| Position: | QA / Automation Tester |
| Start date: | As soon as possible |
| Duration: | Permanent |
| Reporting into: | Head of AI & Special Projects |
About Hepstar
Hepstar is a leading traveltech and insurtech company, that enables the digital distribution of travel insurance and non-insurance travel ancillary products. We offer an innovative and dynamic API-based platform that allows online travel companies across the globe offer travel add-ons to their end customers, unlocking new revenue streams and improving customer satisfaction. Some of the world’s largest airlines, online travel agencies, rail and bus ticket providers use our technology.
About the Team
You’ll form an integral part of Hepstar’s Product Team, working alongside talented Full Stack Developers, Product Owners, Data Engineers and Systems Architects. While you will be the sole QA-focused team member at this stage, you will have the support and collaboration of the wider team and the opportunity to help shape how quality assurance, test automation, and AI-enabled testing mature within the development environment.
About the role
We are looking for an energetic, motivated and forward-thinking QA/ Automation Tester to join our Product and Engineering delivery squad. You will design, build, and maintain robust test frameworks and practices that ensure the highest quality of our software products. You will transition repetitive manual test cases into scalable automated test suites, collaborating closely with developers, product owners and other team members to ensure that comprehensive automated testing is fully integrated into our evolving AI-augmented SDLC workflow.
This role offers exposure to diverse platforms as well as AI & automation tools and practices. It is well-suited to someone who learns quickly, remains organised under pressure, communicates clearly, adapts easily, and is excited about the future of AI in software development.
Key responsibilities
Test Case Development
- Creates, updates, and maintains comprehensive test cases and test scripts (manual and automated) based on functional requirements.
- Ensures required test coverage across all Hepstar’s channels including our web-based administration portal, our e-commerce white label solution and our API solution suites..
Test Execution and Reporting
- Executes manual and automated test cases to validate software functionality – with an automation first mindset, defaulting to manual testing only where absolutely necessary.
- Identifies, documents, communicates and tracks bugs.
- Collaborates with the squad to ensure issues are logged, tracked and prioritised so that Sprint goals are met.
AI-assisted testing and continuous improvement
- Explores, builds, and applies AI-assisted testing approaches using tools such as Claude, Visual Studio, and other relevant AI-enabled development or automation tools.
- Identifies and implements methods to speed up test design, improve coverage, generate test data, support defect analysis, and improve the reliability and maintainability of automated tests.
Collaboration and Communication
- Works closely with cross-functional teams, including developers, product owner, the integration support team and Operations, to understand project and feature scopes, to build understanding of our broader technical ecosystem and overall ensure that the testing is as robust and all-encompassing as possible
- Provides feedback on usability, performance, customer experience, feature functionality and other related aspects that become apparent when testing.
- Recognises the importance of own role in helping the team achieve its goals and strives to be a strong team player.
Quality Assurance
- Performs careful regression testing to verify resolved bugs and confirm no new issues have arisen.
- Helps preparing the test environments, identifying and resolving testing pre-requisites such as config and test data.
The ideal candidate
This role is best suited to someone who is curious, energetic, and naturally improvement-focused. You should be comfortable working across multiple priorities, learning new tools quickly, communicating clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, and taking ownership of deadlines in a fast-moving development environment. A genuine interest in AI, automation, and modern software development practices will help you thrive in this role.
Experience and Qualifications
- Qualification in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
OR
- 1-3 years’ experience working in a QA or similar technical role
- A foundation in software testing concepts, test case design, and the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
Extra credit if you have:
- Experience with API technology and API testing tools such as Postman
- Experience using AI-assisted development or testing tools such as Claude, Visual Studio and Github to support test plan creation, test script automation and test reporting.
- Experience with bug/ticket-tracking and project management tools like Jira, Confluence, Trello or similar.
- Experience with Agile software development methodologies and testing processes in Agile environments.
What will make you successful in this role?
- A self-starter who takes ownership, shows initiative, and contributes meaningfully to a growing QA and automation capability.
- A fast learner who is curious, adaptable, and energised by AI-augmented development.
- Strong analytical thinking, with the ability to identify edge cases, anticipate risks, and prevent customer-impacting issues.
- An inquisitive mindset, with the confidence to look beyond stated requirements and test for unexpected behaviours.
- Comfort with change, new technologies, and evolving AI-enabled testing practices.
- A strong end-user lens, ensuring solutions are intuitive, reliable, and fit for purpose.
- Exceptional attention to detail and pride in accurate, high-quality work.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to document defects, explain outcomes, and raise risks early.
- Confidence reading, validating, and using structured data such as XML and JSON for robust testing.
- The ability to manage parallel priorities, stay organised under pressure, and deliver accurately on time.
- A collaborative team player who shares learnings and helps create momentum across the squad.
- Confidence working in a remote or hybrid team with clear, proactive communication.
- A genuine passion for continuous improvement, automation, problem-solving, and AI-enabled software development.
Why join us?
- A highly supportive and inclusive team environment.
- Exposure to diverse projects and cutting-edge technology and development practices.
- Global travel market exposure.
- Flexible/Hybrid work arrangements.
- Entrepreneurial team where you’ll have the opportunity to help shape how quality assurance, test automation, and AI-enabled testing mature within the development environment.
Interested? Please send your cv to Johan Snyman at johan@hepstar.com.
