Vallum Associates
Lead SDET
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Senior Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)
Contract | 6 Months | London (Hybrid) | Outside IR35
Day Rate: £600 per day (Outside IR35)
Duration: 6 months (extension likely)
Location: London (Hybrid — 2–3 days per week in office)
Start Date: ASAP
IR35 Status: Outside IR35
The Opportunity
A leading energy business is looking for an experienced Senior SDET to join their technology function on an initial 6-month contract. This is a hands-on, high-impact engagement for a contractor who can hit the ground running bringing strong automation expertise to a complex, data-rich technology estate and making a tangible difference from day one.
The role sits within a collaborative engineering team working across back-end data pipelines, APIs, and front-end applications that support trading, operations, and reporting functions. There is a clear remit to build and improve automation coverage, and genuine scope to extend beyond the initial term for the right person.
Lead SDET - What You'll Be Doing
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- Designing and building automated test frameworks across API, UI, and back-end/data layers
- Integrating test automation into CI/CD pipelines to improve deployment confidence and feedback loops
- Conducting performance, regression, and exploratory testing across complex, integrated systems
- Defining and documenting test strategies and standards for use by the wider team
- Collaborating with developers, architects, and business analysts to shift testing left
- Producing clear test reports and communicating quality risks to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Working with data and infrastructure teams to ensure end-to-end coverage across pipelines and integrations
- Supporting knowledge transfer and upskilling of permanent team members where required
Lead SDET - What We're Looking For
Essential
- 5+ years' experience as an SDET or senior automation engineer, with a strong contracting track record
- Proven ability to deliver autonomously from the outset — minimal ramp-up time required
- Strong programming skills in Python and/or Java, capable of writing production-quality test code
- Demonstrable experience building automation frameworks from scratch, not just maintaining existing ones
- Deep expertise in API testing — REST/GraphQL — using tools such as Postman, RestAssured, or similar
- Hands-on experience with CI/CD tooling (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or equivalent)
- Experience testing back-end systems, data pipelines, or ETL processes including data validation
- Excellent communication skills and comfort presenting quality risks to mixed audiences
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Desirable
- Previous experience in energy, utilities, or commodities trading environments
- Familiarity with cloud-hosted infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and containerised environments (Docker/Kubernetes)
- Experience with performance testing tools such as JMeter, Gatling, or k6
- Exposure to data quality frameworks or observability tooling
- Knowledge of energy market systems, ETRM platforms, or regulatory reporting
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