Lead Software Test Engineer - Contract (Inside IR35)Based at one of these locations: Leeds / Manchester / Birmingham / Newcastle - Hybrid (60% onsite)Our client is delivering a major digital transformation programme and is seeking an experienced Lead Software Test Engineer / Principal SDET to play a pivotal role in shaping quality and automation across multiple delivery teams. This is a high-impact contract role where you will define strategy, set standards and remain hands-on with modern test engineering practices.OverviewAs a Lead Software Test Engineer you will take ownership of an automation-first testing approach, supporting the transition from legacy monolithic systems to a modern microservices architecture. You will work closely with engineering teams, influencing how quality is embedded throughout the software development lifecycle while actively contributing to frameworks and solutions.Key ResponsibilitiesYou will define and implement an end-to-end test strategy aligned to microservices architecture. You will establish best practices, standards and patterns that can be scaled across multiple teams, assessing existing approaches and driving continuous improvement.You will remain hands-on, designing, building and maintaining automated test frameworks across unit, integration, contract, system and end-to-end testing. Working primarily in Java-based environments, you will support teams by actively contributing to automation, not just providing direction. You will collabo