Test Engineer

Location: London
Clearance: SC-cleared / Non-SC
Start: Immediate

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Own test design and execution for assigned workstreams across the client's estate.

Review requirements, HLDs, LLDs, and project documentation to identify test scenarios and coverage gaps.

Produce and peer-review test scripts, test cases, and execution evidence to sign-off standard.

Lead defect triage, root-cause analysis, and retest coordination across delivery, design, engineering, and operations teams.

Validate System Integration, Functional, Non-Functional, Disaster Recovery, and Operational Acceptance test coverage before execution windows open.

Provide technical guidance and mentoring to Test Engineers; raise the standard of scripts, evidence, and defect records across the workstream.

Maintain ALM discipline: test case structure, requirements traceability, defect lifecycle, and reporting accuracy.

Execute and lead complex testing across routers, switches, firewalls, hosting, data centre, LAN/WiFi, SD-WAN, UC & Unity, telephony, mobility, MPN & Cloud, IoT, fixed connectivity, cloud & security, and service transition.

Set up and validate complex test environments, including network test equipment and RFC 2544 performance testing where required.

Support Test Managers with status reporting, risk identification, defect trend analysis, and milestone readiness assessments.

Represent testing in technical design discussions, ensuring testability is considered in HLD/LLD reviews.

Interface confidently with client stakeholders and customer representatives in test working groups and triage calls.

Escalate risks and blockers within the same working day, with proposed mitigations rather than bare problems.

Drive reuse: contribute and curate test assets, automation candidates, and AI-assisted test design patterns supporting the programme's productivity commitments.

Support onboarding, knowledge transfer, and continuity across joiners and leavers with no impact to the Project Test Plan.

Comply with client security policy, data handling, and audit requirements at all times, on and off site.

Attend client hubs and customer sites as required, including liaison with the wider Test team and, where applicable, the customer lab.

TECHNICAL SCOPE & DOMAIN COVERAGE

Testing services are delivered across the full client product and service estate: Hosting; LAN & WiFi; Data Centre; Service Transition; SD-WAN; Telephony; UC & Unity; MPN & Cloud; IoT; Fixed Connectivity; Mobility; Cloud & Security.

Test phases in scope: Unit Testing, System Integration Testing (SIT), Functional Testing, Non-Functional Testing, Disaster Recovery Testing, and Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT).

Deep hands-on telecom/network infrastructure testing: routers, switches, firewalls, Cisco console competence.

Strong technical understanding across hosting, data centre, SD-WAN, LAN/WiFi, UC, mobility, cloud & security, and service transition.

Ability to interpret complex infrastructure designs and translate them into structured, traceable test scenarios.

Advanced ALM usage: coverage modelling, traceability, defect analytics, and management reporting.

Performance and conformance testing: RFC 2544, network test equipment, service management toolsets (e.g., StableNet).

MANDATORY SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

* Minimum 5 years' relevant experience, with demonstrably deeper hands-on telecom/network testing than the Test Engineer band.

* Strong QA and test industry knowledge of standards and methodologies.

* Proven test design ownership on complex infrastructure or service transition programmes.

* Strong defect management, root-cause analysis, and test evidence discipline.

* Excellent organisational, coordination, and stakeholder management skills, comfortable in customer-facing settings.

* Proficient Excel and strong Microsoft Office, Teams, and SharePoint skills.

DESIRABLE SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

* Experience in customer-facing or critical infrastructure environments (CNI / National Grid advantageous).

* Test automation experience and AI-assisted test design exposure.

* Experience mentoring or technically leading small test teams.

* ITIL working experience.

* Multi-domain breadth across three or more of the twelve domains.

CERTIFICATIONS & QUALIFICATIONS

* ISTQB Foundation – expected.

* ITIL – desirable.

* Relevant network/cloud certifications (e.g., CCNA/CCNP, cloud provider certs) are desirable