QA Test lead Bristol, hybrid £85,000

I’m recruiting for a QA Test Lead/ Principal Level Test Engineer to join my client in North Bristol, working on cutting edge, mission-critical technologies that help keep people on the front line safe and connected in high pressure situations.

This is a fantastic opportunity to lead testing across a wide variety of projects, ranging from bespoke mobile applications and server side configuration through to cloud based systems and hardware integrations.

You’ll need to be happy coming into the Bristol office three days a week, and due to the nature of the work, you must either hold a British passport or have been a resident in the UK for the past five years, as employees are required to undergo security clearance.

As a Test Lead, your focus goes beyond day to day test execution. While you’ll remain hands on when needed, the bigger emphasis is on influencing and setting test strategy, directing test efforts across complex initiatives, and driving best practice across multiple engineering teams.

You’ll collaborate closely with developers, product owners, and stakeholders to ensure testing is embedded from the earliest stages, with requirements that are realistic, testable, and clearly understood.

The role will initially be more focused on leading manual testing across a range of mobile apps, integrated hardware, and cloud systems. At the same time, you’ll play a central role in shaping the company’s continued investment in automation.

Current tooling includes Python, Pytest, and ADB for Android test automation, with work underway in hardware emulation, CI/CD integration, and experimentation with AI.

What you’ll be doing

• Setting and evolving test strategy across one or more high complexity projects.
• Coordinating and directing the work of test engineers (permanent staff and contractors).
• Championing automation and influencing tooling choices (Python, Pytest, Appium, Espresso, CI/CD pipelines).
• Leading the test lifecycle end-to-end: from planning and execution through to triage, reporting, acceptance, and release support.
• Coaching and mentoring less experienced testers, helping to build a culture of collaboration and advocacy for quality.
• Driving continuous improvement in test processes, practices, and stakeholder engagement.
• Exploring new approaches, including AI-driven tooling and experimentation, and encouraging the team to stay ahead of the curve.

What we’re looking for

• Experience leading or coordinating test activities, with the confidence to set direction and influence strategy.
• A solid background in manual testing, ideally in mobile, hardware, or complex system environments.
• Some knowledge of test automation (Python, Kotlin, ADB, Appium, Espresso etc) and a willingness to drive its adoption.
• An interest in exploring AI Technologies.
• Familiarity with CI/CD environments (Jenkins, GitLab) and broader modern QA practices.
• A curious, pragmatic mindset with the drive to constantly improve.

This is a place where testers are genuinely valued. You’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of testing, influence strategic decisions, and help deliver technology that genuinely matters. Salaries range from £65,000 to £85,000 depending on experience.

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