Annual salary: up to £35,000.00 Software Tester Remote; with occasional travel to our Exeter office. Full time, permanent role offering a salary up to £35,000 dependant on experience, plus an excellent company benefits. About the role: We are looking for an experienced Software Tester with strong understanding of software testing principles, methodologies, and techniques. As a Software Tester, your primary responsibility is to ensure the quality, reliability, and performance of software products through systematic testing processes. You play a crucial role in the software development lifecycle by identifying defects, ensuring compliance with requirements, and enhancing the overall user experience. Your work involves collaborating closely with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders to deliver high-quality software solutions. Over the years Mears has continued to build upon its broad range of in house developed systems, the success of this has been built on the foundation of a brilliant and highly skilled development and test team. Mears continue to push the envelope for their in-house solutions, delivering responsive, secure and performant applications across a varied mix of platforms. To support this, it is essential that the software is fit for purpose, delivers on its promises and is bug free. The next 12 to 24 months sees some very exciting and high-profile projects in the pipeline and as such we are looking to expand our team. You will play a critical role in accelerating the testing process, improving efficiency, and minimizing and implementating automated testing solutions. Your work involves collaborating closely with software developers, quality assurance engineers, and other stakeholders to deliver high-quality software solutions in a timely manner. Key elements of the role will involve: Develop comprehensive test plans based on project requirements, specifications, and user stories. Create detailed test cases and test scenarios covering functional, non-functional, and edge cases. Execute test cases manually or using automated testing tools. Conduct various types of testing including functional testing, regression testing, integration testing, performance testing, and usability testing. Identify, report, and track software defects using defect tracking systems (e.g., Azure DevOps). Work closely with development teams to investigate, prioritize, and resolve issues in a timely manner. Identify opportunities for automation and collaborate with the automation team to implement automated testing solutions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams including developers, product managers, business analysts, and quality assurance engineers to ensure a shared understanding of project requirements and quality expectations. Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation including test plans, test cases, test reports, and release notes. Document test results, findings, and recommendations for future reference. Stay updated on industry best practices, emerging technologies, and testing methodologies. Proactively identify areas for process improvement and contribute to the enhancement of testing practices within the organization. "All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship." Role Criteria: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field. Proven experience as a Software Tester or Quality Assurance Engineer in a software development environment. Experience with automated testing tools and frameworks (e.g., Selenium, Appium, JUnit). Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and tools (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, JIRA). Strong understanding of software testing principles, methodologies, and techniques. Proficiency in test case design, test execution, and defect tracking. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a keen attention to detail. Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment. Ability to adapt to changing priorities and work independently with minimal supervision. It would be advantageous to have a certification in software testing (e.g., ISTQB), but this is not essential. As Mears has a footprint across the country there will be a degree of travel expected to attend meetings, training and sprint planning in our Exeter office. However, we can be flexible in terms of your location as the majority of your time will be spent remote working. The Benefits: 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays Remote working Pension Scheme Sharesave - a simple way of saving money direct from your salary for 3 years, in order to buy Mears Group PLC (Mears) shares at a price that is fixed and discounted at the outset Employee Assistance Programme Mears Fun Day - Our annual Fun Day is organised as a massive thank you from the Executive team for all the hard work Previous years include, Alton Towers, Drayton Manor etc Staff perks with Mears Rewards - discounts of up to 10% on coffee, weekly groceries, holidays, the list is endless Volunteering Leave - Mears supports employees to undertake volunteering in the community, in support of our social value commitment. Family friendly policy to include enhanced maternity/paternity leave and much more. If you feel you have skills needed, please apply below via the link. If you have any further questions, please contact Vickie on vickie.rudgemearsgroup.co.uk, quoting the job reference number. Mears Group is a Disability confident employer and recognises our people as our greatest asset, we hire individuality, recognising and valuing everyone is individual and ensuring equal access to opportunities for all regardless of social economic background or individual make up. Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant DBS/Security checks either before or upon commencement of employment. We are the people behind the smile At Mears we look for people who share our vision and values - to make a positive difference to the communities we serve. We do this by improving homes, improving communities and improving lives. We are proud of our business and the opportunities we provide to colleagues working across the UK. Our Values - Customers / Innovation / Teamwork / Responsibility