Senior Test Engineer (Performance, Load)

THIS JOB HAS NOW EXPIRED.

The BBC are looking for a Senior Test Engineer focused on Performance Testing to provide a robust service for load testing products deployed onto the BBC Online platform. FM Online Technology Group (OTG) is responsible for the underlying BBC network and platform which serves BBC Online and also for maintaining and supporting the applications and services that make up the above award-winning products and ensuring a high quality of service and reliability. 

OTG is part of BBC Future Media, which is responsible for the applications and services that support the award winning BBC News, Sport and bbc.co.uk websites (includes iPlayer) on web and mobile platforms as well as products on interactive television and mobile services.

 The Senior Test Engineer is a leading member of a quality-driven test team, responsible for QA of new product releases, focusing on load testing, and overseeing best practice in defect management and the implementation of rigorous testing procedures covering the full product lifecycle. To be able to produce and maintain automated non-functional test scripts. To work closely with and provide consultancy to the various development teams around the business and Operations to ensure that only fully tested releases are deployed to live. The Senior Test Engineer reports to the Delivery Manager.

On a day to day basis, this is what you'll be responsible for:   

1. Provide a robust service for load testing products deploying onto the platform. Utilise this service to validate all expected usage and volumetric estimates for the product
2. Champion best practice process and ensure that Test principles and processes are established and adhered to. Encourage teams to use them by demonstrating best practice as well as training and information dissemination to other stakeholders
3. Drive up automated testing through the use of industry standard tools
4. Analyse, develop and execute test plans, based on customers’ specifications and test cases
5. Provide support and leadership where necessary to promote best practice testing principles
6. Through consultancy, analyse changes and new features to products based on functional and design specifications, recommending appropriate test methods
7. Provide recommendations for system and regression test plans and time estimates based on requirements specifications
8. Keep current with new technology in computer software automated test tools and related areas.
9. Participate in defining and managing quality assurance processes and procedures, particularly with regards to performance testing
10. Liaise with software developers to facilitate resolution of bugs/issues
11. Provide upwards reporting as necessary and ensure that all test results and statistics are stored in an easily accessible fashion for each project
12. Quickly acquire new testing and technical skills and be able to work with new technologies

Expanded Role

The Senior Test Engineer is required to work with development teams and core OTG teams to drive up performance testing best practice around the business with a view to improve quality and robustness of output across all our audience facing platforms. The post holder needs to ensure that all services and applications are adequately load tested and suitable for launch.

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate

1. Expert knowledge in load testing principles
2. An extremely good technical understanding of working within a connected and distributed environment model of multiple applications, web application architectures, internet protocols and the issues and constraints this places on the physical environment
3. Considerable experience in full software product life cycles: Development, QA and Release management
4. Experience in the testing of systems built with a variety of technologies including but not limited to Java, Spring, PHP, Zend, HTML, JavaScript, XML/XSL and SQL
5. Experience of estimating testing tasks, creation of test plans, expertise in test scripting techniques for both functional and non-functional tests (manual and automated)
6. Evidence of improving Test processes across a medium to large organisation
7. Excellent documentation skills with experience of creating Test documentation which sits within a wider project space
8. An understanding of the management of different software version control repositories, specifically SVN

As well as the mandatory experience listed above, ideally we'd like to see you with the following skills:

1. ISEB/ISTQB Certificate in Software Testing or equivalent.
2. The ability to communicate and influence different development teams over Test priorities and managing competing interests across stakeholders
3. The ability to work effectively and collaboratively with 3rd party and internal service providers
4. Broad technical background, preferably with some knowledge of programming, UNIX, databases, web servers and networks and of Perl, Solaris, Linux, Apache, Tomcat
5. Experience in media and creative environments
6. Experience of working in an environment with a strong customer/audience focus
7. A commitment to maintaining high industry support standards, and to providing an efficient and effective service
8. Experience of exploratory testing

To apply, please click on the Apply button to be redirected to the BBC website.

Closing date: 14 August 2012.