Engineering Test Lab Manager

Yolk Recruitment; Wales; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is exclusively partnering with a global manufacturer to find an Engineering Test Lab Manager in South Wales. This role involves overseeing laboratory operations, managing a test team, and ensuring accurate results for product development. Candidates should have a Mechanical Engineering background and relevant testing experience. A competitive salary and excellent benefits are offered.

Benefits

Excellent benefits package

Development opportunities

Pension and holidays

Qualifications

• Mechanical Engineering education required.
• Experience in Development / Test is essential.
• Knowledge of data acquisition systems is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Plan and coordinate testing activities for prototypes and validations.
• Lead and manage a development team, allocating work effectively.
• Design and maintain test equipment, ensuring compliance and calibration.
• Oversee test activities and produce required documentation.
• Support production and quality teams with necessary data.
• Identify needs for future lab capability improvements.
• Promote a safety-first culture within the lab.
• Collaborate with R&D departments on problem solving.

Skills

Mechanical Engineering education

Relevant experience within Development / Test

Familiarity with data acquisition systems

Knowledge of hydraulics, pneumatics, basic PLC programming (desirable)

Education

Mechanical Engineering degree

Job description

Engineering Test Lab Manager

South Wales
£50,000 - £60,000 + benefits

Yolk Recruitment is exclusively partnered with a global manufacturer to recruit an Engineering Test Lab Manager for their R&D facility in South East Wales. This is a key leadership role, managing a small test and development team and ensuring the laboratory delivers safe, accurate and timely results to support new product development, prototyping, validation and customer projects.

This is what you'll be doing

As Engineering Test Lab Manager you'll be responsible for the planning, operation and development of the laboratory. Your work will include:

• Planning and coordinating testing activities for prototypes, validation and customer programmes.
• Leading and managing a team, allocating work and developing capability.
• Designing or adapting test equipment and fixtures, specifying datalogging systems and ensuring all equipment is maintained, calibrated and compliant.
• Running and overseeing test activities – force, pressure, environmental etc and producing documentation including test plans, procedures, reports, production test specs and maintenance schedules.
• Supporting production, sales, quality and customer teams with data and expertise.
• Identifying future equipment needs and improvements to lab capability.
• Promoting a safety‑first culture and driving continuous improvement in the lab.
• Collaborating with wider R&D departments, DFMEA, DVP and varied problem solving.

Experience you'll bring to the team

• Mechanical Engineering education.
• Relevant experience within Development / Test.
• Familiarity with data acquisition systems.
• Desirable – knowledge of hydraulics, pneumatics, basic PLC programming (training can be provided).
• Safety‑conscious, organised, and confident in structured problem‑solving.

And this is what you'll get in return

• Salary in the region of £50,000 - £60,000.
• Excellent benefits package including pension, holidays and wider perks.
• A role with scope to shape the future capability of Test activities onsite.
• Development opportunities within a secure, international manufacturer.

Are you up to the challenge? If you feel you have the skills, experience and passion to be successful in this role apply now!