Lab Manager/ Test Engineer

Key Selection Recruitment Limited; St Helens; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

American Society of Civil Engineers is seeking a Lab Manager/Test Engineer based in Merseyside. The role involves site-based work with UK travel, leading lab testing, and running customer training sessions in the lab, including PPE setup and safety documentation.

You will coach on-site during technical sales, plan on-site trials, collect measurements, and prepare reports with clear commercial recommendations while upholding H&S policies and lab standards.

Qualifications

• Site-based role with UK travel to customer sites.
• Lab testing and training in lab environment.
• Ability to coach on-site during technical sales and trials.

Responsibilities

• Run customer training in the lab; set-up, parameters, PPE, report attendance/certificates.
• Coach KAMs on site during technical sales and trials.
• Plan and execute on-site trials; collect measurements and issue reports with commercial recommendations.
• Diagnose failure modes and implement fixes.
• Enforce H&S standards and ensure proper PPE and housekeeping.
• Set sampling plans and traceability for incoming stock; raise CAPA with suppliers.
• Maintain TDS/SDS library; approve labels and change control.
• Produce non-conformance reports and supplier scorecards.
• Build a rolling sales enablement curriculum with charts and calculators.
• Approve product training content, lab schedules and trial methods.

Job description

Position: Lab Manager/ Test Engineer

Location: Merseyside

Salary: £50k- £55k (Negotiable depending on experience)

The Company: A growing supplier of high-performance abrasives, welding consumables and associated products.

Products

• Welding consumables: MIG/MAG (solid & metal-cored), FCAW, TIG rods, MMA electrodes (e.g., 6013/7018/309/316), torches/liners/tips/nozzles, anti-spatter, shielding gases, storage/handling (low-hydrogen control).
• Abrasives: bonded (cutting/grinding) and coated/non-woven (sanding), plus blasting media; selection by material, finish, and duty cycle.

Role

• This role is predominately site based but UK travel to customer sites will be involved (PPE and training-lab equipment provided)
• Run customer training in the lab (set-up, parameters, SFM/RPM, pressure, PPE); issue attendance records/certificates; maintain lab SSOW and risk assessments.
• Coach KAMs on site during technical sales and trials.
• Scope, plan and execute on‑site trials with KAMs; collect measurements (amps/volts, WFS, time, wear rate, finish, cost) and issue reports with a clear commercial recommendation.
• Diagnose typical failure modes (porosity, LOF, undercut, cracking, spatter; glazing/chatter/premature wear) and implement fixes.
• Capture Voice of Customer and brief the MD on range gaps and spec improvements.
• Enforce lab and field H&S standards, PPE and housekeeping; log and close out near‑misses; champion safe use and storage (especially low‑hydrogen).
• Ensure guidance aligns with relevant standards (e.g., EN ISO 14341/2560; EN 12413/13743) and Company safety policy.
• Set sampling plans, acceptance criteria and traceability for incoming stock; quarantine and raise CAPA with suppliers.
• Maintain TDS/SDS library; approve labels/instructions and change control.
• Produce concise non‑conformance reports and supplier scorecards.
• Build a rolling sales enablement curriculum (selection charts, cheat-sheets, cost-per-cut/deposition calculators, objection handling).
• Run customer training in the lab (set‑up, parameters, SFM/RPM, pressure, PPE); issue attendance records/certificates; maintain lab SSOW and risk assessments.
• Coach KAMs on site during technical sales and trials.
• Build a rolling sales enablement curriculum (selection charts, cheat-sheets, cost-per-cut/deposition calculators, objection handling).
• Approve product training content, lab schedules and trial methods; accept/reject incoming batches against agreed criteria; raise supplier CAPA; recommend product switches/spec changes to the MD