Test Engineer

Job Description

Are you a passionate software Tester looking to be part of a dynamic and innovation led team of professionals? 

If so, we are looking for ambitious and dedicated specialists to join our rapidly growing team in Gloucestershire.  

As an organisation, we demand constant innovation, and have immediate opportunities for software testers to work on a varied portfolio of projects.  

On the cyber team, you'll join our experts developing systems and solutions that are revamping the entire cyberspace continuum of defense, exploit, and attack. Your expertise will be needed in operational, technical, and security engineering.

Different thinking for a Different world

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, strike, and logistics and modernisation to customers worldwide. In Europe, we are among the leading defence and security suppliers with 2,500 employees and long-established businesses in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Netherlands.

Northrop Grumman engineers have been at the forefront of innovation for generations. Our engineers create global security systems that protect our world. Our leading-edge solutions can be found undersea, on land, in the sky and in the far reaches of outer space. We explore everything we possibly can to uncover the most efficient and creative solutions.  

We invite you to learn more about engineering at Northrop Grumman.

How you will make a difference

You will be a Test Engineering professional well versed in defining and applying different testing techniques to a variety of systems across a variation of contexts. You will have worked on business critical systems and will be comfortable working under your own motivation.

You will play a key part in the delivery of a number of technically challenging and complex projects, and some of our key activities as a team will consist of:

• Evaluation and execution of existing manual Test Cases.
• Translation of business and technical requirements to comprehensive testable scenarios.
• Development of Test Plans and procedures for both black and white box testing of all components at the Unit, Module, System and Integration levels, performing risk analysis when required.
• Define and execute test activities either independently or within a team.
• Identify gaps and opportunity to improve test capability to ensure coverage efficiency.
• Actively seek opportunities to reduce software time-to-market through process improvement and automation.
• A strong teammate, you will work in multiple environments as part of a collaborative and multi-functional team.  

Key criteria required…

• ISEB Foundation/Intermediate Certificate in Software Testing
• Thorough understanding of SDLC and a strong background of working within an Agile/Scrum development process as well as knowledge of common tools used e.g. Test Rail, JIRA, Zephyr
• Formal automated and manual performance and integration experience
• Strong understanding of test methodologies
• Knowledge of non-functional testing e.g. security, performance, and accessibility testing
• Proficient at Windows and Linux in both administration and user level including command language and understanding hardware utilisation and system performance.
• Strong understanding of programming languages including development experience of writing test harnesses in Java, .net and integration with performance test tools such as Apache Jmeter, Microsoft Visual Studio and Spirent Avalanche.
• Strong understanding of Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) including working experience of ActiveMQ, Apache QPID and RabbitMQ.
• Strong understanding of protocols within the OSI model in particular IP/TCP and mobile stacks
• Proficient user of network traffic analysers both GUI and command line interface. Automating characterising of test data and production of expected test results.

Useful skills to have

• Experience of Atlassian toolset, including Jira, Greenhopper, Confluence and Bamboo
• Experience of HP Application Licecycle Management or IBM RQM – production of test plans, test suites, test cases including requirement, defect, feature and use case mapping against multiple releases for varying work streams.
• Experience and understanding of integrating Bamboo, Jira and HP ALM to assist in providing test documentation to stakeholders.
• Experience of performance profiling, understanding anticipated load, stress and capacity either by non-functional requirements, or by gaining access to live or production statistics. Working with the business analysts to ensure the requirements are testable.
• Experience and understanding of performance testing large distributed data stores such as Oracle, Mongo DB, HP Autonomu and in memory grids such Hazelcast.
• Experience of testing and developing websites using frameworks such as Bootstrap.
• Experience of using GUI automation tools such as Selenium and Microsoft Visual Studio.
• Experience of building test infrastructures using containerisation technologies such as Docker
• Experience of working in a software development team
• Experience of applying exploratory testing
• Experience of Powershell

We’d also love it if you have….

• Working knowledge of Splunk including writing queries to assess the performance of specific components, identifying bottlenecks and predicting future performance including producing dashboards for management information and support teams.
• Working experience of container technology such as Docker including using Maven plugins to automate deploy stubs and mocks to test environments to assist in integration testing
• Basic knowledge of networking
• Knowledge of application provisioning tools such Ansible, Puppet, or Chef
• Experience of applying behaviour driven development (BDD) principles

An ideal candidate will have

• Strong communication skills
• Attention to detail and able to follow instruction thoroughly
• Ability to make the right decision and ask questions when unsure
• Patient, positive, solution orientated attitude
• Work to define testable user stories, acceptance criteria with stakeholders
• Respond quickly to change
• Comfortable working with stakeholders at all levels to acquire information
• Ability to document and troubleshoot errors

If you can do all this and more, you’ll enjoy a great career as we work hard to continuously innovate the world of Cyber Security.

Additional Information for your consideration...

You will need to be able to hold and maintain UK Government clearances

Being a part of Northrop Grumman gives you the opportunity to use your skills to make a difference in our mission of enabling global security. Our company grows because of our employees' dedication and commitment to achieving our mission, something we always remember. In return for working for us you will have access to a benefits package that provides you with flexibility to balance your professional career with your personal life, health & well-being benefits, discount schemes, pension benefits and investment in your future development.

We are committed to equality and diversity in our workplace. Northrop Grumman provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to an individual’s protected status, including race, ethnic origin, color, nationality, national origin, ancestry, sex/gender, gender identity/expression, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, religion or belief, creed, age, disability, genetic information, or any other protected status or characteristic.