QA and UAT Tester

The QA and UAT Tester is responsible for ensuring that software releases meet functional, quality, and business acceptance requirements before reaching production, through rigorous manual and UAT testing. The QA and UAT Tester is responsible for ensuring that software releases meet functional, quality, and business acceptance requirements before reaching production, through rigorous manual and UAT testing. This is a defined growth role: the successful candidate is expected to progressively build test automation skills and contribute an increasing share of automated coverage over time, supported by structured training and mentorship, with a clear path toward a Test Automation Engineer profile as capability develops. Test Planning & Case Design Writes clear, traceable test cases and scripts from requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria. Maintains an organised, up-to-date test case repository aligned to current functionality. Ensures test coverage maps back to requirements and identifies gaps before test execution begins. Participates in requirement/acceptance-criteria reviews to raise testability concerns early. Manual & UAT Test Execution Executes functional, regression, and end-to-end test cycles according to the test plan. Plans and coordinates UAT cycles with business stakeholders, including scheduling, scripts, and sign-off. Documents test results, evidence, and outcomes clearly for audit and traceability. Flags scope, environment, or data issues that put a test cycle at risk. Defect Management & Reporting Logs defects with clear reproduction steps, evidence, severity, and priority. Tracks defects through to resolution and retests fixes before closure. Maintains accurate defect status and communicates blockers or high-risk defects promptly. Analyses defect trends to identify recurring problem areas. Quality Gate & Release Readiness Contributes to and upholds the team's Definition of Done and quality gate criteria. Provides a clear go/no-go quality recommendation ahead of each release. Escalates quality risks early rather than allowing them to surface at release time. Maintains release-level test summary documentation for audit and stakeholder visibility. Test Automation Skill-Building & Contribution Actively develops automation skills through training, mentorship, and hands-on practice as part of an agreed development plan. Contributes to and maintains automated test scripts for repetitive regression scenarios, with support from senior team members. Progressively takes on greater ownership of automation as competence grows, moving from assisted to independent contribution. Shares learnings and automation progress with the wider QA and development team. Collaboration with Development & Product Works closely with developers, Business Analysts, and the Product Owner to clarify requirements and acceptance criteria. Participates in sprint planning, refinement, and review to provide a quality perspective early ("shift-left" testing). Pairs with developers to understand root causes of defects and prevent recurrence. Provides constructive, timely feedback on testability and edge cases during design and development. Continuous Improvement & Documentation Identifies and proposes improvements to test processes, templates, and tooling. Maintains clear, current test documentation and a shared testing knowledge base. Actively participates in retrospectives and follows through on agreed improvement actions. Stays current with testing best practice and emerging automation tools/techniques. Requirements Bachelor's degree or diploma in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience). ISTQB Foundation Certification (or equivalent testing certification) is advantageous. 1-3 years' experience in manual and/or User Acceptance Testing (UAT) within a software development environment. Experience writing clear, traceable test cases and test scripts from requirements and acceptance criteri