Reed in Partnership…

Reed in Partnership is a public service provider specialising in skills training for the long-term unemployed, increasing employment opportunities by working with employers and providing youth services. We have been delivering public services since 1998.

Internal end date: 6/11/2025

We are a family-owned company, whose mission has always been to positively transform people and their communities. This is reflected in our services, which we deliver to help people from all backgrounds and circumstances to change their lives for the better.

We are an ambitious organisation which has undergone significant growth and diversification. The business now employs over 2,000 staff delivering a diverse portfolio of employability, skills and youth services across the United Kingdom.

About the project…

Polaris is Reed in Partnership’s new CRM system which will be used by a large part of the business for their day-to-day activities. Polaris will replace a longstanding existing product and, as such, drive business change with a key focus on increased productivity and efficiencies.

Polaris follows a microservices architecture using Azure cloud services. While the product has performed well in initial testing, a recent User Acceptance Testing (UAT) phase ended prematurely due to scaling and performance issues. To ensure the viability of the rollout, we are seeking an experienced Load Testing Specialist to join our team on a contract basis.

Your new role…

As a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) for Polaris, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the quality and performance of our Java-based software, which operates on a SQL database within Azure infrastructure. You will collaborate closely with our development team, leveraging tools like Azure Load Testing, Selenium, and JMeter for test-driven development (TDD) and load testing. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to innovate and re-tool our test automation platform to enhance efficiency and reliability

Responsibilities…

• Design, develop, and maintain automated test scripts for functional, regression, and performance testing.
• Collaborate with developers to integrate automated tests into the continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline.
• Conduct thorough testing of Polaris software to identify and resolve defects early in the development cycle.
• Utilise Azure Load Testing, Selenium, and JMeter to perform load and performance testing.
• Analyse test results, identify trends, and provide actionable insights to improve software quality.
• Participate in code reviews and provide feedback on testability and quality.
• Continuously evaluate and implement new tools and technologies to enhance the test automation framework.
• Document test plans, test cases, and test results comprehensively.

Person specifications …

Essential Criteria

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven experience in software development and testing, particularly with Java and SQL databases.
• Strong knowledge of test automation tools such as Selenium and JMeter.
• Experience with Azure infrastructure and Azure Load Testing.
• Proficiency in writing and executing automated test scripts.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and integrating automated tests.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment.

Disability Confident Commitment…

We aim to ensure that no candidate or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity. We offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria

We aim to ensure that no candidate or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria.