Senior Test Engineer

Actalent; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 69,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Test Engineer in Ottawa to drive automated production testing for fiber optic lab equipment. You will support NPI, production readiness, and lifecycle testing, delivering test solutions and DFt guidance across hardware and software.

This onsite role partners with R&D and international contract sites to ensure reliable, scalable test systems. Based in Ottawa, you will develop and optimize automated test platforms, define test strategies, and contribute to data management for

Qualifications

• 5+ years of test engineering experience focused on automated test development for production environments.
• Hands-on experience designing automated test solutions (hardware & software).
• Experience with optical or RF technologies, fiber optics preferred.
• NPI/manufacturing experience during product lifecycle transitions.

Responsibilities

• Lead NPI activities for test platforms and transition to manufacturing.
• Provide DFT guidance during concept stages for manufacturability.
• Design, develop, and maintain automated production test solutions (HW & SW).
• Improve test solutions for reliability and throughput.
• Define manufacturing, service, calibration, and configuration strategies for new products.
• Plan projects ensuring test systems meet pilot and production timelines.
• Collaborate with R&D and Manufacturing to build contract-ready test systems.
• Plan, debug, and validate production systems for pilots and full production.
• Apply measurement-system evaluation to verify test capability and stability.

Skills

Test engineering

Automation

NPI

Project planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

BS in Optical Engineering

BS in Physics

EE degree

Tools

LabVIEW

Python

C/C++

LabWindows CVI

TestStand

SQL

Job description

Test Engineer in Ottawa

The Test Engineer supports new product introduction and manufacturing test for fiber optic lab test equipment within an Ottawa-based fiber optic lab and production test business unit. This role sits alongside R&D while owning manufacturing-focused test activities across NPI, production readiness, and ongoing product lifecycle support. The engineer develops and continuously improves automated production test solutions, provides design-for-test guidance during new product development, and defines manufacturing, service, calibration, and configuration strategies. The position also offers international exposure by providing secondary support to contract manufacturing sites in Asia and working at the intersection of advanced fiber-optic technology, automated test, NPI, and global manufacturing.

Test Engineer in Ottawa

The Test Engineer supports new product introduction and manufacturing test for fiber optic lab test equipment within an Ottawa-based fiber optic lab and production test business unit. This role sits alongside R&D while owning manufacturing-focused test activities across NPI, production readiness, and ongoing product lifecycle support. The engineer develops and continuously improves automated production test solutions, provides design-for-test guidance during new product development, and defines manufacturing, service, calibration, and configuration strategies. The position also offers international exposure by providing secondary support to contract manufacturing sites in Asia and working at the intersection of advanced fiber-optic technology, automated test, NPI, and global manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) activities for a market-leading optical test platform, ensuring smooth transition from R&D into manufacturing.
• Provide design-for-test (DFT) direction to R&D at the concept stage of new product development to ensure products are highly testable and manufacturable.
• Design, develop, and maintain automated production test solutions, including both hardware and software components, for the optical test product portfolio.
• Drive ongoing continuous improvement of test solutions for existing products to enhance reliability, throughput, and test coverage.
• Define and implement the overall manufacturing, service, calibration, and configuration strategy for new products, optimizing manufacturing and service test processes.
• Plan projects in detail to ensure all production test systems are designed, developed, debugged, and validated in time to support production pilot runs.
• Partner closely with R&D and Manufacturing Engineering to create robust, contract‑manufacturing‑ready test systems, including jigs and fixtures suitable for high-volume production.
• Plan, debug, and validate production systems for pilot builds to ensure stable, repeatable, and accurate test performance before full deployment.
• Apply measurement‑system evaluation techniques in manufacturing and NPI environments to verify test system capability and stability.
• Support international contract manufacturing sites, including facilities in Asia, by troubleshooting test issues, refining test strategies, and enabling stable deployment of test solutions.
• Contribute to test records and data management using appropriate tools and databases to support traceability, analysis, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with engineering and operations teams to align test strategies with product requirements, quality targets, and manufacturing goals.

Essential Skills

• At least 5 years of test engineering experience focused on automated test development for production environments.
• Hands‑on experience designing and implementing automated test solutions, including both hardware and software components.
• Experience in optical or RF technologies, with a strong preference for fiber optics.
• Experience in New Product Introduction (NPI) or manufacturing, supporting production or moving products from R&D into manufacturing.
• Proficiency with LabVIEW for automated test development.
• Proficiency with Python for scripting and programming in test environments.
• Bachelor of Science degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or an equivalent technical discipline.
• Experience defining and executing test strategies across the product lifecycle, from concept through pilot builds and full production.
• Ability to plan and manage test‑related projects, ensuring on‑time delivery and validation of production test systems.
• Understanding of fiber optic communications and related test concepts, such as power meters, spectrum analyzers, OTDRs, and similar technologies.
• Experience with measurement system evaluation techniques in manufacturing or NPI contexts to ensure test system capability and repeatability.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with C or C++ in an automated test environment.
• Experience with National Instruments TestStand for test sequencing and automation.
• Programming experience with LabWindows CVI.
• Experience using SQL for test records and data management.
• Familiarity with gage and measurement system evaluation methods in manufacturing or NPI.
• Experience in project planning or project management focused on production‑system delivery and validation.
• Experience supporting contract manufacturing operations, including international sites, is an asset.

Work Environment

The role is based onsite in Ottawa.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Ottawa, ON.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $60.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job‑related factors.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Ottawa,ON.

À propos d'Actalent

Actalent est un leader mondial dans les services dingénierie et de sciences ainsi que dans les solutions de talents. Nous aidons des entreprises visionnaires à faire progresser leurs initiatives dingénierie et de science grâce à laccès à des experts spécialisés qui favorisent léchelle, linnovation et la rapidité de mise sur le marché. Avec un réseau de près de 20 000 consultants et 5 000 clients à travers les États‑Unis, le Canada, lAsie et lEurope, Actalent dessert de nombreuses entreprises du Fortune 500. Nous sommes fiers dêtre lune des 500 meilleures firmes de conception de lEngineering News-Record (ENR) pour nos services de conception en ingénierie et un lauréat du prix ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® tant pour le service client que pour les talents.

Actalent est un employeur souscrivant au principe de légalité des chances et accepte toutes les candidatures sans tenir compte de la race, du sexe, de l'âge, de la couleur, de la religion, des origines nationales, du statut d'ancien combattant, d'un handicap, de l'orientation sexuelle, de l'identité sexuelle, des renseignements génétiques ou de toute autre caractéristique protégée par la loi.

Si vous souhaitez faire une demande d'accommodement raisonnable, tel que la modification ou lajustement du processus de demande d'emploi ou d'entrevue à cause d'un handicap, veuillez envoyer un courriel à [e-mail] pour connaître d'autres options d'accommodement.

Ordonnance sur légalité des chances de San Francisco: Conformément à l'Ordonnance sur légalité des chances de San Francisco, pour tous les postes situés dans la ville et le comté de San Francisco, nous examinerons les candidatures des personnes qualifiées ayant un casier judiciaire ou des antécédents criminels.

Utilisation de l'intelligence artificielle (IA): Nous pouvons utiliser l'intelligence artificielle (IA) pour soutenir certaines étapes de notre processus d'embauche, notamment la recherche, la présélection et l'évaluation des candidatures. LIA aide à analyser les candidatures et les qualifications, mais les décisions finales sont prises par notre équipe de recrutement. En soumettant votre candidature, vous reconnaissez et acceptez que celle‑ci puisse être examinée à l'aide d'outils d'IA.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.