Security Cleared Automation Tester at X4 Group, Somerset, £Contract Rate

Lead Automation Tester (SC Cleared) - Contract | Outside IR35

Location: Somerset, England (1 -2 days onsite per week)

Rate: £Depending on Experience (Outside IR35)

Contract Length: 6 months +

Start Date: ASAP

Clearance: Active SC Clearance (ESSENTIAL)

The Opportunity

We're looking for an experienced Lead Automation Tester / Test Lead to drive a modern, outcome-focused quality engineering strategy within Azure-hosted enterprise systems in a secure, regulated UK environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a risk-based automation strategy across functional, integration, and performance testing
• Align quality practices to DORA metrics (Lead Time, Deployment Frequency, Change Failure Rate, MTTR)
• Design scalable automation frameworks using Playwright and K6
• Embed fast, reliable automation into Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines
• Promote test pyramid best practices and minimise brittle UI automation
• Define meaningful quality metrics beyond code coverage
• Drive continuous improvement through data-driven insights

Required Experience

• Proven experience leading automation strategy in enterprise environments
• Strong knowledge of modern test automation principles (CI-first, test pyramid, contract testing)
• Hands-on experience with Playwright and K6
• Strong experience with Azure DevOps CI/CD
• Clear understanding of DORA metrics
• Experience working in secure or regulated environments
• Active SC Clearance (mandatory)

Why Join?

• High-impact role on critical enterprise platforms
• Opportunity to shape quality strategy and delivery outcomes
• Work alongside mature engineering and DevOps teams
• Long-term, stable programme in a regulated environment

Apply now or reach out directly to discuss further - interviews happening immediately.