Automation Tester

Key Relationships:

Product Owner • Business Analysts • Engineers • Test Guild Lead

Job Summary:

The Automation Tester (also known as Test Automation Engineers) design and write programs that run automatic tests on new or existing software within D&G's technology and digital estate. Key responsibilities of a D&G Automation Tester include: • Ensuring Products and technology solutions are delivered to quality in line with end-user and/or customer expectations • Designing and writing test automation scripts • Using test automation frameworks • Investigating problems in software • Working with other testers and software developers to find solutions Other key aspects of the role include: • Developing and maintaining professional working relationships, especially within the Product team and with those who interact regularly with the test team • Focus on the important testing and product priorities as agreed-upon with the Product Owner • Effectively balance curiosity about tests, test results, and bugs with project constraints on budget and schedule • Exhibit a demeanour of professional pessimism, i.e., in a pleasant and non-confrontational fashion work with determination to find, document, and advocate the repair of bugs • Show initiative in setting and meeting goals within an environment of managed change • Continually learn relevant modern technologies to keep up with and apply them to the job and support D&G teams to adopt them, by becoming the subject matter expert on modern technologies and frameworks. • Participate in the architecture and design of the area early in the development cycle, influencing it to drive quality and adherence to the specification

Key Responsibilities:

Mentor more junior testers in the team to create a high-performance automated test function. • Coach developers and software engineers to perform test driven development • Find innovative uses for test automation software with a view to reducing cycle time of delivery • Where appropriate Line Manage 1-2 Testers

Review requirements, specifications, user story documentation, help files, and other project documentation to assure quality of the products and tests to be developed, i.e., perform manual static testing. • Select and develop appropriate test automation tools, applying the latest techniques in test automation, e.g., data-driven testing. • Use risk-driven techniques to develop, maintain, and execute automated test suites, i.e., perform automated dynamic testing. • Work with the Engineering team to capture and reuse automated Unit Test Cases, Test Stubs and Drivers, and other Development test objects. • Work with the Engineering team to create and maintain an automated nightly build verification ("smoke") tests • Ensure proper version control and configuration management of all test objects developed and test environments used. • Develop and executed automated test suites using COTS and custom tools • Integrate test suites into the test management system and custom test harnesses and, • Perform other testing-related duties as required

System Knowledge:

D&G's digital products are hosted in AWS and built in Angular • On-prem IBM platforms like AS/400, RPG and other tools and technologies • Our test automation suite is based on Selenium with Cucumber BDD Framework

Essential Skills:

Programming languages, such as C# and Core Java • Mathematical aptitude and strong problem-solving skills • Excellent organisational and time management skills • Teamwork skills because most solutions require input from individuals with separate roles • Self-development skills to keep up to date with fast-changing trends

Data design and test data management • Highly accurate and detail-oriented • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Desirable:

An understanding of the latest trends and their role in a commercial environment • Software development background to assist in rapid identification of root causes for defects

Experience:

Previous experience as a test automation engineer • Proficiency in programming languages such as C#, Core Java, Java Script • Experience in automating tests for in any object orientated language • Web Service, RESTful API automated testing experience and an understanding of how web apps consume RESTful services • Experience of build testing frameworks and automated test scripts for AWS integration and data components • Understanding of databases and able to interrogate them using SQL • Good understanding of version control systems. Experience in using git; Use of de-bugging tools, ability to analyse stack traces, code, log-files, and other artefacts; Good understanding of CI and experience of using a CI system, ideally Jenkins and AWS code pipeline; Understanding of Service Oriented Architectures; Ability to programmatically interact with data formats that may include XML and JSON • Understanding of mocks / stubs and experience in building these for automated testing • Demonstrable knowledge of rolling out a new automated testing framework e.g., using Selenium/WebDriver within an Agile delivery environment • Demonstrable evidence of working in a multi-tenant environment with multiple clients • Interested in Big Data

Qualifications:

Ideally a Bachelor's degree in computer science, software development, or an equivalent numerate degree (maths, physics, etc).