Lead Automation Engineer

About the role

Waystone is seeking a Lead Automation Engineer to join their growing team in Leeds, West Yorkshire. This role leads the design and execution of automated testing strategies across a range of software products and services. The engineer will guide a team of automation specialists and work closely with development groups to ensure quality at every stage of the software lifecycle. You will own the automation roadmap and drive meaningful improvements in test coverage, reliability, and efficiency.

Key facts

What you'll do

Lead the planning and implementation of automated test frameworks for web and API applications.

Design and maintain end-to-end test pipelines that integrate with continuous integration workflows.

Mentor and coach junior automation engineers on best practices for test design and code quality.

Collaborate with product managers and developers to identify critical areas for test automation.

Own the automation test suite and ensure it remains maintainable, scalable, and reliable over time.

Write clear and comprehensive test plans that cover functional, regression, and integration scenarios.

Analyze test results and produce reports that help teams understand failures and trends.

Evaluate new automation tools and frameworks and recommend ones that fit the team needs.

Ensure test environments are properly configured and representative of production conditions.

Drive automation standards and contribute to the overall quality culture within the organization.

Coordinate with QA teams to align automation efforts with manual testing activities and overall quality goals.

Participate in code reviews for automation scripts to maintain high standards of code quality and consistency.

Requirements

Proven experience leading automation engineering teams or serving as a technical lead in testing.

Strong proficiency in at least one automation framework such as Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright.

Experience with API testing tools and RESTful service validation processes.

Solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines and their integration with automated testing processes.

Proficiency in a programming language commonly used for testing such as Python, Java, or JavaScript.

Experience managing test data and maintaining test environments in a controlled fashion.

Knowledge of software testing principles including boundary testing, smoke testing, and acceptance criteria.

Ability to communicate technical findings clearly to both engineering and non-engineering stakeholders.

Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS or Azure for deploying and managing test infrastructure.

Familiarity with agile methodologies and the ability to adapt testing strategies as project requirements evolve.

Nice to have

Familiarity with containerized test environments using Docker or Kubernetes for reproducible test runs.

Experience with performance or load testing tools such as JMeter or Gatling to validate system behavior under stress.

Background in regulated industries where compliance and audit trails matter for testing and documentation purposes.

Understanding of behavior-driven development practices and tools like Cucumber or SpecFlow to bridge communication between technical and business teams.

Exposure to microservices architecture and the challenges of testing distributed systems in a production-like environment.

Skills & tools

Python or Java for writing and maintaining test scripts and automation code.

Selenium WebDriver or Playwright for browser-based test automation and cross-browser testing.

REST API testing with tools like Postman or Insomnia for service validation.

CI/CD platforms such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI.

Docker for containerizing test environments and managing test dependencies effectively.

Git for version control and collaboration on test code repositories.

JUnit or pytest for structuring and running unit and integration tests within the automation suite.

Slack or similar communication tools for coordinating with team members and tracking automation-related discussions.

Practical notes

This is a full-time position based in the Leeds office in West Yorkshire.

The role involves working within a cross-functional team that includes developers, testers, and product staff.

Candidates should expect to participate in on-site meetings and collaborative sessions during standard working hours.

Waystone offers a structured onboarding process and ongoing professional development for this role.

The Leeds office provides a collaborative workspace with access to the tools and resources needed for automation engineering.

Waystone values diversity and encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply for this position.