Manufacturing Test Engineer

novanta; Stockport; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Novanta in Stockport, UK, is seeking a Manufacturing Test Engineer to design and build automated test systems for high-volume photonics products. You will develop test software, analyze data, and debug production testers to improve yield and product quality.

Join a hands-on role within Novanta's Laser Technologies team, collaborating with operators, R&D, and quality to drive continuous improvements in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• LabVIEW development in a production environment.
• Hands-on design and support of automated test systems.
• Strong hardware troubleshooting and debugging capability.
• SQL database programming and maintenance.
• Data acquisition and signal processing in time and frequency domains.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, document and maintain automated test equipment for production.
• Develop test software for data acquisition, simulation, control, and quality control.
• Analyse test data to drive product and test improvement.
• Debug production testers and fixtures for galvanometers and high‑precision scan heads.
• Work closely with operators, supervisors, R&D, quality and manufacturing engineering.
• Identify and implement yield, usability and productivity improvements.
• Ensure compliance with quality, environmental and occupational safety requirements.

Skills

LabVIEW

Automated tests

Hardware debugging

SQL

Data acquisition

Programming

Embedded systems

Education

BSc in Electrical Engineering

Tools

NI hardware

PXI

DAQ

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Build a career powered by innovations that matter! At Novanta, our innovations power technology products that are transforming healthcare and advanced manufacturing-improving productivity, enhancing people's lives and redefining what's possible. We create for our global customers engineered components and sub-systems that deliver extreme precision and performance for a range of mission‑critical applications-from minimally invasive surgery to robotics to 3D metal printing.

Novanta is one global team with over 26 offices located in The Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Looking for a great place to work? You have found it with a culture that embraces teamwork, collaboration and empowerment. Come explore Novanta.

Manufacturing Test Engineer

Location: Stockport, UK

Laser Technologies

Role Summary

You will design and build automated test systems that directly improve product quality and manufacturing yield for high‑volume, precision photonics products. This is a hands‑on engineering role with real impact on production efficiency and customer outcomes.

Why this role matters

Novanta's Laser Technologies products sit at the heart of mission‑critical applications, from medical devices to advanced manufacturing. As a Test Engineer, your work ensures galvanometers, scan heads, servo boards and subsystems perform to specification, every time, at scale. Your tests and software directly influence:

• Product reliability and consistency
• Manufacturing throughput and yield
• Data‑driven design and process improvement

What you will do

• Design, build, document and maintain automated test equipment for production.
• Develop test software for data acquisition, simulation, control, and quality control.
• Analyse test data to drive product and test improvement.
• Debug production testers and manufacturing fixtures for galvanometers and high‑precision scan heads.
• Work closely with operators, supervisors, R&D, quality and manufacturing engineering.
• Identify and implement yield, usability and productivity improvements.
• Ensure compliance with quality, environmental and occupational safety requirements.

What you will bring

Core Experience

• Professional LabVIEW development in a production environment.
• Hands‑on design and support of automated test systems.
• Strong hardware troubleshooting and debugging capability.
• SQL database programming and maintenance.
• Data acquisition and signal processing, time and frequency domains.

Technical Breadth

• Analog and digital circuit design and analysis.
• Test instruments, signal conditioning, power electronics.
• National Instruments hardware, PXI, DAQ, RIO.
• One or more of Python, C++, C#, MATLAB, VB, .NET.
• PLCs, embedded systems and microcontrollers.
• CAD and technical documentation.

Education

• BSc in Electrical, Mechanical, Computer, Mechatronics, Robotics, Applied Physics, or related engineering discipline.

Ways of Working

• Data‑driven and practical.
• Comfortable operating independently in a fast‑paced environment.
• Clear communicator with engineers and production teams.
• Proactive about continuous improvement.

Desirable Experience

• Experience across quality control, R&D or manufacturing engineering.
• Project leadership or informal team leadership exposure.
• Experience supporting high‑volume production testers.

Laser Technologies and Novanta

The teams within Novanta's Laser Technology business segment invent and produce beam steering and optical scanning solutions used globally in medical and advanced industrial systems. As part of Novanta, a NASDAQ‑listed technology group, you will work within a stable, international engineering organisation with long‑term investment in precision technology.

Novanta is proud to be an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action workplace. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, military and veteran status, disability, genetics, or any other category protected by federal law or Novanta policy.

Please call [phone] if you need a disability accommodation for any part of the employment process.