Senior Software Test Engineer
About the job
- Experience working as a Senior Tester, delegating work to other testers and serving as a first point of contact for assistance.
- Full understanding of the testing lifecycle and methodologies.
- Ability to create and design automated test scripts using the Behavior-Driven Development methodology.
- Experience maintaining and enhancing existing automation frameworks.
- Experience carrying out exploratory testing in an Agile development environment.
- Experience developing test tools and extending test frameworks and test environments.
- Proven experience testing APIs using integration tools.
- Knowledge of Cypress, Gherkin, the Page Object Model, PactumJS, and TypeScript.
- Strong understanding of the processes and systems under test, including the ability to test individual components and related processes.
- Good understanding of test automation concepts and their practical application.
- Ability to use software testing tools such as JIRA and Xray.
- Meticulous attention to detail and a strong focus on quality.
- Ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical colleagues.
- Collaborative approach and willingness to share knowledge.
- Confidence to challenge, influence, and contribute to technical discussions.
- Proactive approach to identifying risks and finding practical solutions.
- Desire to learn, adapt, and improve testing and software delivery.
- Carry out testing across user interfaces, application programming interfaces, back-office workflow processes, third-party systems, and integrations, including end-to-end testing.
- Understand and interpret business, functional, and technical requirements.
- Understand the company's products and processes and relevant financial services legislation.
- Influence how solutions are developed and delivered to help teams achieve good outcomes for customers.
- Execute test scripts and record results using software testing tools such as JIRA and Xray.
- Raise defects promptly with sufficient detail to support investigation and resolution.
- Support User Acceptance Testing and releases into Production.
- Apply Agile working practices throughout delivery.
- Work with Technical Leads and other Testers from project inception to create and implement suitable test automation approaches.
- Balance automation and manual testing to provide effective coverage and confidence in releases, using an automation-first approach where appropriate.
- Carry out exploratory testing in an Agile development environment.
- Develop test tools and extend test frameworks and test environments.
- Support research projects and proofs of concept to explore ways to build and test products.
- Coach and support testers, sharing knowledge and helping them develop their skills.
- Review testing work through peer reviews and provide constructive feedback.
- Delegate work and set tasks, targets, and objectives when required.
- Act as a first point of contact for testers needing technical or testing support.
- Work with the Team Lead to balance workflow, priorities, and delivery.
- Contribute knowledge and experience to discussions about software development and testing.
- Identify opportunities to improve testing approaches, automation, tooling, and environments.
- Collaborate with developers, Technical Leads, and other stakeholders to identify risks and solve problems early.
- Contribute to a culture where quality is everyone's responsibility.
About the company
AJ Bell provides online investment platforms and stockbroker services in the UK for both direct-to-consumer (D2C) clients and financial advisers. It offers Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), and general investment accounts through its platforms, allowing users to buy, hold, and manage a wide range of investments. The platform charges administration fees, transaction fees, and earns interest on client cash balances, with revenue tied to user activity and account sizes. What sets AJ Bell apart is its dual-market approach, serving both retail investors and advisers with competitive pricing and a user-friendly experience, plus a broad suite of investment options. The company’s goal is to grow its customer base and assets under administration by expanding the number of clients and the value of their accounts.
Company Size
501-1,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Salford, United Kingdom
Founded
1995
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- AUA hit £121.5 billion by June 2026, up 26%, signaling strong inflows.
- Investments AUM reached £11.4 billion, up 41%, after September 2026 hiring and fee cuts.
- Standard Life offshore bond launch on 29 September 2026 expands adviser tax-planning demand.
What critics are saying
- Hargreaves Lansdown and Vanguard force fee compression, especially after AJ Bell cut MPS 20%.
- AJ Bell depends on UK tax rules; April 2027 inheritance-tax changes can whipsaw demand.
- Leadership churn across boards and committees in 2026 raises execution risk during scaling.
What makes AJ Bell unique
- AJ Bell runs both D2C and advised platforms, diversifying UK savings distribution.
- Its low-cost MPS and fund range won governance upgrade with Rob Burdett, September 2026.
- Open-architecture wrappers and adviser tools deepen switching costs across Investcentre and Youinvest.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Flexible Work Hours
Remote Work Options
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
Sabbatical Leave
Hybrid Work Options
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Performance Bonus
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Relocation Assistance
Parental Leave
Fertility Treatment Support
Childcare Support
Professional Development Budget
Conference Attendance Budget
Wellness Program
Mental Health Support
Gym Membership
Phone/Internet Stipend
Home Office Stipend
Legal Services
Employee Discounts
Company Social Events
Company News
AJ Bell hires Donald as investment sales director. Salford-based investment platform AJ Bell announced the appointment of Andrew Donald as investment sales director. In the newly created role, Donald will lead adviser sales of AJ Bell's suite of investment products including the distribution of its Managed Portfolio Service (MPS) and range of funds across the platform market. "Having spent over 18 years at 7IM working across strategic partnerships and business development, Andrew brings extensive knowledge of the advised market," said AJ Ball. "He has also previously held roles at Selestia (now part of Quilter). "AJ Bell Investments has supported advisers for over 10 years with innovative investment solutions through its MPS and multi-asset funds to meet the evolving needs of clients across a range of scenarios. Assets under management grew by 41% in the year to June 2026, reaching £11.4 billion. "Andrew's appointment coincides with AJ Bell Investments' 20% cut to its core MPS charge from 0.15% to 0.12%, effective today." Ryan Hughes, AJ Bell Investments managing director, says: "With advisers facing an increasingly complex tax and regulatory environment, it's vital that Northern Financial Review has the experience and capability to support advisers and clients' needs. "Andrew brings this expertise in spades, and his appointment enables AJ Bell's advised business to further improve the excellent service offered to advisers through its award-winning investment solutions. "Advisers using its services should feel good advising and be confident that Northern Financial Review can continue to deliver great outcomes for them and their clients. "That's why from today we've reduced charges for our core MPS range by a fifth, demonstrating our commitment to ensuring advisers have access to a broad range of investment solutions that are easy to use and low cost." Donald said: "I'm delighted to join AJ Bell at such an exciting time for the business. The combination of a well-established and innovative investment proposition, a market-leading focus on service, and the price reduction to its core MPS range from today creates a compelling offering for advisers, partners and their clients. I look forward to working closely with colleagues across the business to further strengthen our relationships and support continued growth."
