Principal Test Engineer - DV

Bristol, City Of Bristol

Job TypeDirect Hire

Compensation$40000 - $70000 / yr

Confidential Opportunity

Principal Test Engineer - DV

A Principal Test Engineer - DV opportunity in Bristol, England, with a confidential employer puts you at the centre of national security work. This role blends manual and automation testing on mission-critical systems and requires active DV clearance. It's a high-impact role for a tester who wants to make a real difference.

Role Snapshot

CompanyConfidential Employer

LocationBristol, England, United Kingdom

IndustryDefense

Compensation£40,000 - £70,000 per year

Employment TypeFull Time/Direct Hire

Remote StatusHybrid Remote

Total Openings1

Work Experience5 - 20 years

Opportunity

At the heart of the UK’s national security, this confidential employer builds the digital safeguards that keep the country safe. As a Principal Test Engineer, you will join a team where every test case and automation script contributes to mission-critical decisions. This is more than a testing role; it is a career-defining chance to work with purpose.

You will design and implement automated test frameworks using open-source tools and integrate them into CI/CD pipelines. Your testing will span UI, API, security, performance, and accessibility, ensuring that complex defence systems operate flawlessly. Every day you’ll collaborate with agile teams, sharing ideas to improve quality across the entire development lifecycle.

You are a DV-cleared testing professional who thrives on solving hard problems. You bring deep experience in both manual and automated testing, you’re comfortable with Agile and DevOps practices, and you have a genuine passion for learning new technologies. Your positive, can-do attitude lights up a room, and you’re always looking for ways to make things better.

This role offers more than a salary—it provides peace of mind with the UK’s most critical mission, a supportive team culture, flexible working, and generous wellbeing benefits. If you’re ready to apply your testing expertise where it matters most, we want to speak with you today. Apply now to take the next step in your career with a confidential employer that truly cares about its people.

Non-Negotiables

You must hold current DV clearance to work on this role
You need proven experience in both manual testing and automation testing on complex systems
You must be proficient with open-source test tools and frameworks
You should be comfortable working within Agile and DevOps environments
You need to demonstrate strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset
You must be prepared to work partially onsite in Bristol, England, with some remote flexibility
You should have at least five years of relevant testing experience

What's In It For You

Enjoy a competitive salary between £40,000 and £70,000 per year, plus additional benefits
Take advantage of free 24/7 counselling and an employee assistance programme to support your wellbeing
Work flexibly with flexitime and the option to work from home, using modern city-centre offices
Receive guidance from a dedicated Career Coach to help you learn and grow professionally
Join a social culture with fun events throughout the year, including Summer Parties and awaydays
Claim expenses for lunch and drinks when working onsite
Be part of an inclusive, supportive team where your contributions are valued and your career flourishes

Responsibilities

You will use a variety of open-source tools and frameworks to design and implement automated test solutions
You will perform both manual and automated software testing across complex, mission-critical systems
You will integrate testing into CI/CD pipelines using DevOps and agile methodologies including TDD, BDD, and ATDD
You will create and maintain automated test frameworks for UI and API testing using technologies like Selenium, Cypress.io, and Playwright
You will share innovative ideas with the QA team to enhance testing frameworks and processes continuously
You will conduct non-functional testing in areas such as security, performance, accessibility, and operational acceptance

Preferred Qualifications

Familiarity with Selenium, Cypress.io, Webdriver.io, Playwright, Cucumber, Robot Framework, Serenity BDD, or Rest Assured is advantageous
Experience conducting security and performance testing is highly regarded
A background in national security or government projects is a plus
Knowledge of continuous testing practices and continuous improvement methodologies is valued
Any additional certifications in testing or agile frameworks will be beneficial
Enthusiasm for mentoring junior testers and sharing knowledge within the team is a great asset

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Principal Test Engineer - DV

Role Snapshot

Opportunity

Non-Negotiables

What's In It For You

Responsibilities

Preferred Qualifications

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