Test Engineer Level 4

NATS, the UK’s leading air navigation service provider, supports more than 2.4 million flights each year and runs air traffic control from two control centres while also supplying a broad range of commercial products worldwide. The Test Engineer Level 4 role sits within this safety-focused environment and is based on-site in Prestwick, SCT. The company values people who want to help advance aviation and keep skies safe, and this position will suit someone who enjoys applying rigorous testing discipline to complex, real-time systems.

Reporting to the Senior Test Manager or Test Manager, the successful candidate will help ensure that system requirements, design proposals and change requests are thoroughly tested and fit for purpose. The role also involves stepping in as a domain technical expert and delivering testing support for services and systems in live operation. It’s a hands-on post that rewards clear thinking, strong collaboration and a steady approach to quality assurance in a pivotal safety-critical sector.

Salary ranges from £62,279 to £83,039 per year, and the closing date is 30/10/2026. A cover letter is required as part of the application. The role is advertised as on-site in Prestwick with options for agile working and the possibility to balance office time with remote work, subject to arrangements. This is a chance for someone who likes to make testing a disciplined, visible part of project delivery and who wants to contribute to reliable, safe air travel.

A day in the life inside the testing stream

In practice, the role means shaping and delivering test engineering activities for a designated domain, under direction from the Senior Test Manager or Test Manager. You will translate needs into concrete test requirements, design tests to cover those needs and produce the formal documentation that accompanies changes. The job also involves maintaining test tools and environments, diagnosing issues, and advising others on the best testing approaches to verify conformance with requirements and safety expectations. You’ll also help coordinate with stakeholders to align testing with wider project plans and ensure reporting stays robust and clear.

Part of the daily work is acting as a focal point for technical expertise on one or more systems, supporting the acceptance and integration of supplier test work and participating in project reviews. The role requires you to review work items, help plan testing activities, and provide input to the verification lifecycle as defined by the Manage Verification process and the broader Manage Service Transition framework. You’ll be expected to contribute to test plans, scripts and reports, and to use test tools effectively to diagnose failures and offer practical recommendations.

What you’ll need to bring to this role

• The minimum is an HNC (or an equivalent engineering qualification) paired with relevant engineering experience.
• If you don’t hold the HNC, you may still be considered if you have suitable lower-level qualifications or certifications in similar fields and demonstrable test engineering capabilities in safety-critical environments.
• A proven track record in the engineering aspects of large real-time systems, ideally in safety-critical settings or Air Traffic Management Systems (ATM).
• A solid working knowledge of the Manage Verification and Defect processes as part of the wider Manage Service Transition workflow.

Nice-to-haves to boost your candidacy

• Additional engineering qualifications or certifications that go beyond the basic requirement and show deeper testing expertise.
• Experience acting as a technical reference point for one or more systems, guiding others and resolving technical questions.
• Exposure to supplier test documentation and involvement in defining or reviewing acceptance criteria.
• Familiarity with working in or coordinating across safety-critical, real-time environments beyond ATM, which can help with cross-domain testing challenges.

Compensation and the practical details

The role carries a salary in the range of £62,279 to £83,039 per year. It is based on a on-site arrangement in Prestwick, with the company having adopted agile working to offer greater flexibility and choice over where you work, from modern offices to remote setups, subject to feasibility. Flexible and part-time working arrangements are welcome discussions.

In addition to the base package, NATS highlights a total reward approach designed to help you thrive both personally and professionally. Note that all staff are subject to UK Security Vetting and Clearance (SC) and must maintain valid clearance throughout employment, with guidance available on security clearance requirements. The closing date for applications is 30/10/2026, and applicants are asked to include a cover letter with their submission.

Tips to stand out in this application

Lead your resume with the engineering qualification you hold and your hands-on test engineering work in safety-critical settings, placing these details at the top so the hiring team sees them first. When you describe your experience, focus on times you defined test requirements and wrote tests to satisfy safety and regulatory needs, and on how you used verification processes to confirm a system meets its intended use.

When you prepare for interviews, be ready to discuss how you tested system requirements, design proposals and change requests, and how you documented changes for formal review. Have concrete examples of how you diagnosed problems and proposed practical solutions, and of how you maintained test environments and tools to keep testing moving smoothly.

A good question to leave the room with could be about how the team uses the Manage Verification and Defect processes during project transitions, and how they verify supplier test documentation to support acceptance criteria definitions. This shows you understand the lifecycle and want to contribute to smooth handovers between teams and suppliers.

Getting your application in

To apply, please include a cover letter with your submission, and note the closing date is 30/10/2026. The role offers on-site work in Prestwick, SCT with flexible working options and the possibility to work remotely in certain circumstances. If you meet the essential criteria and want to play a part in keeping aviation safe, this might be the right next step for you.