Job Description

About us:

Social Places is an award-winning marketing technology agency based in Century City, Cape Town. Since 2015, we have developed proprietary marketing and CRM software that enables our clients to manage their digital ecosystem seamlessly across multiple platforms from a single dashboard. Operating in 49+ countries, we are proud to serve some of the world's largest franchise brands.



Our team of 60 talented, driven professionals thrives in a dynamic, flexible working environment. As we continue to scale globally, we are looking for ambitious individuals to join us on this journey.

Apply via this link:

https://forms.monday.com/forms/3d3dba513257456d5ca8623c9b81b6c1?r=use1

Role Description:

As a QA Automation Engineer, you will be a key player in our agile development team, primarily focused on building and maintaining robust automated testing solutions that ensure the highest standards of software quality. You will be instrumental in automating critical test paths, integrating these into our CI/CD pipelines, and continuously improving our overall test coverage and efficiency. This role demands a strong understanding of quality assurance methodologies combined with solid programming skills to create scalable and efficient automation frameworks. You will champion automation-first thinking and leverage innovative tools to optimize our testing processes.

Responsibilities:

Test Automation Design & Development:

Design, develop, and maintain comprehensive automated test suites for applications built with JavaScript (Vue.js) and PHP (Symfony), among other technologies. Collaborate with developers and product owners to identify the most impactful areas for automation. Write clean, maintainable, and reusable test code following best practices. Integrate automated tests into our continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to enable rapid feedback.

Quality Assurance & Testing Strategy:

Develop and execute comprehensive test plans and test cases, primarily with an automation-first mindset, for new features, enhancements, and bug fixes. Conduct thorough testing in pre-deployment (test) environments to validate functionality, performance, and user experience before production releases. Participate in requirement reviews to ensure testability and quality considerations are embedded early in the development lifecycle. Contribute to the continuous improvement of our automation methodologies and testing best practices.

Process Optimisation & Reporting:

Monitor, analyse, and report on automated test results, identifying trends and potential areas of weakness. Define and track key automation metrics (e.g., coverage, execution time, defect detection rate) to measure the effectiveness of our efforts. Facilitate root cause analysis for identified automation failures and collaborate with development teams to ensure timely resolution. Identify opportunities to enhance test coverage and efficiency through strategic automation.

Innovation & Tooling:

Actively research, evaluate, and implement new test automation tools and technologies, including exploring AI-powered solutions, to enhance our capabilities. Utilise various testing tools (e.g., test management systems, bug tracking, performance testing tools). Stay up-to-date with industry trends in software quality assurance and test automation.

Tasks:

Translate manual test cases and functional requirements into robust, automated scripts. Develop and maintain automated end-to-end, integration, and API tests using relevant frameworks (e.g., Cypress, Playwright, Jest, PHPUnit, Codeception). Execute automated test suites and analyse results, reporting any failures or regressions. Identify, document, and track software defects found via automation using our bug tracking system, providing clear steps to reproduce and relevant context. Collaborate with developers to debug and resolve automation-related issues and application defects. Participate in code reviews of test automation scripts, focusing on maintainability and adherence to coding standards. Contribute to the creation and maintenance of internal documentation related to automation frameworks and processes. Provide regular updates on automation progress, coverage, and defect status to the team and stakeholders. Participate in sprint planning, stand-ups, and retrospectives, advocating for testability and automation.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Proven experience as a QA Automation Engineer, Software Tester, or similar role with a strong automation focus. Solid understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC) and agile methodologies. Proficiency in at least one programming language relevant to our stack (e.g., JavaScript, PHP). Experience with front-end frameworks (e.g., Vue.js) and back-end frameworks (e.g., Symfony) is highly desirable. Strong practical experience with test automation frameworks and tools (e.g., Cypress, Playwright, Selenium, PHPUnit, Codeception). Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines (AWS) and integrating automation into them. Experience with version control systems (GitHub). Knowledge of databases (MySQL). Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a keen eye for detail. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams. Proactive, self-motivated, and able to work independently and as part of a team.

Bonus Points For:

Experience with performance testing tools and automation. Familiarity with security testing concepts. Experience in a regulated industry. Experience in integration with, and testing of, third-party platforms. Understanding of machine learning and AI concepts, and their potential application in test automation.

What we offer:

Opportunity to work on exciting and challenging projects A collaborative and supportive work environment Continuous learning and professional development opportunities Flexible working hours 18 leave days per annum 36 days sick leave in a 3-year cycle 1 Extra Annual leave day on each work anniversary 1 Cake day for your birthday (per year) 1 Wedding day 1 Pet day

Apply via this link:

https://forms.monday.com/forms/3d3dba513257456d5ca8623c9b81b6c1?r=use1