Laboratory Team Leader

Airedale by Modine; Leeds; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Airedale by Modine is seeking a Laboratory Team Leader within the Research & Development Laboratory. You will lead a small team of Laboratory Engineers, performing rigorous tests on new product lines and components to ensure they meet industry and internal standards before market release.

You will oversee customer witness tests, maintain test facilities, and contribute to product development through detailed technical reporting and continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years in a laboratory environment, with leadership or mentorship responsibilities.
• Strong attention to detail and interpersonal skills.
• Able to work independently and meet deadlines.
• Solid understanding of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of Laboratory Engineers, organize and delegate tasks daily.
• Contribute to a proactive quality improvement culture by voicing customer needs.
• Schedule tests in alignment with development roadmaps and timelines.
• Operate and maintain environmental chamber and related equipment.
• Conduct customer witness tests professionally and document results.
• Ensure a safe working environment and compliance with procedures.
• Support product development with testing and data analysis.
• Create high-quality technical reports from test results.
• Train direct reports and oversee calibration of measurement equipment.

Skills

Team leadership

Laboratory testing

Quality assurance

Problem solving

Documentation

Communication

Time management

Education

HNC in engineering or science

Bachelor’s degree in engineering/science (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Job description

At Modine, we are Engineering a Cleaner, Healthier World™. Building on more than 100 years of excellence in thermal management, we provide trusted systems and solutions that improve air quality and conserve natural resources. Our Airedale by Modine brand is a world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative thermal management solutions for data centers, clean rooms, hospitals, universities, and other mission-critical environments.

Never heard of Airedale by Modine? In short, we cool the internet. Ever used an app to book a taxi? Ever had a video meeting? Ever bought something online? Chances are, the digital 1s and 0s you’ve created and sent are being kept cool by Airedale by Modine. We’re one of the key cogs in the global machine that keeps your digital world running smoothly.

Trusted as The Critical Cooling Specialists, Airedale by Modine has decades of experience providing efficient, flexible end-to-end cooling solutions that work smarter, not harder, to deliver more cooling for less power. With manufacturing facilities in Canada, Spain, the UK, and the U.S., we’re scaling up across the world to support an ever-growing demand for our solutions.

That’s where you come in….

Position Description

An excellent opportunity has arisen within Research & Development for a Laboratory Team Leader. The successful candidate will work with a small team of skilled Laboratory Engineers in the Airedale R&D Laboratory tasked with both research and development prototype testing and customer witness testing. This role has direct team management responsibility.

Key Responsibilities

The Purpose Of The Role Is To

• Rigorously test new product lines (and components where necessary) to both industry and in-house standards to ensure they are robust and fit for purpose prior to market release in an effort to minimise potential field failures.
• Facilitate the completion of customer witness tests.

Key Duties / Responsibilities

• Leading a team of skilled Laboratory Engineers including organising and delegating tasks on a daily basis.
• Recognition of the ‘Voice of the Customer’ by contributing to a proactive and preventive quality improvement culture.
• Scheduling tests in support of the development roadmap project timescales.
• Operating, maintaining and house-keeping of applicable environmental chamber and accompanying plant.
• Performing customer witness tests in a professional and timely manner and producing associated documentation.
• Maintaining a safe working environment.
• Active involvement with / support of product development projects.
• Testing of product / components to industry and in-house standards.
• Identifying / rectifying problems associated with products on test.
• Analysing gathered results and producing high quality technical reports.
• Training of direct reports.
• Ensuring measurement equipment is calibrated and fit for use.
• Creating and maintaining SOM’s and internal procedures.
• Maintaining test method documentation and creating test methods where one does not exist.

Required Education & Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in a laboratory environment, including prior leadership or mentorship responsibilities.
• Have good attention to detail.
• Possess strong interpersonal and leadership skills.
• Be able to work under own initiative.
• Be able to learn quickly.
• Be capable of managing both their own and their team’s time effectively and working to deadlines.
• Be capable of communicating effectively with both internal personnel and external customers.
• Possess sound theoretical and practical understanding of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.

Possess the knowledge/ be competent in the skills required to identify and rectify problems associated with products under test:

• Electrical fault finding
• Refrigeration circuit diagnosis etc.
• Be competent in the skills necessary to install a product in preparation for testing: Brazing Evacuation and refrigerant charging Electrical safety etc.
• Be proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications, primarily Excel and Word.

These Skills Are Desirable But Not Essential.

• A minimum of a HNC in a relevant engineering discipline or science based subject, or be working towards.
• Previous experience of testing / working within a laboratory environment is desirable but not essential.