Gherkin / Cucumber BDD Trainer

About This Engagement

We are seeking an experienced BDD and Test Automation Trainer to deliver a 3-day intensive hands-on training program for a unified cross-functional team. The cohort includes Development, Testing/QA, and Business Analysis/Requirements team members attending together in a single program.

Our organization is in an active Agile transition and this training is a key part of building a shared BDD and test automation practice across all delivery roles. The goal is to build practical, immediately applicable skills in BDD, Gherkin, Cucumber, Selenium, and test automation concepts — not theory — but real hands-on capability that participants can use starting the very next sprint.

This is a fully onsite engagement in Richmond, VA. All three days must be delivered in person. No virtual or remote delivery will be accepted.

What You Will Be Doing

• Delivering a 3-day onsite BDD and test automation training program to a mixed audience of BA, QA, and Dev professionals
• Teaching Gherkin syntax and scenario writing from the ground up — participants will write real scenarios every day
• Covering Cucumber at a conceptual, non-technical level — no coding required from participants
• Introducing Selenium and test automation concepts in plain language accessible to all roles — not a deep engineering course but a foundational understanding of how automation works alongside BDD
• Demonstrating how Gherkin, Cucumber, and Selenium work together as a complete BDD and automation pipeline
• Facilitating cross-functional group exercises including a Three Amigos style working session
• Running at least one live demonstration where a Gherkin scenario is executed through Cucumber and Selenium end-to-end — results discussed as a group
• Keeping all three role types engaged simultaneously — your instruction must land equally well for a BA with no technical background and a developer new to BDD
• Working with our Point of Contact (POC) prior to training to develop reference materials and scenario examples relevant to our environment — not generic off-the-shelf content

What We Are Looking For

Required:

• Minimum 5 years of experience training or coaching teams on Gherkin, Cucumber, BDD, and test automation
• Hands-on experience with Selenium WebDriver and test automation frameworks
• Proven ability to train mixed audiences of BA, QA, and Dev professionals together in one session
• Ability to explain Cucumber, Selenium, and automation concepts in plain, non-technical language — no assumption of coding knowledge in the room
• Strong in-person classroom facilitation skills — you can read a room and keep every experience level engaged
• Solid background in Agile delivery environments
• Ability and willingness to travel to Richmond, VA and be onsite for all three training days

Training Coverage Required:

Gherkin & BDD:

• Feature files, Scenario, Given/When/Then, Scenario Outline, Examples tables, Background, and tagging
• BDD mindset and Three Amigos collaboration model
• Common Gherkin anti-patterns and how to fix them

Cucumber:

• What Cucumber is and how it connects to Gherkin — conceptual and non-technical
• How to read and interpret Cucumber test results
• How tagging controls which scenarios run
• Live Cucumber demonstration — trainer executes, all roles observe and discuss

Selenium & Test Automation:

• What Selenium is and what problem it solves — explained for all roles including non-technical
• How Selenium fits into the BDD pipeline alongside Gherkin and Cucumber
• The relationship between a Gherkin scenario, Cucumber, and a Selenium test — end-to-end conceptual walkthrough

Certifications — at least one of the following is required:

• Cucumber.io Approved Trainer designation (most preferred)
• ISTQB Agile Tester Extension
• ISTQB Advanced Level — Test Automation Engineer
• ICAgile ICP-TST (Agile Testing)
• Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or SAFe Agilist
• PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
• Selenium certification from a recognized training body

In addition to certification, you must be able to provide:

• Sample training materials or anonymized examples from past client work

Preferred:

• Experience training government or healthcare teams
• Familiarity with JIRA, Confluence, or Azure DevOps
• Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)
• Multiple certifications from the required list above
• Experience with additional automation frameworks such as Playwright, Appium, or RestAssured
• Prior experience delivering onsite training for federal or state government clients

What You Will Deliver

Before Training:

• Collaborate with our POC to understand our workflows, terminology, and team context
• Develop customized BDD and automation reference materials and Gherkin scenario examples relevant to our environment
• Prepare Cucumber and Selenium demonstration scripts aligned to our context and approved by the POC
• Submit all materials to the POC for review and approval at least 5 business days before training begins

During Training:

• Participant workbook covering all three days including Gherkin, Cucumber, Selenium, and test automation concepts — printed and digital copies
• Gherkin, Cucumber, and test automation one-page quick reference card for every participant
• All exercise materials and scenario templates customized to our context
• Live end-to-end demonstration — Gherkin scenario executed through Cucumber and Selenium in the room

Travel & Logistics

• Trainer is responsible for arranging all travel and lodging to Richmond, VA
• All travel costs must be submitted as a separate line item in your proposal
• Trainer must confirm full onsite availability for all three days before engagement is awarded
• Substitution of a different trainer is not permitted without prior written approval from our POC

How We Will Measure Success

• 80% or more of participants pass the end-of-training assessment
• All three role types can independently write a valid Gherkin scenario by end of Day 3
• All participants can explain what Cucumber does and how it connects to Gherkin
• All participants can explain at a conceptual level what Selenium does and how it fits into the BDD pipeline
• All participants can read and interpret a Cucumber and Selenium test result
• QA participants can identify which test cases are strong candidates for automation
• Trainer satisfaction score of 8.0 or higher from participants
• All materials approved by POC before training begins

How to Apply

Please submit the following:

• Your resume or trainer profile highlighting BDD, Gherkin, Cucumber, Selenium, and test automation training experience
• A brief summary (one page or less) of your proposed approach to this 3-day program covering all four topics
• At least two references from prior BDD, Cucumber, or test automation training engagements
• Your daily rate and estimated travel costs as separate line items
• Copies of relevant certifications

This is a contract training engagement. Compensation is negotiable based on experience and qualifications. Only candidates who can commit to full onsite delivery in Richmond, VA will be considered.

Pay: $80.00 - $120.00 per hour

Work Location: In person