R&D Lab Manager — Lead Prototyping & Testing

AFL; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid in-office schedule

401K match 4%

Professional development

Medical, dental, vision, and life ins.

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

AFL Telecommunications, LLC is seeking an R&D Lab Manager to lead the day-to-day operations of the state-of-the-art inside plant fiber termination lab. You will coordinate lab priorities with R&D engineers, manage technicians, and ensure prototype builds, process trials, and data collection are completed safely and on schedule.

The Lab Manager supports development and scaling of multi-fiber connector termination by maintaining lab readiness, strengthening technician capability, and reinforcing

Qualifications

• Associate degree in Engineering Technology or related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 5+ years in technical lab, manufacturing, test, process development, automation, or product development.
• 2+ years leading or supervising technicians preferred.
• Strong lab safety, test execution, prototype builds, and data collection practices.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings and technical requirements.
• Strong organizational, planning, and prioritization skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication; cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily R&D lab operations, staffing, and workflow.
• Lead and develop process and test technicians supporting prototypes and tests.
• Plan, prepare, execute, and document experiments and validation work.
• Maintain safe, organized lab operations and enforce safety policies.
• Improve lab procedures, test methods, and data collection practices.
• Coordinate prototype builds, fixtures, test execution, and data communication.
• Monitor equipment and maintenance needs for ongoing work.
• Identify opportunities to improve lab efficiency and quality.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Product Management.
• Support root cause analysis and continuous improvement in lab testing.

Skills

Lab safety

Test execution

Prototype builds

Process development

Measurement systems

Technical documentation

Engineering drawings

Communication

Project planning

Leadership

Education

Associate degree

Job description

AFL Telecommunications, LLC is seeking an R&D Lab Manager to lead the day-to-day operations of the state-of-the-art inside plant fiber termination lab. You will coordinate lab priorities with R&D engineers, manage technicians, and ensure prototype builds, process trials, and data collection are completed safely and on schedule.

The Lab Manager supports development and scaling of multi-fiber connector termination by maintaining lab readiness, strengthening technician capability, and reinforcing