ROLE SUMMARY
The Test Architect will own the automation test strategy, architecture, standards, tooling choices, and governance for the FTSE Russell Test Framework within the Equities Product & Operations team. The role combines hands-on engineering with technical leadership across teams, shaping how quality is designed, automated, measured, and improved throughout the software delivery lifecycle. The framework operates in an AWS environment and uses Python, Pytest, CI/CD (GitLab). Testing scope covers functional, integration, API, data, performance, resilience, security, and regression testing.
YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Define and maintain a coherent automation test strategy for the FTSE Russell Test Framework, aligning test coverage to product, operational, and delivery risks.
•Establish the target test architecture, reusable patterns, and design principles that enable teams to build consistent, maintainable, and scalable automated tests.
•Set guidance for selecting the appropriate test level and approach across functional, integration, API, data, performance, resilience, security, and regression testing.
•Partner with engineering, product, and architecture stakeholders early in design to make testability a consideration and identify quality risks before implementation.
•Identify gaps, duplication, and brittle areas in test coverage; agree practical improvements with the teams responsible for delivery.
Framework Engineering
•Remain hands-on in designing, developing, and reviewing framework capabilities and representative automated tests using Python and Pytest.
•Define standards for test structure, reusable components, configuration, test data, execution, and results so that automation is reliable and understandable across teams.
•Promote repeatable, isolated, and maintainable tests, and address sources of instability that reduce confidence in test results.
•Guide tooling decisions for the framework, assessing suitability against testing needs, maintainability, and fit with the AWS environment and GitLab delivery workflows; pilot options where appropriate before recommending adoption.
Quality Across the Delivery Lifecycle
•Integrate automated testing into CI/CD workflows in GitLab to provide timely feedback during software change and delivery.
•Define proportionate validation and quality-gate principles for automated checks, making test outcomes and significant quality risks visible to delivery teams.
•Shape data-testing approaches that validate relevant data quality characteristics, including accuracy, completeness, consistency, and reconciliation where applicable.
•Establish approaches for performance, resilience, security, and regression testing that complement functional and integration coverage.
•Use test results, coverage evidence, and recurring failure patterns to identify quality risks and guide continuous improvement.
Governance & Technical Leadership
•Own framework standards, architecture guidance, and governance, keeping them clear, documented, and practical for teams to adopt.
•Provide technical direction across engineering teams through design discussions, code and framework reviews, and support on complex testing challenges.
•Coach and mentor Test engineers, SDETs, and developers on test automation practices, framework use, and quality engineering principles.
•Work with product, engineering, and operations partners to understand quality needs, communicate trade-offs, and encourage shared ownership of testing.
•Support consistent adoption of the framework and standards across teams, identifying barriers and helping resolve them through technical guidance.
WHAT YOU'LL BRING
•12+ years of professional experience in software testing, test automation, or quality engineering, including substantial hands-on technical work.
•Demonstrated experience defining or owning test automation strategy, test architecture, engineering standards, tooling choices, and governance.
•Strong practical experience designing and developing automation using Python, Pytest, and libraries such as Playwright, Pytest-bdd, Requests.
•Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD workflows using GitLab.
•Experience working with systems and test environments hosted in AWS, containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and database/SQL architecture.
•Broad knowledge of functional, integration, API, data, performance, resilience, security, and regression testing, and the ability to select suitable approaches for different quality risks.
•Experience building or evolving reusable test frameworks and improving the maintainability, reliability, and adoption of automated tests.
•Knowledge of the financial services domain is essential.
•Ability to influence technical direction across teams while remaining hands-on.
•Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain architecture, test strategy, and quality risks to technical and non-technical partners.
Key Attributes
•Balances system-level architectural thinking with practical engineering judgment and hands-on delivery.
•Takes a risk-based, evidence-led approach to quality, prioritising meaningful coverage over automation for its own sake.
•Builds alignment through clear communication, sound technical reasoning, and constructive challenge.
•Works collaboratively across product, engineering, and operations, encouraging teams to share responsibility for quality.
•Shows ownership of the framework's effectiveness and adapts standards as delivery needs and risks change.
Career Stage: Manager
About LSEG
LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) is a diversified global financial markets infrastructure and data business, with extensive experience, deep knowledge and worldwide presence across financial markets. LSEG is headquartered in the United Kingdom, with significant operations in 70 countries across EMEA, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific, employing 25,000 people globally. LSEG offers a range of tailored benefits and support, including healthcare, retirement planning, paid volunteering days and wellbeing initiatives.
