Senior Automation Consultant - Java, API,

Senior Java Automation Consultant - Permanent 

Location: UK (Security Clearance Required)
Recruiter: Walter Everett (in partnership with a Global Consultancy)

Walter Everett is partnering with a global consultancy to recruit a highly skilled Automation Consultant. This role involves working on a Government project, so Security Clearance or Eligibility is essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with Product Owners and Software Engineers to define acceptance criteria and testing Definition of Done for user stories within a Java microservices environment

• Collaborate with developers to design, review, and implement automated tests at unit, component, and API layers

• Perform comprehensive API testing across distributed microservices using RESTful services

• Contribute to and support consumer-driven contract testing practices (e.g. Pact) to ensure reliable service integration between microservices

• Develop and maintain automated tests using Java-based frameworks to ensure robust regression and integration coverage

• Perform exploratory testing across microservices, APIs, and integrated systems

• Support test-first and TDD approaches using Java and JUnit

• Design, implement, and maintain test stubs, mocks, and service virtualisation to enable isolated testing of microservices

• Validate both functional and non-functional requirements (NFRs), including performance, reliability, and resilience of APIs and services

• Ensure full traceability between requirements, test cases, and automated test coverage

• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, ensuring automated tests execute reliably within build and deployment workflows

• Work collaboratively within Agile teams, participating in sprint planning, estimation, retrospectives, and continuous improvement activities

• Provide clear reporting on test progress, quality metrics, and test coverage

• Promote a strong quality-first engineering culture throughout the software development lifecycle

Essential Experience

• Strong experience as a QA Automation Engineer / SDET within Java environments

• Proven experience testing REST APIs and microservices architectures

• Strong Java programming skills and experience building automated test frameworks

• Experience working with microservices-based systems (Spring Boot preferred)

• Experience with consumer-driven contract testing tools such as Pact (or strong understanding of contract testing principles)

• Experience with API testing tools such as REST Assured or Postman

• Experience working within CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitLab CI, etc.)

• Strong understanding of Agile, TDD, and automation-first development practices

• Experience with Docker and containerised environments

• Experience using Git-based source control systems

• Strong understanding of software testing principles, automation design patterns, and quality engineering practices

Desirable Experience

• Experience implementing or working with Pact contract testing frameworks

• Experience with WireMock or service virtualisation tools

• Experience testing Spring Boot microservices

• Experience with AWS cloud environments

• Experience with performance and non-functional testing tools

• Experience contributing to test strategy and automation architecture

About You

You're a detail-oriented Automation Framework Consultant with strong Java skills, you understand both the technical and architectural aspects of software systems and can design tailored automation solutions that fit complex enterprise applications. You're just as comfortable writing clean code as you are leading technical discussions with clients or mentoring junior engineers.

You thrive in collaborative environments and are passionate about building robust, maintainable test automation systems that support long-term product quality.

Diversity & Inclusion Statement

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process or in the workplace, please let us know — we’re here to support you.

About Company

Walter Everett is committed to helping our clients create a more diverse and inclusive workforce. Equality and inclusion are at the heart of our mission. We will only work with clients that employ people based on fairness. This means that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without any regard to race, colour, religion, gender identity, or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age or veteran status. 

Work Seekers: if you have a disability that requires a reasonable adjustment during the interview process then just let us know. Also, If you require any of the job information to be in a different format such as large print or braille. For any help call 01634 320782 or email [email protected]

Work Seeker Terms and conditions - please read our work-seeker terms carefully 

Terms of Agreement work-seekers

​As a registered candidate we require you to agree to the following terms of business:

Walter Everett is a recruitment agency and we provide you with permanent recruitment services. Walter Everett is considered a recruitment agency by law. That is to say, we will act as an agency as defined under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and associated Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003. These laws require all employment agencies and employment businesses with abide by specified minimum standards of conduct. For Further guidance, information can be found on the GOV.UK website: www.gov.uk/employment-agencies-and-businesses.  Walter Everett does all it can to ensure it meets its legal obligations as an agency.

In order to provide recruitment services to you, Walter Everett Ltd will have to process your personal data.  In doing so we will comply at all times with data protection laws and GDPR. Please see our privacy policy statement if you want to know how we use your data. http://www.waltereverett.co.uk/privacy-policy/

You authorise Walter Everett to seek work on your behalf. You authorise us to share with our clients:​

• Your Identity. 
• Address. 
• Contact details: Email and telephone number. 
• Previous employment history, including dates and job titles. 
• Salary information and expectations.
• Your notice period
• Your availability for an interview.
• Right to work in the UK information and documents. 
• Any information that may cause harm to our clients. 
• Your CV.

Special category data if you are at the offer stage and our client requests us to verify your right to work or Proof of address documents on their behalf.You have informed us that you wish us to seek employment within the sectors that we have discussed.

Our clients conduct background checks and DBS checks, and therefore all offers are always conditional subject to satisfactory outcomes. In some cases, our client contracts request us to share pertinent information about your previous employment history. Whilst we don't conduct reference checks the law requires that employment agencies have certain legal obligations. In relation to work-seeker suitability the following rule applies If we introduce a work-seeker to a hirer and find out within 3 months that they may not be suitable for the job, we must tell the hirer straight away. reference to this can be found here: www.gov.uk/employment-agencies-and-businesses/protection-of-work-seekers-and-hirers

Before any interview is arranged on your behalf we will require you to accept your agreement to these terms.  Thank you for selecting Walter Everett as a recruitment partner and should you have any queries, or require any further information on the services we provide please do not hesitate to contact us on 01634 320782

​This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of England and Wales and the parties hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the England and Wales courts.