Test Engineering Manager/ Senior Manager- Semiconductor & RF Manufacturing

Ardent Staffing Solutions; Lowell (MA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 216,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off and professional develop

Job summary

Ardent Staffing Solutions, LLC. is seeking a Test Engineering Manager / Senior Manager for a direct-hire role in the semiconductor and RF electronics sector. Location options include Nashua, NH or Lowell, MA, with occasional travel between sites.

The role blends hands-on engineering with people leadership to guide test systems, automation, and manufacturing test operations. The ideal candidate has 10+ years in test or manufacturing engineering, strong leadership, and experience with RF/microwave

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a growing Test Engineering team while remaining actively involved in hands-on technical work.
• Oversee daily production test and sustaining engineering operations, ensuring test system reliability, manufacturing efficiency, and product quality.
• Manage and improve automated test equipment (ATE), test software, instrumentation, fixturing, and calibration programs.
• Troubleshoot complex production test failures, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions to minimize downtime.
• Drive improvements in manufacturing yield, test throughput, cycle times, measurement accuracy, and overall test efficiency.
• Support test system upgrades, automation initiatives, equipment modernization, and standardized testing processes.
• Collaborate with Product Engineering and Development Engineering to support new product introduction (NPI), derivative product development, and production test readiness.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Operations, and Quality teams to resolve technical challenges and drive continuous improvement.
• Establish engineering priorities, performance expectations, and scalable processes to support future team growth.

Skills

Hands-on engineering

Leadership experience

Cross-functional collaboration

Root cause analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related

Tools

Automated test equipment (ATE)

Test software

Calibration programs

Job description

Test Engineering Manager / Senior Manager – Semiconductor & RF Manufacturing

Location: Nashua, NH OR Lowell, MA (may travel to both locations on occasion)

Salary: $155,000–$216,000 annually (Senior Manager range; compensation based on experience and level)

Job Type: Full-Time | Direct Hire

Position Overview

Ardent Staffing Solutions is seeking an experienced Test Engineering Manager / Senior Manager for a direct-hire opportunity with a leading semiconductor and advanced electronics manufacturer.

This newly created position will oversee production test engineering, sustaining engineering, and manufacturing test operations supporting advanced semiconductor, microelectronics, and RF/microwave products.

The ideal candidate will combine strong hands-on technical expertise with proven engineering leadership experience. This is approximately a 50/50 split between hands-on engineering and team management, making it an excellent opportunity for a technical leader who enjoys remaining directly involved in troubleshooting, test system performance, and continuous improvement.

The selected candidate will initially lead a team of approximately two engineers, with plans to expand to 5–10 as the organization grows. Candidates at either the Manager or Senior Manager level will be considered based on experience and qualifications.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a growing Test Engineering team while remaining actively involved in hands-on technical work.
• Oversee daily production test and sustaining engineering operations, ensuring test system reliability, manufacturing efficiency, and product quality.
• Manage and improve automated test equipment (ATE), test software, instrumentation, fixturing, and calibration programs.
• Troubleshoot complex production test failures, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions to minimize downtime.
• Drive improvements in manufacturing yield, test throughput, cycle times, measurement accuracy, and overall test efficiency.
• Support test system upgrades, automation initiatives, equipment modernization, and standardized testing processes.
• Collaborate with Product Engineering and Development Engineering to support new product introduction (NPI), derivative product development, and production test readiness.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Operations, and Quality teams to resolve technical challenges and drive continuous improvement.
• Establish engineering priorities, performance expectations, and scalable processes to support future team growth.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in Test Engineering, Product Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related technical functions.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineers, managing technical projects, or supervising engineering teams.
• Strong hands-on experience with production test systems, sustaining engineering, and manufacturing test operations.
• Experience supporting semiconductor products, RF/microwave devices, electronic assemblies, modules, or complex electro-mechanical systems.
• Knowledge of automated test equipment, test instrumentation, calibration, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis.
• Proven ability to resolve manufacturing test issues, improve yield, and optimize test performance.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills, with a willingness to remain actively involved in technical engineering work.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of direct engineering management experience.
• Experience in semiconductor assembly, microelectronics packaging, RF/microwave manufacturing, or other high-reliability electronics environments.
• Experience with automated test systems, test software, calibration programs, and manufacturing test automation.
• Familiarity with new product introduction (NPI), design-for-test (DFT), and production test validation.
• Lean Six Sigma certification or experience implementing continuous improvement initiatives.
• Advanced degree in Engineering or Business Administration.
• Competitive base salary; published Senior Manager range of $155,000–$216,000, based on qualifications and level.
• Eligibility for performance-based bonuses and restricted stock unit (RSU) awards.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Employer-sponsored 401(k) plan.
• Paid time off and professional development opportunities.