Salary: £63,000 - 103,000 per year Requirements:

Degree or equivalent qualification in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline
Proven experience supporting or leading software testing activities
Strong understanding of software testing within the software development lifecycle (SDLC)
Experience planning and delivering manual and regression testing
Knowledge of software engineering lifecycle processes and associated tools
Experience working with requirements and translating them into effective test solutions
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Excellent attention to detail
Good technical documentation and report-writing skills
Ability to communicate effectively with technical specialists and non-technical stakeholders
Experience in one or more of the following: Java, JavaFX, NetBeans, C++, Visual Studio, Python, automated software testing, unit testing (JUnit or CppUnit), requirements management (ideally IBM DOORS), UML, Enterprise Architect, IBM Engineering Test Manager, Workflow Manager, MATLAB, LabVIEW, SQL, HTML, JavaScript, virtualisation, network configuration, communications protocols, or Agile software development
A strong bias towards either Java or C++ is acceptable; candidates are not expected to be equally experienced in both
Experience within defence, maritime, aerospace, or another safety-critical/high-integrity field

Responsibilities:

Plan, manage, and deliver software test activities throughout the software development lifecycle
Develop robust manual, automated, and regression testing solutions
Produce test plans, test specifications, procedures, and supporting documentation
Perform software verification and validation activities
Support software and systems integration testing
Ensure appropriate traceability between requirements, testing, and results
Identify, investigate, and document software defects
Collaborate with software, systems, hardware, and integration engineering teams
Support testing of high-integrity and safety-related software
Produce clear technical reports and communicate results to technical and non-technical stakeholders
Contribute to the continuous improvement of software testing processes and methodologies

Technologies:

Architect
Hardware
IBM
Support
JUnit
Java
JavaFX
JavaScript
Matlab
Network
Python
SQL
UML
Visual Studio

More:

We are recruiting a permanent Software Test Engineer to join our highly skilled engineering team working on complex, high-integrity software and systems in the defence and maritime sector. The role focuses on software testing throughout the development lifecycle and offers exposure to technically challenging, complex defence, maritime, and safety-critical systems. The position is based in Dorchester or Winfrith Newburgh, Dorset, with a hybrid working pattern.

last updated 40 week of 2026

Software Test Engineer

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