QA Engineer - Java, Automation - 12 Month FTC (we have office locations in Cambridge, Leeds and London)

Company Description Company Description Genomics England is a global leader in enabling genomic medicine and research, focused on creating a world where everyone benefits from genomic healthcare. Building on the 100,000 Genomes Project, we support the NHS’s world-first national whole genome sequencing service and run the growing National Genomic Research Library, alongside delivering numerous major genomics initiatives. By connecting research and clinical care at national scale, we enable immediate healthcare benefits and advances for the future. Our mission is to provide the evidence and digital systems so that by 2035 genomics could play a role in up to half of all healthcare interactions, whilst securing the UK’s position as the best place to discover, prove and benefit from genomic innovations. We are accelerating our impact and working with patients, doctors, scientists, government and industry to improve genomic testing, and help researchers access the health data and technology they need to make new medical discoveries and create more effective, targeted medicines for everybody. Behind the Healthcare and Research outcomes, Genomics England delivers through designing, developing and operating complex healthcare software systems. We're on the cusp of big changes with the real prospect of genomics becoming the fabric of everyday healthcare through the lifetime - from birth to old age. QA Engineer - 12 Month FTC (Java) At Genomics England, we’re looking for an experienced QA Engineer with strong commercial Java and proven test automation experience. You’ll play a key role in ensuring quality is engineered into our products from the outset, working closely with Product Managers, Software Engineers, SMEs, and fellow QA Engineers to deliver reliable, scalable, and secure solutions. Working as part of a cross-functional Agile squad, you'll champion a shift-left approach to quality, building and evolving automated testing frameworks using your expertise and experience in Java, Selenium, and RestAssured, while helping improve test coverage, automation, and delivery confidence across the software development lifecycle. This is an opportunity to contribute to products that support Genomics England’s mission to transform healthcare through genomics. The work you do will directly support the delivery of high-quality digital services that enable world-leading genomic research and help improve outcomes for patients and families across the UK Job Description: The QA Engineer will: Promote and follow Genomics England's software testing standards, processes, and best practices. Design, build, maintain, and execute automated test frameworks using Java, Selenium, and RestAssured. Contribute to quality engineering practices across the full SDLC, supporting both product-level and service-level assurance. Work collaboratively with engineers to improve unit, integration, API, and end-to-end test coverage. Help drive shift-left testing practices and ensure quality is built into products from the earliest stages of development. Ensure requirements, acceptance criteria, test cases, defects, and evidence are traceable and auditable. Support CI/CD implementation and test automation execution within deployment pipelines. Participate in Agile ceremonies and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives. Collaborate with stakeholders to identify risks, quality concerns, and opportunities to improve delivery confidence. Everyday Responsibilities Include: Designing, developing, and maintaining Java-based automation frameworks and automated test suites using Selenium and RestAssured. Creating and executing automated UI, API, integration, and regression tests. Reviewing requirements and acceptance criteria to ensure they are testable and complete. Creating test cases and scenarios in Gherkin format using clear Given / When / Then structure. Ensuring traceability between requirements, acceptance criteria, test cases, defects, test execution results, and test evidence. Working closely with software engineers to improve automated coverage and support shift-left testing. Executing automated and manual tests and recording results in Jira/Xray. Investigating defects, supporting root cause analysis, and helping improve product quality. Managing and preparing test data required for testing activities. Supporting and maintaining CI/CD pipelines for automated testing. Producing and maintaining high-quality test documentation, test evidence, and quality reports. Participating in sprint ceremonies, backlog refinement sessions, solution discussions, and peer reviews. Working collaboratively with Product Managers, Engineers, QA colleagues, and SMEs to deliver high-quality outcomes. Supporting non-functional testing activities where required, including performance and security validation Essential Skills and Experience: Strong experience in Java test automation, including designing, developing, and maintaining automated test frameworks and test suites using Selenium and RestAssured. Experience automating both UI and API testing using Java-based frameworks. Good understanding of software testing principles, SDLC, Agile development practices, and quality engineering. Experienced in functional, regression, integration, API, and end-to-end testing. Experience reviewing requirements and acceptance criteria, creating test cases in Gherkin (Given/When/Then) format, and ensuring full traceability between requirements, acceptance criteria, test cases, defects, and test evidence. Strong understanding of test design techniques, requirements analysis, test planning, test execution, and defect management. Experience creating and maintaining test documentation, including test plans, test cases, test scripts, test reports, and test evidence. Experience working in Agile squads and collaborating effectively with Product Managers, Software Engineers, SMEs, and QA colleagues. Experience using Jira, Confluence, Git, and other software delivery and quality management tools. Experience executing automated tests within CI/CD pipelines and maintaining automation execution processes. Experience managing test data and validating data across multiple systems and databases. Good SQL skills and experience extracting and validating data from databases. Experience reporting, triaging, and tracking defects through to resolution. Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills. Ability to contribute to shift-left testing practices and work collaboratively to improve quality across the SDLC. Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to clearly articulate risks, issues, and quality recommendations. ISTQB Foundation Certification (or equivalent software testing qualification). Desirable Skills and Experience: Experienced working in a regulated environment such as Healthcare, NHS, Genomics, Medical Devices, Life Sciences, or other highly governed industries. Experienced with AWS cloud technologies, cloud-native applications, and testing distributed systems. Experienced with modern UI automation tools such as Playwright or Cypress. Experienced implementing contract testing using tools such as PACT. Exposure to Python-based automation frameworks. Experienced creating and maintaining mock APIs and services using tools such as WireMock. Experience with browser and cross-platform compatibility testing using tools such as BrowserStack. Experience using Jira Xray and other test management and reporting tools. Experience with accessibility testing and tools such as Axe Core, with an understanding of accessibility standards and best practices. Experience with security testing and vulnerability scanning tools such as OWASP ZAP, or similar, including knowledge of secure software testing practices. Knowledge of healthcare interoperability standards (e.g. FHIR), non-functional testing, performance testing, CI/CD practices, and test automation framework design Job Description No specific qua