AJ Bell partners with Standard Life to provide new offshore bond on Investcentre platform Sep 29, 2026 2 contributors
AJ Bell in offshore bond deal with Standard Life. Salford-based investment platform AJ Bell said its AJ Bell Investcentre has launched of a new offshore bond in partnership with Standard Life, further broadening its suite of tax planning solutions for advisers and clients. "The Standard Life International Bond will be available to advisers using AJ Bell Investcentre via a General Investment Account (GIA), providing advisers and clients with an open architecture structure and wrapper that allows client money to grow tax efficiently, alongside greater control over tax planning and reporting," said AJ Bell. "With plans to bring unused pensions into inheritance tax from April 2027, as well as a series of other increases to tax rates and changes of allowances in the past few years, advisers and clients are increasingly looking for alternative ways to protect wealth. "Advisers will be able to use the bond as part of a suite of estate and tax planning solutions and tools through AJ Bell Investcentre, including other offshore bonds, an onshore bond and trusts. "Clients also have greater flexibility to alter their investment strategies within the bond without triggering capital gains tax, and can take out up to 5% of the total amount paid into the bond each year, but do not need to pay tax until a later date. Advisers can structure this around clients' needs and tax situation." Lesley Whyte, head of strategic partnerships at Standard Life, said: "Northern Financial Review is delighted to partner with AJ Bell to launch the Standard Life International Bond on the Investcentre platform. "As estate planning becomes an increasingly important consideration for clients with the upcoming IHT changes, advisers are looking for more tax-efficient solutions that offer flexibility and support a range of needs. "The new offering gives advisers access to a broad range of trusts, combined with the benefits of a leading platform and the support and expertise of both Standard Life and AJ Bell." Mark Rendle, AJ Bell advised managing director, said: "Advisers and clients face a growing challenge to protect and pass on wealth efficiently in the current tax environment, and it is up to providers to ensure that the correct tools and support are available. "The launch of a new offshore bond on the AJ Bell Investcentre platform in partnership with Standard Life will deliver yet another option for advisers. "Not only does it provide clients with greater flexibility and tax efficient investment growth, but also better control over tax planning and reporting. "Alongside our range of wrappers, including trusts, other offshore bonds and an onshore bond link, advisers can be confident that we are catering to a diverse range of tax and estate planning needs to help them provide the best outcomes for clients and truly feel good advising." AJ Bell added: "An offshore bond is issued outside the UK, whereas an onshore bond is issued by UK-based life insurance companies. "This means offshore bonds are not subject to UK corporation tax, whereas onshore bonds are subject to the tax on interest, income and gains. Offshore bond returns grow gross of tax, excluding unreclaimable withholding tax. "Gains in both offshore and onshore bonds are treated as savings income, taxed at the investor's marginal rate. However, onshore bonds are treated as having paid tax on the gain at the basic rate already, as the underlying fund is taxed. This means only higher and additional rate taxpayers will pay tax on any savings income generated in an onshore bond. "Top-slicing relief - where clients spread gains over the bond's lifetime to reduce the tax rate - may be available for both offshore and onshore bonds, but will depend on the individual's circumstances. "Withdrawals can be made up to 5% of the value of premiums paid into offshore and onshore bonds each year, with the tax deferred to allow for flexible income planning. "Advisers can manage investments in an AJ Bell Investcentre GIA held within either offshore or onshore bonds."
AJ Bell expands investments team with three hires. New investments director role. AJ Bell has strengthened its investments team with three new appointments spanning investment strategy, fund research and portfolio management. To continue reading this article... Join investment week today. Free for those involved in advising, managing and/or analysing investments or £1 per day for professionals outside of these roles.
InvestAcc returns to profit as revenue more than doubles. InvestAcc has swung from a £3m loss to a £1.5m profit after tax as revenue more than doubled during the first half of the year, boosted by its acquisition of AJ Bell Platinum and growth in treasury income. The specialist pension administrator reported revenue of £13.8m for the six months to 30 June 2026, up 130% from £6m during the same period last year. Group EBITDA increased 274% from £1.3m to £4.9m, while operating profit reached £2.1m compared with a £3.1m loss a year earlier. Pension assets under administration also increased from £5.8bn to £10.6bn. However, a significant proportion of the growth came from InvestAcc's acquisition of AJ Bell Platinum and its treasury operation. AJ Bell Platinum contributed £4.4m of revenue during the period and added around 3,300 pension schemes. Treasury revenue increased 345% from £1.1m to £5m. Overall, Sipp and SSAS scheme numbers increased 38% to 19,251, with organic growth of 14%, compared with 22% in the first half of 2025.