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 role in Bristol, England, with a confidential employer puts you at the centre of national security testing. You’ll own automated and manual testing for systems that protect the UK, working in a collaborative agile environment. This position is perfect for a DV‑cleared professional hungry to push quality forward.

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

ZIPSK14 4XU

Opportunity

Working with this confidential employer means contributing to the UK’s national security, where your testing expertise directly safeguards critical decisions. As a Principal Test Engineer, you will be the quality gatekeeper for systems that cannot fail. This is a role where purpose meets technology, and every test you write matters.

You’ll embed automated testing into CI/CD pipelines, craft frameworks that cover UI and API, and explore security and performance vulnerabilities. Your daily work will span manual exploratory testing and sophisticated automation, all within agile teams that value continuous improvement. You won’t just find bugs; you’ll shape how quality is built from the start.

The ideal candidate is a DV‑cleared testing specialist who lives and breathes quality. You are comfortable flipping between manual and automation tasks, you thrive in fast‑paced DevOps environments, and your curiosity pushes you to adopt new tools. You take ownership of your work and inspire others to pursue excellence.

In return, you’ll enjoy a competitive salary, a supportive culture that invests in your growth, flexible working, and the unmatched satisfaction of protecting the nation. If you’re ready to apply your skills where they’ll have the greatest impact, we want to hear from you. Apply today and take the next step in your career with a team that truly values what you do.

Non-Negotiables

You must hold active DV clearance
You need substantial experience in both manual and automated software testing
You must be proficient with open‑source test tools and frameworks
You should be adept at working within agile and DevOps methodologies
You must have strong communication skills and a collaborative approach
You need to be comfortable working partially onsite in Bristol with some remote flexibility
You should possess at least five years of relevant testing experience

What's In It For You

You’ll receive a competitive salary ranging from £40,000 to £70,000 per year, plus additional benefits
Take advantage of a free 24/7 counselling helpline and employee assistance programme
Enjoy flexitime and the option to work from home, supported by modern city‑centre offices
Benefit from a dedicated Career Coach to help guide your professional development
Join a vibrant social calendar with events, summer parties, and annual awaydays
Claim expenses for lunch and drinks when working onsite
Become part of an inclusive, supportive team where your well‑being and growth are priorities

Responsibilities

You will use a variety of open‑source tools and frameworks to create robust test solutions
You will perform both manual and automated software testing on complex, mission‑critical systems
You will integrate testing into CI/CD pipelines using DevOps and agile practices such as TDD, BDD, and ATDD
You will design and implement automated test frameworks for UI and API testing
You will collaborate with the QA team to enhance testing frameworks and share innovative ideas
You will conduct non‑functional testing including security, performance, accessibility, and operational acceptance testing

Preferred Qualifications

Familiarity with Selenium, Cypress.io, Playwright, Webdriver.io, Cucumber, Robot Framework, Serenity BDD, or Rest Assured is highly advantageous
Experience in security and performance testing is valued
A background in national security or government projects is a plus
Knowledge of continuous testing and CI/CD best practices is beneficial
Any certifications in agile or testing frameworks will set you apart
Enthusiasm for mentoring junior testers and promoting quality culture is welcomed

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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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Ready for the Next Step?

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