PBT Group is looking for an experienced Automation Engineer for a 6-month contract engagement based in Cape Town. The role sits within an insurance and financial services environment and requires a technically strong engineer with solid Java foundations, a deep understanding of object-oriented design, and hands-on experience building and maintaining automation frameworks using Playwright.

This is a delivery-focused contract role. The successful candidate will be expected to hit the ground running — contributing to test automation strategy, developing Playwright scripts in Java, and helping establish robust, maintainable automation practices across the team.

The Automation Engineer will be responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of test automation frameworks within a Java-based technical environment. Using Playwright as the primary automation toolset, the engineer will develop end-to-end test scripts, integrate automation into existing CI/CD pipelines, and work closely with development and QA teams to improve testing efficiency, coverage, and reliability.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain robust test automation frameworks using Java and Playwright
• Write, execute, and maintain end-to-end (E2E) automation test scripts using Playwright in Java
• Apply object-oriented programming (OOP) principles and established design patterns (e.g. Page Object Model, Factory, Singleton) in framework development
• Collaborate with development and QA teams to define automation strategies and test coverage plans
• Integrate automation scripts into CI/CD pipelines (e.g. Jenkins, GitLab CI, or equivalent)
• Analyse test results, identify failures, and work with the team to resolve defects and flaky tests
• Maintain and improve existing automation suites to keep pace with application changes
• Contribute to test planning, estimation, and coverage documentation
• Share knowledge and best practices around automation tooling with the broader QA/engineering team
• Produce clear, concise reporting on test execution results and automation coverage metrics

Required Skills & Experience

Essential

• 5–8 years' experience in software test automation or a related engineering role
• Strong, demonstrable Java development skills – object-oriented programming, SOLID principles, and design patterns
• Hands-on experience with Playwright for end-to-end test automation (Java implementation)
• Experience designing and building automation frameworks from the ground up – not just running existing scripts
• Solid understanding of software testing methodologies – unit, integration, regression, and E2E testing
• Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines
• Familiarity with version control systems (Git / GitHub / GitLab / Bitbucket)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills – able to debug complex test failures efficiently

Advantageous

• Experience in the insurance or broader financial services sector
• Exposure to API testing tools (e.g. REST Assured, Postman)
• Knowledge of BDD frameworks (e.g. Cucumber / Gherkin)
• Familiarity with containerisation and cloud environments (Docker, AWS, or equivalent)
• ISTQB certification or equivalent testing qualification

Personal Attributes

• Detail-oriented with a strong quality mindset – takes pride in clean, maintainable code
• Self-sufficient and proactive – able to manage own workload in a contract environment with minimal hand-holding
• Strong communicator who can engage with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Collaborative and team-oriented, with a willingness to upskill others where needed
• Adaptable and comfortable working in fast-moving, agile delivery teams

* In order to comply with the POPI Act, for future career opportunities, we require your permission to maintain your personal details on our database. By completing and returning this form you give PBT your consent

* If you have not received any feedback after 2 weeks, please consider you application as unsuccessful.