(High Salary) Team Lead Software Development Engineer in Test

Nuclera is a venture-backed biotech company headquartered in Cambridge, UK with significant operations in Boston, USA. Nuclera’s mission is to accelerate discovery by enabling rapid, easy access to functional proteins essential for drug discovery research. Our eProtein Discovery benchtop system accelerates protein expression and purification optimization in research labs.

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Lead Software Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer to define and drive our testing strategy, lead our QA team, and ensure the highest standards of software quality for our groundbreaking eProtein Discovery platform. Join us in shaping the future of protein prototyping technology.

As a QA Team Leader, you’ll bring strong leadership skills, a deep understanding of modern test automation frameworks, and hands-on experience with Javascript and Python coding in frameworks like Cypress and Playwright. You will play a vital role in ensuring the quality, performance, and reliability of both our cloud-based and on-instrument software. While no prior biology background is required, curiosity and a willingness to learn are essential.

This role will be primarily working onsite in our Cambridge, UK office with occasional work remotely from home.

About the role

- Maintain, expand, and improve our automated test suites across both instrument and cloud platform
- Write detailed bug reports, including clear reproduction steps and relevant evidence (logs, screenshots, videos)
- Champion a quality-first mindset across the engineering organization by promoting best practices such as early test involvement and developing with testability in mind
- Collaborate and regularly communicate with the Nuclera Quality team, product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to define and implement robust QA strategies for web applications and connected devices
- Provide clear and actionable test evidence to stakeholders to demonstrate compliance with quality standards
- Line manage and support junior and mid-level QA engineers through mentorship and training

Essential

- 4+ years of hands-on experience in both manual and automated software testing,
- Strong proficiency in Javascript and Python coding with automated testing frameworks such as Cypress, Playwright, or similar tools
- Demonstrated experience designing and executing risk-based testing strategies, and effectively communicating quality risks to technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Proficiency with version control systems (e.g., Git) and collaboration in Git-based workflows
- Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitLab CI, Jenkins) and integrating automated tests into development workflows
- Solid understanding of Linux environments and command-line tools (e.g., bash, ssh, package managers)
- Proven track record of working in Agile/Scrum development teams, including close collaboration with product and engineering teams
- Excellent communication and documentation skills, including the ability to write clear bug reports and actionable test evidence

Desirable

- 1–2 years in a QA leadership or mentoring capacity
- Experience testing connected devices such as networked laboratory instruments, IoT devices, or embedded systems
- Familiarity with non-functional testing areas, including performance, stress, and scalability testing
- Exposure to quality methodologies such as CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Actions), 8D Problem Solving, or Six Sigma
- Ability to contribute to test strategy documentation and quality-related process improvements across cross-functional teams
- Familiarity with software security testing principles, including understanding of vulnerabilities and how to test for them

What we offer

In addition to competitive salaries, we offer a range of benefits including:

- Company bonus scheme of 5%
- Share option incentive scheme
- Life insurance
- Private medical insurance and cash plan
- 25 days' annual leave + Bank Holidays
- Enhanced employer's pension contributions
- Enhanced maternity and paternity Leave
- Investment in professional development and learning
- Fresh fruit, tea, coffee, and snacks in the office
- Organised summer events for staff

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