Mechanical Test Lab Manager

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

Job summary

A global manufacturer in South Wales is seeking a Mechanical Test Lab Manager to lead a test and development team. The role involves planning testing activities, managing team performance, and ensuring laboratory compliance. Ideal candidates will have a Mechanical Engineering background along with relevant test development experience. This position offers a salary between £50,000 - £60,000 and a comprehensive benefits package.

Benefits

Excellent benefits package

Pension

Holidays

Development opportunities

Qualifications

• Mechanical Engineering education.
• Relevant experience within Development / Test.
• Familiarity with data acquisition systems.
• Desirable: knowledge of hydraulics, pneumatics, basic PLC programming.
• Safety-conscious, organised, and confident in structured problem-solving.

Responsibilities

• Planning and coordinating testing activities for prototypes.
• Leading and managing a team and developing capability.
• Designing test equipment, ensuring compliance.
• Running and overseeing various test activities.
• Producing test plans, procedures, reports, and maintenance schedules.

Skills

Mechanical Engineering education

Experience in Development / Test

Familiarity with data acquisition systems

Knowledge of hydraulics, pneumatics

Structured problem-solving skills

Job description

Mechanical 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

• 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.
• 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.

The 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!

Please note, whilst we do our best to contact all candidates, due to the high number of applications we receive we cannot guarantee this for every role. If you have not heard anything from us within 7 days of applying - then unfortunately you have been unsuccessful. Please keep an eye on our website for more opportunities.