Senior Manual QA Engineer

Job Description

The Pepperstone story started in 2010. We know what it’s like to trade the world’s markets. Our team describes us as a place for the curious and the driven, and we like to do things a little differently; as a transformative global fintech we’re digital, nimble, connected, and united in our vision to create a better way to trade.

We thrive on progress – for our clients and for ourselves. Our organisational culture is ever-evolving, vibrant, diverse, global and results focused. You’ll find our 700+ team across 12 regions and 9 time zones.

Product and team context

This role sits on the Pepperstone Trading App engineering thread within Trading Experience (TREX). Related capabilities in the wider group include Mobile Platform, integrations (connectors), and the trading platform (Centrum). Department shape includes Mobile Platform plus Trading Experience teams.

The Trading App is a proprietary iOS and Android client for CFD trading and portfolio monitoring—charts, watchlists, execution, margin and P&L, funding, and multi-account types (e.g. Razor / Standard). It complements MetaTrader and cTrader; it does not replace them. The app connects to Centrum and other back-office systems via connectors, and integrates services such as SCA, Auth0, Segment, notifications, and others as the stack evolves.

Delivery runs in two-week Scrum increments. A typical squad includes a tech lead or release captain, on the order of four developers and two manual QA engineers, with test automation as a parallel track. Engineering outcomes should reflect CFD realities: margin and leverage, contract-based P&L and financing, broker as counterparty, and region-specific regulation (e.g. FCA, ASIC, CySEC) affecting flows and copy.

The Role

The Senior (Manual) QA Engineer is an experienced individual contributor on the Trading App. They own test strategy and depth for manual coverage, support Middle (Manual) QA on technique and in-sprint prioritisation, and keep two-week Scrum work release-ready.

They work so Trading App features ship with agreed manual coverage: critical paths, regressions, and exploratory findings are documented, traceable, and tied to risk. Test artefacts (cases, charters, session notes) stay maintainable and reusable; Middle (Manual) QA benefits from clearer scope, review of test plans, and help on complex defects.

Release and sprint decisions are backed by explicit quality signals— pass/ fail, known issues, residual risk—rather than informal status alone.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead test planning for assigned epics: scope, environments, data, device/OS matrix, and integration points (e.g. auth, pricing, orders).
• Drive exploratory testing on new Trading App capabilities; surface edge and corner cases to engineering with reproducible evidence.
• Partner with Product and Design so acceptance criteria are testable; flag gaps where requirements omit observable outcomes.
• Coordinate with Senior Automation on what should be automated vs. remains manual; avoid duplicate ownership and unclear hand-offs.
• Keep pace inside two-week Scrum; re-test fixes within the sprint boundary; escalate blockers early to Tech Lead and EM when testing or environments stall delivery.
• Refinement: translate stories into test ideas and risks; flag missing data, devices, or environment needs before sprint start.
• Sprint: run planned and exploratory tests alongside development; maintain traceable pass/fail and known-issues lists.
• Pre-release: summarise coverage vs. scope, defects, and residual risk for release stakeholders.
• Post-release: feed concrete improvement items into retros—process, test data, tooling—not generic discussion only.
• Support Middle (Manual) QA Engineers on test design, prioritisation within the sprint, and defect reporting quality. Formal mentoring is a separate programme; this is hands-on delivery support.
• Scope is Trading App manual quality and execution.

Technology and architecture context

• Context: The Trading App ships on iOS and Android (e.g. React Native stack); the Senior (Manual) QA works across environments, test data, and a device/OS matrix for each increment.
• Work tools: Jira; Confluence; test artefacts (cases, charters, session notes) as the squad standardises. Figma for design alignment where applicable. Slack / mail for coordination with dev and QA peers.
• Devices & labs: On-device and/or cloud device access (e.g. BrowserStack) as the team operates; know app-store and build channels used for the Trading App.
• Feature flags & observability: Exercise flows behind feature flags (e.g. LaunchDarkly) with engineering; use observability and product analytics the team standardises (e.g. Datadog, Segment) for evidence where needed— without owning the analytics stack.
• Automation boundary: Partner with Senior Automation; do not own the framework or the CI pipeline. Stay informed so manual effort complements automation coverage.
• Delivery: CI-driven mobile builds, trunk-aligned cadence, and short increments; testing keeps pace with release gates the squad applies.

The role reports to the Engineering Manager for the Trading App engineering thread. Day-to-day test execution and priorities align with the squad’s mobile and QA leadership based in Limassol, Cyprus. We support flexible working. This position can be performed from both a mix of at our office and from home. Your manager will share details and expectations of your team’s regular cadence of working locations.

About you

• 5+ years in software testing or quality engineering, with depth in manual techniques ( exploratory, regression, session-based or equivalent).
• Trading or CFD-style apps or regulated fintech context is a plus; this role is not a dedicated Payments-domain tester—focus Trading App end-to-end flows and integrations the team uses.
• English at a level needed for documentation, stand-ups, and escalation; experience in remote/distributed squads is a plus.
• Proven work on mobile clients (preferably iOS and Android); comfortable with a device/OS matrix and release-oriented test evidence.
• Ability to own epic-level test planning in two-week Scrum; clear reporting of risk, pass/fail, and residual risk to engineering and product.
• Skilled in reproducible defect reports, test cases/charters, and maintainable documentation across sprints.
• Experienced partnering with Product/Design on testable acceptance criteria and with automation on scope boundaries (what stays manual).
• A growth mindset: adopt squad tools for test data, environments, and process improvements from retros.

Why you will enjoy working with us

• Competitive salary structure including company bonus scheme
• Flexible and hybrid working
• Remote working option - work from anywhere for up to 4 weeks per year
• 10 days of Company paid sick leave annually
• 21 days of paid vacation within the first year of employment, increasing to 25 days after one year
• 3 paid volunteering days per year & Workplace Giving Program
• Comprehensive medical insurance with coverage for your healthcare needs
• Pension fund
• Employee referral bonuses for referring top talent to the company
• Ongoing personal development & learning opportunities
• Periodic recognition and reward programs for outstanding performance and achievements
• Frequent events and celebrations
• Genuinely collaborative and friendly culture
• Employee Assistance Program & Wellbeing Initiatives
• Convenient and cozy office located near the Limassol Municipal Garden

More about Pepperstone

We’re a regulated online Forex and CFD trading platform. With the scale of a global fintech and the agility of a start-up, we arm our clients with everything they need to take on the global markets with confidence. You will be part of a wider passionate and friendly team, and whilst things may not always go to plan, we learn quickly and move forward with impact. To learn even more visit Pepperstonecareers.com and www.linkedin.com/company/pepperstone/

We understand it’s important to do due diligence on a prospective employer, and see what our team is saying on Glassdoor. We respect our team members’ experiences and will never pay to remove a negative review.

Pepperstone is an equal-opportunity employer. We are passionate about building a diverse workplace and strongly encourage applications from any background.

“We are a 2025 Circle Back Initiative Employer – we respond to every applicant”.

We will be reviewing applications as they come through, so if this is an opportunity that excites you, don’t wait. Express your interest by clicking the apply button below as soon as possible.

Note to external agencies: While we appreciate the efforts of external recruitment agencies, we prefer to engage directly with applicants for this opportunity.