Scientis Search Ltd
Test Engineering Lead
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Test Engineering Lead
An optical technology company based in Oxfordshire is seeking an experienced Test Engineering Lead to lead its test engineering function as it develops and industrialises a new generation of adaptive optical technologies.
This is a hands-on technical leadership role with responsibility for defining and delivering the test strategy across the company’s R&D and product development programmes. Working collaboratively across the engineering and scientific teams, you will determine the test, measurement and verification approaches required to answer development questions, demonstrate product performance and support the transition of new technologies towards manufacture.
The role requires both technical depth and creativity. You will be expected to take complex engineering problems and requirements and determine how best to test them – developing new experimental methods, designing and building test setups, establishing appropriate measurement techniques and ensuring the resulting data is accurate, repeatable and meaningful.
Alongside remaining actively involved in this work, you will lead and develop a small test and metrology team and build the function’s technical capability as the company grows.
About the Company
We are an innovative deep-technology company developing a new generation of adaptive optical technologies based on proprietary soft optical materials and fluid-filled lenses.
Bringing together optics, materials science, chemistry and precision engineering, our technology has applications across AR/VR, ophthalmics, adaptive optics and next-generation optical systems. We work with leading global technology, consumer electronics and medical device companies to develop new solutions that optimise visual performance and enable new product capabilities.
With a substantial patent portfolio, proven technology, in-house prototype and characterisation capabilities, and early-stage pilot manufacturing, we are now moving into the next phase of our development: transforming breakthrough science into robust, repeatable and manufacturable products.
This is an exciting point to join a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers and play a key role in taking genuinely novel optical technology from R&D through industrialisation and towards commercial deployment.
The Role
As Test Engineering Lead, you will take technical ownership of the test engineering function, defining the strategy, methods and capabilities required to support the company’s technology and product development programmes.
Working across multidisciplinary R&D and engineering teams, you will translate business, customer and product requirements into appropriate test and verification strategies. You will work collaboratively with technical leaders across the business to understand development challenges, determine what needs to be measured or demonstrated and establish the testing required to provide robust engineering evidence.
This is not simply a role overseeing established test activities. A key part of the position will be solving new test and measurement problems. You will devise experimental approaches, develop and prove new test methods and setups, establish the quality and repeatability of the resulting data, and use testing and characterisation to answer engineering questions and support technical decision-making.
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You will also own the development of the company’s test and metrology capability, identifying what equipment, methods, laboratory capability and technical resource will be required as development programmes progress. You will lead a small team of test and metrology engineers and technicians, with the opportunity to develop the function further as the business grows.
Crucially, this remains a hands-on engineering position. You will continue to work directly on technically challenging development and test activities while providing the strategy, technical direction and leadership for the wider function.
Key Responsibilities
Test Strategy & Engineering
- Own and develop the test engineering strategy across R&D, product development and early industrialisation activities.
- Work collaboratively across engineering and scientific teams to understand business, customer and product requirements and translate them into appropriate test, measurement and verification strategies.
- Determine how new technologies, designs and engineering hypotheses should be tested, characterised and validated.
- Develop creative experimental approaches to complex engineering and measurement problems.
- Design, develop and prove new test methods, experimental setups and measurement techniques.
- Establish the accuracy, repeatability and quality of test methods and the resulting data before transferring established tests into routine operation.
- Use development testing and exploratory characterisation to answer engineering questions and provide evidence to support design and development decisions.
- Define and deliver formal verification, robustness, life and reliability testing, including accelerated testing where required.
- Ensure test results and technical reporting provide clear, robust evidence for engineering, quality and business decisions.
Test & Metrology Capability
- Own the technical direction and development of the test and metrology function.
- Develop the test capability roadmap, identifying gaps between current capability and future programme requirements.
- Determine the equipment, experimental methods, measurement capability and resources required to support evolving development programmes.
- Develop new test setups and laboratory capability where existing methods or equipment are insufficient.
- Specify, justify and procure new test and measurement equipment while maximising the capability of existing equipment.
- Oversee calibration, maintenance and asset management across test and metrology equipment.
- Ensure internal metrology capability provides accurate, repeatable and appropriate measurement processes.
- Interpret engineering drawings and GD&T to define appropriate inspection and measurement strategies.
- Develop measurement methodologies and metrology routines alongside the test and metrology team.
Product Development & Verification
- Translate business, customer and engineering requirements into robust test and verification approaches.
- Define and maintain verification and compliance strategies, including traceability between requirements and test evidence.
- Support product development from early R&D and characterisation through verification, pilot manufacture and early production.
- Work with technical specialists across the business to define appropriate verification, inspection and quality approaches.
- Research comparable products, relevant standards and best practice where required to inform test strategy and development decisions.
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Technical Leadership
- Act as the functional and technical lead for test engineering across the business.
- Lead, develop and provide technical direction to a small test and metrology team.
- Build the capability of the function in line with the company's developing technical and commercial requirements.
- Work alongside technical leaders across the business to ensure test strategy is integrated into product and technology development.
- Remain actively involved in laboratory and development work, particularly where new or technically challenging test approaches are required.
- Communicate technical findings, priorities, risks and capability requirements effectively across the organisation.
Qualifications
To be considered for the role, you will need:
- A degree in a relevant STEM subject such as Mechanical Engineering, Physics or Product Design, or equivalent practical experience.
- Significant experience in test engineering within an R&D, product development or advanced engineering environment.
- Experience taking technical ownership of test strategy, test capability or a test engineering function.
- Strong experience developing test methods, experimental setups and measurement capability from first principles rather than solely executing established procedures.
- The ability to take an engineering problem or requirement and develop an appropriate experimental approach to investigate, characterise or verify it.
- Experience using testing and characterisation to investigate engineering problems and support product-development decisions.
- Strong background in verification, robustness, life and reliability testing.
- Solid metrology and measurement experience, including the ability to interpret engineering drawings and GD&T and define appropriate inspection strategies.
- Experience supporting physical product development from R&D through verification and towards pilot or early production.
- Strong cross-functional experience working within multidisciplinary engineering and scientific teams.
- Experience providing technical leadership and developing engineers or technicians while maintaining a hands-on, practical approach.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to translate complex technical requirements into clear test strategies and priorities.
Desirable Skills & Experience
Testing & Characterisation
- Force and torque testing.
- Leak testing.
- Optical testing or optical metrology.
- Surface testing or coating evaluation.
- Development of bespoke experimental or test setups.
Metrology Systems & Software
- Familiarity with OGP SmartScope systems.
- Experience using OGP Zone3 software.
- Experience programming or developing metrology routines.
Systems, Quality & Documentation
- Experience developing User Requirement Specifications (URS).
- Strong understanding of verification planning and requirements traceability frameworks, including trace matrices.
- Knowledge of ISO 9001 and/or ISO 13485 environments.
- Experience working within structured product-development, documentation and risk-management processes.
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