Principal Test Engineer

About The RoleTeam - UK Application Engineering Working Pattern - Hybrid - 2 days per week in the Vitality Bournemouth, London or Stockport Office. Full time, 37.5 hours per week. We are happy to discuss flexible working!Top 3 skills needed for this role:

• End-to-end test leadership
• Test strategy & quality influence
• Stakeholder & team leadership

What this role is all about:At Vitality, our Test Engineers work at the heart of our engineering teams, embedding quality from ideation through to release. As a Principal Test Engineer, you'll influence how we test at scale, modernise automation frameworks, and guide teams towards industry-leading standards.Key Actions

• Lead and implement the end-to-end software test lifecycle across large and complex initiatives, ensuring high-quality outcomes through effective test analysis, estimation, planning, execution, defect management and reporting
• Provide technical leadership as a recognised testing expert, offering guidance, assurance and oversight across selected testing specialisms, including test automation
• Design and maintain robust manual and automated testing approaches that support full system integration, continuous integration pipelines, and minimise technical debt through adherence to automation standards and KPIs
• Produce accurate test estimations and comprehensive test plans for complex, multi-system deliveries, coordinating testing activities and securing appropriate stakeholder sign-off
• Own test execution and defect triage across multiple projects, ensuring timely progress tracking, transparent reporting and clear communication of test outcomes and risks
• Champion and enforce Group testing standards, contributing to the evolution of in-house and third-party testing standards, and ensuring alignment with industry best practice
• Build strong stakeholder relationships and develop testing capability by collaborating across teams, influencing senior stakeholders, and coaching test engineers to strengthen skills, knowledge and future readiness

What do you need to thrive?

• Extensive experience leading the full software test lifecycle across large, complex programmes, including test analysis and design, estimation, planning, execution, defect management and reporting in multi-system environments
• Proven technical expertise in test engineering, with deep knowledge in at least two testing specialisms (one being automation) and hands-on experience designing, maintaining and governing test automation frameworks and CI pipelines
• Strong experience producing accurate test estimates and test plans for large-scale, high-risk deliveries, coordinating multiple dependencies and assuring quality outcomes across teams
• Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate with senior stakeholders, architects, developers, product owners and third parties to align testing strategy with business and delivery objectives
• Experience defining, championing and evolving testing standards and governance, with strong awareness of industry best practice and modern test engineering approaches
• A proven track record of coaching and mentoring senior test engineers, building capability within teams, and contributing to knowledge-sharing communities or centres of excellence

So, what's in it for you?

• Bonus Schemes - A bonus that regularly rewards you for your performance
• A pension of up to 12%- We will match your contributions up to 6% of your salary
• Our award-winning Vitality health insurance - With its own set of rewards and benefits
• Life Assurance - Four times annual salary

These are just some of the many perks that we offer! To view the extensive range of benefits we offer, please visit our careers page.If you are successful in your application and join us at Vitality, this is our promise to you, we will:

• Help you to be the healthiest you've ever been
• Create an environment that embraces you as you are and enables you to be your best self
• Give you flexibility on how, where and when you work
• Help you advance your career by playing you to your strengths
• Give you a voice to help our business grow and make Vitality a great place to be
• Give you the space to try, fail and learn
• Provide a healthy balance of challenge and support
• Recognise and reward you with a competitive salary and amazing benefits
• Be there for you when you need us
• Provide opportunities for you to be a force for good in society

About The CompanyWe're incredibly proud to be recognised for the culture we've created - recently being named one of Glassdoor's Best Places to Work 2026, and in 2024 we were delighted to be awarded Top 10 Places to Work in the Sunday Times Awards.We've been a purpose and values-driven business from day 1- long before it became fashionable. Our core purpose is to make people healthier and enhance protect their lives. Vitality pioneered shared-value insurance. We incentivise people to live healthier longer lives - they benefit, our business benefits, and society benefits. We're successful because we attract, develop, and retain the best people - and because we care. Plus, you get to join our 1.7+ million members with access to our unique health insurance and healthy living programme.Diversity & InclusionAt Vitality, we're committed to diversity and inclusion because it's good for our employees, for our business, and for society. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.Vitality SustainabilityVitality is a business that drives positive change. We reward people for making and sustaining healthier choices. But healthy people also need a healthy environment. To learn more please visit our Careers page.