New Product Development (NPD) Testing Technician

Jpw-Industries; La Vergne (TN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

JPW Industries in La Vergne, TN is seeking a QA Test Technician to lead hands-on testing of prototypes, analyze results, and provide actionable data to engineers. You will inspect components, assemble electro-mechanical products, and document findings to ensure design intent is met before production.

The role requires 4+ years in testing/QA in machinery or industrial equipment, with RCA, FMEA, and Six Sigma familiarity. On-site, lifting up to 50 lbs, in a lab/manufacturing setting.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent required; technical/associate degree preferred.
• ASQ CQT or similar quality certification preferred.
• 4+ years testing, QA, or manufacturing support experience in machinery.
• Ability to read engineering drawings and use test equipment.
• Familiar with RCA, FMEA, Six Sigma principles.
• Experience assembling and debugging PCBs is a plus.
• Proficient with CAD and Microsoft Office for reporting.

Responsibilities

• Own hands-on testing of prototypes and benchmarks against specs.
• Assemble and evaluate complex electro-mechanical products.
• Analyze results and provide clear feedback to design engineers.
• Inspect components and assemblies against quality standards.
• Record data, write reports, and support handoff to manufacturing.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions with teams.

Skills

Hands-on testing

Quality assurance

Root cause analysis

Documentation

Electrical testing

Education

High School Diploma

Technical/associate degree preferred

Tools

Multimeters

Oscilloscopes

CAD software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Full Time Technical La Vergne, TN, US

9 days ago Requisition ID: 1359

Location: La Vergne, TN (on-site)

Brands: Jet, Powermatic, Wilton, Edwards, Baileigh, Axiom | Reports to: Quality Manager

At JPW Industries, we don't just build products, we build careers.

Put your hands on the products before anyone else does.

Every new tool that carries a Jet, Powermatic, or Wilton badge has to earn it, and you are the person who makes sure it does. As our QA Test Technician you live in the space between a great idea and a great product: testing prototypes, breaking down what fails, validating what works, and handing engineers the hard data they need to get it right before it ever reaches a customer's shop.

JPW Industries is a leader in woodworking and metalworking machinery and tools, home to Jet, Powermatic, Wilton, Edwards, Baileigh, and Axiom. Our New Product Development lab is where those brands are pushed, measured, and proven. You will be at the center of that work, close enough to the product to influence how it is designed, built, and trusted.

What You Will Own

From day one, this role puts real product decisions in your hands. You will own:

• The truth about how a product performs, through hands-on mechanical, electrical, and functional testing of prototypes and competitor benchmarks.
• Clean, credible test data that design engineers can act on, from setup through analysis and reporting.
• Quality at the source, inspecting incoming components, assemblies, and final units against spec.
• Root cause insight, helping the team understand why something failed and what it takes to fix it.

Your First Year: What Success Looks Like

• You are the go-to hands in the NPD lab, running test setups independently and documenting results the engineering team relies on.
• Your test reports have shaped at least one product design change that made a tool more durable, safer, or easier to build.
• You have built repeatable testing and inspection protocols that shorten the path from prototype to production.
• You are trusted to flag quality risks early and drive them to resolution with engineering and quality control.

How You'll Spend Your Time

Test, Validate, and Assemble

• Conduct hands-on testing of prototypes and competitor benchmarks, including mechanical, electrical, and functional evaluation against design specs.
• Assemble and evaluate complex electro-mechanical products using work instructions and assembly drawings.
• Analyze test results, identify issues, and give design engineers clear, detailed feedback.

Inspect and Assure Quality

• Perform inspections and audits of components and assemblies against quality standards for new and existing products.
• Run incoming, in-process, and final inspections of components, materials, and assemblies.
• Support root cause analysis and corrective actions for any defects identified.

Document and Improve

• Record and compile test data, write test reports, and maintain inventory of components and testing materials.
• Maintain detailed documentation of procedures, results, and prototype modifications.
• Support the handoff of new products from design to manufacturing and contribute to process improvement initiatives.

What You Will Bring: Expertise. Knowledge. Drive.

• Education:High School Diploma or equivalent required. Technical or associate's degree in a technical field preferred but not required.
• Certifications:ASQ Certified Quality Technician (CQT) or a similar quality certification preferred.
• Experience:4+ years of hands-on product testing, quality assurance, or manufacturing support, ideally in machinery, tools, or industrial equipment.
• Technical Skill:Proficiency reading engineering drawings and specifications, and with test equipment such as multimeters and oscilloscopes. Comfortable interpreting technical data.
• Quality Methods:Experience with Root Cause Analysis, FMEA, and Six Sigma principles.
• Hands-On Ability:Strong mechanical aptitude and fabrication and assembly skills; able to operate testing equipment and machinery. Assembling and debugging PCBs and electrical equipment is a plus.
• Tools:Proficient with CAD software and Microsoft Office for reporting and documentation.
• Communication:Clear written documentation and the confidence to present test status and results in cross-functional settings, including a weekly engineering sync.
• Work Environment:On-site role in La Vergne, TN, split between office and manufacturing/lab settings. Able to lift up to 50 lbs, stand for extended periods, and work in an industrial shop environment. Steel toe shoes required in the testing area; occasional extended or flexible hours.

How You Will Show Up: Our “We Are One” Values

How you work matters as much as what you deliver. In this role that looks like:

• Accountability (We Keep Score & Play to Win):You own your test results and stand behind the data you report.
• Problem Solving & Innovation (We Believe in Innovation):You dig for root cause and suggest better materials, designs, and processes.
• Communication & Integrity (We Act with Integrity):You document honestly and report exactly what the testing shows, good or bad.
• Decision Making (We Think Customer First):You keep the end user's safety and experience in mind on every call.
• Agility & Resilience (We Keep Score & Play to Win):You balance multiple projects and shifting priorities without losing rigor.
• Collaboration & Inclusion (We Win as a Team):You partner closely with engineering, product, and quality to get products right.

Why JPW Industries? Lead. Innovate. Deliver.

We invest in the people who build our products and our future:

• Competitive Pay + Annual Bonuses
• Comprehensive Benefits:medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and telehealth from Day 1
• Career Development & Learning Opportunities
• Team Member Appreciation Events
• A Culture That Values Integrity, Teamwork & Innovation

At JPW Industries, we don't just build products, we build careers!

JPW Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.