Software Test Team Leader
Location: Hybrid
Employment Type: Full-time
Salary: Up to 40k - 45k (dependent on experience)
We are seeking a hands-on Software Tester Team Leader to guide and grow our testing capability while remaining close to the detail of manual and automated testing across our full product suite. You will lead an existing team of testers working across web applications, APIs, and data-heavy systems, ensuring quality is embedded early in the development lifecycle. Working closely with developers, you will help shape test strategy, direct our automation journey, and raise quality standards across the team.
In this role, you will balance leadership and delivery. You'll be mentoring testers, setting clear expectations, and driving consistency in testing practices, while also contributing directly to testing activities where needed. You will work with tools and technologies including API testing frameworks, test automation, and modern web platforms, helping the team build confidence in the systems we deliver. Your focus will be on ensuring quality is not just validated at the end, but built in from the start, enabling fast, safe, and reliable delivery across all products.
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Mentor and develop testers through regular appraisal meetings, coaching, and clear development plans, building a skilled and confident test team.
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Drive accountability, ownership, and strong engineering practices across the team, fostering a culture where quality is embedded from the outset of development.
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Act as the key escalation point for testing and delivery risks, proactively removing blockers and ensuring issues are resolved in a timely and structured way.
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Take ownership of overall product quality, ensuring testing approaches are aligned to delivering reliable, scalable, and high-performing applications.
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Work closely with developers, product and project management teams to ensure testing is integrated early in the lifecycle, improving speed, reliability, and confidence in releases.
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Define and evolve the overall test strategy across manual and automated testing
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Ensure consistent quality standards across all products and teams, including features that incorporate AI-driven functionality.
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Apply risk-based testing approaches to balance quality assurance with delivery speed.
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Evolve the test strategy based on delivery insights, feedback, and defect trends.
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Champion the effective use of automation within the team, supporting and encouraging its adoption where it adds value.
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Work with developers and testers to develop and maintain automation frameworks and API testing approaches across C# and web applications.
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Help improve test coverage across web applications, APIs, and data-driven systems through a balanced mix of manual and automated testing.
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Support integration of automated tests into CI/CD pipelines, working closely with engineering teams.
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Remain hands-on where required, particularly in exploratory testing, complex scenarios, and technical
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investigations.
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Identify recurring defects and trends, collaborating with developers to address root causes and improve overall product quality
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Collaborate closely with developers, product owners, and delivery teams
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Ensure testing is planned, estimated, and delivered effectively within sprint cycles
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Contribute to sprint planning
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Provide clear visibility of quality status, risks, and release readiness to stakeholders.
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Identify and communicate testability challenges, risk, and complexity early in the life cycle to help the team make informed delivery decisions
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Align testing activities with release timelines, supporting production deployments and performing post-release validation to ensure systems are operating as expected
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Drive continuous improvement in testing processes, tools, and automation.
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Champion the use of AI and modern tooling to improve testing efficiency, coverage, and engineering processes.
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Explore and adopt AI-assisted approaches to enhance test design, defect analysis, and overall quality engineering practices.
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Promote shared ownership of quality across the delivery teams, strengthening collaboration between development and testing.
- Continuously develop the team's technical and testing capability, particularly in automation, API testing, and modern QA practices.
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Proven ability to lead, mentor, or support other testers or junior team members
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5+ years' experience in software testing within a web-based application environment
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Strong understanding of QA principles across manual and automated testing approaches
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Experience working in an Agile development team
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Strong hands-on experience in manual and exploratory testing
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Experience testing APIs and/or backend services
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Experience using Jira for defect tracking and Xray (or similar tools such as TestRail) for test management and execution.
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Ability to work closely with developers and product teams throughout the software life cycle
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Strong communication skills with the ability to report risks, issues, and quality status clearly
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Comfortable being hands-on in a fast-paced delivery environment
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Experience with test automation frameworks (ideally C# or similar backend tools)
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Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and automated test integration
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Experience working with large datasets
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Experience in performance or load testing concepts
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Knowledge of API testing tools (e.g. Postman or similar)
We know we're biased, but we really do think Angel is a great place to work!
Hybrid working tailored to individual and business needs.-
Birthday day off (because your special day matters!).
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Finish Early Fridays as a reward for your hard work.
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Innovation & Charity Days to refresh your mind and give back.
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Ongoing training & qualifications to support your professional growth.
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Creative office space with a ball pool, swings, and even a gypsy caravan!
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Surprise treat days (who doesn't love a good surprise?).
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Generous parental and dependents leave, supporting your family when it matters most.
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Private medical insurance for your peace of mind.
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Christmas shutdown on top of annual leaveârest and recharge for the new year!
Why Join Angel Solutions?
We're not just about softwareâwe're about making a real difference in education. By joining Angel Solutions, you'll play a vital role in shaping the tools that help schools, local authorities, and social care teams thrive.
Apply Now and become part of a team where your ideas, skills, and passion will help drive meaningful change.
