Head of Lab Testing

dmg:media; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Pension plan: 5% employee / 3% company

Life cover up to 3x salary

DMGT Discounts

Subsidised canteen

Onsite gym

Onsite nurse and GP clinics

Employee Assistance Programme

Discounted dining cards

Job summary

dmg media is launching a new consumer product testing lab in London. As Head of Lab Testing you will lead a professional testing facility, working with journalists and editors to develop objective, repeatable tests that generate compelling stories while delivering accurate results.

You will manage calibration and operation of lab equipment, design test rigs, and ensure safety and quality across all testing programmes. Prior experience in journalism is not required.

Qualifications

• Experience in product testing, laboratory, engineering or technical environment.
• Comfortable handling testing equipment and electrical/consumer products.
• Strong practical and mechanical skills.
• Ability to build or modify test fixtures and rigs.
• Excellent organizational skills for managing multiple testing projects.
• Able to work under tight editorial deadlines while maintaining accuracy.
• Strong communication and collaboration with editorial/production teams.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the day-to-day operation of the testing lab.
• Collaborate with journalists and editors to design objective, engaging tests.
• Set up, manage and execute testing programmes across a busy daily schedule.
• Ensure all testing methodologies are accurate, consistent and scientifically robust.
• Record, analyse and present test results clearly and meaningfully.
• Develop innovative testing methods to tell compelling consumer stories.
• Operate and maintain specialist testing equipment and ensure calibration.
• Design, build or modify test rigs and setups as required.
• Troubleshoot products and equipment for smooth operation.
• Collaborate with journalists, testers, photographers and video teams during testing.
• Act as Health & Safety lead for the laboratory and testing environments.
• Maintain an organized, efficient and safe laboratory.

Skills

Lab testing experience

Troubleshooting

Mechanical aptitude

Test fixture design

Project management

Communication

Editorial collaboration

Deadline-driven

Health & safety leadership

Tools

Sound level meters

Thermal cameras

Lux meters

Force gauges

Moisture meters

Environmental sensors

Laboratory instrumentation

Job description

Head of Lab Testing

Location: London

Contract Type: Full Time/Permanent

About Us

dmg media’s brands deliver highly engaging, trusted content to millions of loyal customers around the globe, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Together, Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, Metro and The i Paper, reach more than 24million people daily. In the UK alone, its brands reach over 10million people daily.

Its newsbrands are expert at getting to the bottom of the stories most relevant to our readers. To find out more about dmg media and its brands visit www.dmgmedia.co.uk

About the Role

We’re launching an exciting new consumer product testing lab, designed to independently test and evaluate products across multiple categories, from electrical appliances and technology to beauty, health and home products.

As our Lab Technician, you’ll be at the heart of the operation, responsible for running a professional, reliable and innovative testing facility. You’ll work closely with journalists, editors, photographers and videographers to develop meaningful tests that generate compelling stories while delivering accurate, repeatable results that consumers can trust.

Main Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the day-to-day operation of the testing lab.
• Work with journalists and editors to design objective, engaging and repeatable product tests.
• Set up, manage and execute testing programmes across a busy daily schedule.
• Ensure all testing methodologies are accurate, consistent and scientifically robust.
• Record, analyse and present test results in a clear and meaningful way.
• Develop innovative testing methods that help tell compelling consumer stories (for example, measuring mascara flaking, soup smoothness, vacuum cleaning performance or noise levels).
• Operate and maintain specialist testing equipment, ensuring it is calibrated and used correctly.
• Design, build or modify test rigs, fixtures and bespoke testing setups where required.
• Troubleshoot products and testing equipment to ensure smooth operation.
• Collaborate closely with journalists, testers, photographers and video teams during testing.
• Act as the Health & Safety lead for the laboratory and all testing environments.
• Maintain an organised, efficient and safe laboratory.

To confirm, no previous experience in a journalistic setting is required.

Person Specification

• Experience operating within a product testing, laboratory, engineering or technical environment.
• Comfortable testing equipment.
• Comfortable working with a wide variety of electrical and consumer products.
• Excellent practical and mechanical skills.
• Ability to build, modify and improve test fixtures and rigs.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving ability.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple testing projects simultaneously.
• Comfortable working under tight editorial deadlines while maintaining accuracy.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with editorial and production teams.

Experience using measurement equipment such as:

• Sound level meters
• Thermal cameras
• Lux meters
• Force gauges
• Moisture meters
• Environmental sensors
• Other laboratory instrumentation

Desirable Experience

• Previous experience in consumer product testing organisations such as Which?, Good Housekeeping Institute or similar independent testing facilities.
• Engineering, manufacturing or production testing background.
• Experience with sensors, wiring, data logging or simple electronics.
• Experience with CAD, prototyping or fabrication.

Package Description

Our benefits package increases the longer you’ve been with us. Here’s what toexpect:

• 25 days’ holiday (increasing by 1 per year up to a total of 30)
• Upon joining you will be automatically enrolled onto the Pension Plan at the minimum level of 5% employee contribution, 3% Company contribution.
• Life cover under the Pension Plan of up to 3x your basic salary.
• DMGT Discounts (for discounts on online shopping, vouchers and reloadable cards)
• Subsidised canteen
• Onsite gym (Northcliffe House only)
• Onsite nurse and GP clinics (Northcliffe House only)
• Our Employee Assistance Programme
• Discounted dining cards

Plus many other benefits.

Our Commitment

We are committed to increasing diversity and maintaining an inclusiveworkplace culture. We welcome applications from all qualified candidatesregardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation,age, marital status, or disability.

We are Disability Confident Committed. Please let us know if you require any recruitment documentation in other formats or if you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process. Please be assured that any such information will be held separately to your recruitment applicationand will not be considered as part of the selection process