Graduate Test Engineer

About Autotrader

You’ve probably heard of Autotrader, but do you know what we’re all about?  

We're the most trusted, most visited automotive marketplace in the UK. A heritage brand and a tech innovator. We bring together vehicle buyers and sellers to give them real choices. Cars may be what we're best known for but we’re also the place for pretty much everything else on wheels, from e-bikes to caravans.

In the automotive world, change is a constant, that’s why we take our job of untangling the complex car-buying journey very seriously. 
 
At our core, we’re all about people. We go our own way while embracing diversity and celebrating our differences. We dedicate ourselves to the idea that we work better together. 

Autotrader is a beautiful, surprising and vibrant place to work. We might not be for everyone, but we could be perfect for you. 

About the job

We are looking for a Graduate Test Engineer to join our Product and Tech Community. 

As a Graduate Test Engineer, you’ll be working in cross-functional teams alongside other engineers, product leads, and designers. You'll gain exposure to a wide range of technologies and methodologies while helping to develop insight-driven, market-leading digital products and services. 

Our Test Engineers play a key role across multiple stages of software development. Using automated testing tools, exploratory testing, and other techniques, they ensure our software functions effectively and performs optimally. Beyond identifying potential issues, they also find opportunities for improvement to create a seamless user experience. 

To learn more about the work of our tech community, take a read of our Engineering blog.

Our graduate programme starts in October 2026.

What we're looking for

• You’ll be a graduate (or graduating in 2026) in any degree discipline with a passion for software testing, coding and technology. 

• You will be passionate about testing and driven to build a successful career as a Test Engineer. 
• You will have some coding experience, whether that be through personal technology projects or university/community hacks you've attended. 
• You’ll be curious about how we can leverage developments in AI to improve how we develop and test software.

• As a digital business, we're constantly evolving, so the ability to adapt and be comfortable with change in an ever-changing landscape is a must. 

• Our Product and Tech community values collaboration and teamwork, so you’ll be eager to learn from the people you work with and embrace the opportunities that come your way. 

During our application process, you will be asked three questions to help us learn more about you and how you align with our values. These will be used as part of our selection criteria to determine if we progress your application further. To help you submit your best application, you can check out our application top tips video here.

Autotrader's Graduate Academy 

Our Graduate programme is designed to equip you with the skills, knowledge and experiences needed to really kick start your career. In this permanent role, your journey starts in our academy foundation, where, alongside other graduates from across our communities, you will be learning about our company, culture, industry, customers, how we work, how you work, and so much more. You’ll then focus on developing the knowledge and skills for your specific role, whilst working on practical projects with your cohort, supported by mentors, your dedicated line manager, your team, as well as the Early Careers team. For full details, visit our early careers blog here

Benefits and more

We’re offering a salary of £30,000, plus an additional 10% of your salary, awarded in shares each year. These awarded shares will become yours in yearly instalments over the next three years, and you can choose to either sell them or keep them as shares. 

You'll have 28 days' holiday per year, and that's in addition to bank holidays and half-day closures on Christmas and New Year's Eve.

That’s not all. You'll be enrolled in our pension scheme, where our standard contributions are 7% and employee contributions are 5%. We also have comprehensive private medical cover, enhanced family leave provisions, a car salary sacrifice scheme, share-save options, and much more. 

We always want to give you the support you need and help prioritise your wellbeing, that’s why we provide access to 24/7 online GP and dentist, as well as specialist support for assisted fertility, gender dysphoria, menopause, period care plans and lots more.  

On top of all that, our hybrid model, Connected Working, combines the best of both worlds – office and home working. You'll spend a minimum of 3 days a week in the office with your team, focused on collaboration and connection.

Additionally, we have our remote-first periods at set times during summer and winter. During these periods, you can work remotely anywhere in the UK and from certain locations abroad.