Senior Test Engineer

Job Description:

Your impact 

Are you ready to take the next step in your testing career and lead the delivery of secure, high-quality test solutions? At Leonardo, our Senior Test Engineers combine deep technical knowledge with leadership, driving the design, execution, and assurance of tests that ensure our customers’ systems are robust and mission-ready.

Your work at Leonardo UK will see you take the lead in solving customer problems in an agile, innovative and team-centric manner. The role may involve a blended hybrid working model, with a mixture of working from home and working on site at one of our Leonardo offices to ensure close collaboration with the wider team and with our customers.

What you will do as a Senior Test Engineer 

• Lead the planning and execution of test work packages, including scope, effort estimates, and schedules.

• Design, develop, and review test cases, scripts, and supporting documentation.

• Execute system, integration, and acceptance testing, ensuring alignment with customer requirements.

• Take ownership of defect management, collaborating with developers and stakeholders to ensure timely resolution.

• Mentor and guide Test Engineers and Technicians, supporting skills development and knowledge sharing.

• Conduct reviews of test deliverables to ensure accuracy, quality, and compliance with governance standards.

• Drive improvements in test practices, tools, and automation frameworks.

• Contribute to risk assessments, test strategies, and stakeholder reporting.

What you’ll bring

• Strong technical ability with experience delivering test activities in complex programmes.

• Ability to balance hands-on testing with leadership of test planning and delivery.

• Confidence to represent testing within project teams and customer discussions.

Core areas (must have):

• Experience creating and executing structured test plans and cases

• Proficiency with defect management and test management tools (e.g. Jira, Xray, TestRail, Zephyr)

• Familiarity with automation concepts and scripting for testing (e.g. Selenium, Python, Bash, PowerShell)

• Knowledge of system integration and acceptance testing methods

• Understanding of secure working practices and cyber security considerations in testing

• Experience working within multi‑supplier delivery environments

• Confident communication skills suitable for customer‑facing collaboration

Desirable: 

• ISTQB Advanced Level certification or equivalent experience

• Familiarity with cloud‑based software delivery and containerisation (e.g. AWS, Kubernetes)

• Awareness of ITIL practices or value streams relevant to service management

• Experience working with government departments or in secure project environments

• Experience contributing to multi‑party testing sessions

• Knowledge of non‑functional testing areas such as reliability, usability, security or stability

• Experience with performance, load, or penetration testing tools (e.g. JMeter, LoadRunner, OWASP ZAP)

• Knowledge of CI/CD and DevOps pipelines with integrated testing

• Familiarity with Agile/SAFe delivery and test automation in agile contexts

• Experience mentoring junior engineers and contributing to technical governance

Security Clearance 

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit:

Location 

This role can be based at one of our UK sites, Bristol, with hybrid/custom working options where appropriate.

Why join us 

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.

• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.

• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).

• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.

• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.

• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.

• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.

• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.
Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

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Primary Location:

GB - Bristol - Coldharbour Lane

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working:

Hybrid