Principal Software Test Engineer
SoCode Limited
We're recruiting a Principal Software Test Engineer in Cambridge (3 days in the office) with a salary of up to £90,000 on offer.
We're working with an established international technology organisation developing advanced hardware/software platforms used in high-performance, data-driven environments. Their solutions support critical infrastructure where reliability, scalability, and precision are key.
They are looking for someone to lead the testing strategy and delivery across a complex, multi-layered embedded software platform.
The Role You will join a product engineering team responsible for delivering customer-facing software running on a specialised hardware platform. The system comprises multiple software layers operating across separate boards, combining higher-level application functionality with lower-level system control.
One layer focuses on networking and external interfaces, supporting standard communication protocols and user-facing APIs. Another layer operates closer to the hardware, handling real-time command execution and coordination of system components.
This is a hands-on technical leadership role, combining deep testing expertise with cross-functional collaboration.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and implement comprehensive test strategies in collaboration with senior engineers and stakeholders
- Contribute to project scoping, planning, and estimation of testing activities
- Ensure test approaches align with system architecture and product requirements
- Lead test planning, execution, and reporting
- Develop and review verification and validation plans
- Perform integration testing across software and hardware boundaries
- Work with low-level interfaces and communication protocols (e.g. serial and peripheral interfaces)
- Use lab-based debugging and diagnostic tools where required
- Analyse results, identify defects, and drive improvements
- Design and develop scalable automated testing frameworks
- Write maintainable and efficient test scripts (primarily in Python)
- Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines
- Work closely with software, hardware, and operations teams to resolve issues
- Support product release activities and field issue investigations
- Contribute to overall product quality and reliability
- Provide technical leadership within the test function
- Mentor engineers on testing best practices and methodologies
- Participate in design and code reviews
- Produce and maintain test documentation (plans, cases, reports)
- Ensure alignment with internal quality standards and regulatory requirements
- Identify and implement improvements to testing processes and tools
- Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies
- 10+ years’ experience in software testing, ideally within embedded or systems-level environments
- Experience validating complex systems involving both software and hardware
- Strong Python skills for test automation (e.g. PyTest or similar frameworks)
- Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines (e.g. Jenkins, GitLab CI)
- Comfortable working in Linux environments, including shell scripting
- Solid understanding of testing methodologies (unit, integration, system, end-to-end)
- Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills
- Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments
- Experience with containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Exposure to security testing practices and tools
- Performance and scalability testing experience
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- Relevant certifications (e.g. ISTQB, Agile testing, Python)
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