Senior Test Automation Engineer - £550–£650 per day (Inside IR35)
James Chase • Guildford, England, United Kingdom
Role & seniority: Senior Test Automation Engineer (Contract)
Stack/tools: C#, Playwright; automated test frameworks; collaboration with QA leadership and delivery teams
Top 3 responsibilities
-
Design, build, and maintain automated test frameworks and C# automation code
-
Work hands-on within delivery squads to support active programmes and scale Playwright usage
-
Mentor, guide, and share knowledge; contribute to continuous improvement of automation standards
Must-have skills
-
Strong, hands-on test automation experience
-
Solid C# automation experience
-
Commercial Playwright experience
-
Experience in hybrid/modern delivery environments; delivery-focused with stakeholder awareness
Nice-to-haves
-
Experience mentoring or leading automation efforts
-
Track record shaping automation practices across teams
-
Comfortable balancing technical delivery with collaboration and leadership
Location & work type: West Sussex, England, United Kingdom; Hybrid (2 days on-site per week; Gatwick/Crawley area); Contract initial 6 months (likely extends to 12); Inside IR35; day rate £550–£650; Start ASAP (flexible for right candidate)
Full Description
Senior Test Automation Engineer (C# & Playwright) – Contract West Sussex, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
Contract: Initial 6 months (likely to extend to 12 months)
Day rate: £550–£650 per day (Inside IR35)
Location: Hybrid – 2 days per week on site (Gatwick / Crawley area)
Start: ASAP (flexible for the right person)
We’re working with a large, purpose-led organisation undergoing a major technology transformation, driven by ambitious growth plans and an accelerated delivery roadmap. To support this, they’re strengthening their test automation capability and are looking for a hands-on Senior Test Automation Engineer with strong C# and Playwright experience.
This is a delivery-focused role: you’ll be embedded in product squads, contributing directly to outcomes while helping shape and mature automation practices across the wider organisation.
What you’ll be doing Designing, building, and maintaining automated test frameworks Working hands-on within delivery squads to support active programmes Using Playwright as the core automation tool as adoption scales Writing and maintaining C# automation code Supporting manual testers as they transition toward automation Providing guidance, mentoring, and knowledge sharing Working closely with engineering, QA leadership, and delivery teams Contributing to the continuous improvement of automation standards and practices
What we’re looking for Strong, current hands-on experience in test automation Solid C# experience in an automation context Commercial experience with Playwright Comfortable working in hybrid teams and modern delivery environments Able to balance technical delivery with collaboration and leadership Confident communicator with good stakeholder awareness Pragmatic, delivery-focused mindset
