The Senior Test Engineer defines and drives the validation strategy for complex programs, ensuring product requirements are translated into comprehensive, effective test plans. This role acts as a hands-on technical leader-working alongside the team in the lab while establishing the methods, frameworks, and rigor that guide validation across the organization. The Senior Test Engineer ensures disciplined, data-driven problem solving by challenging assumptions, validating hypotheses, and driving a deep understanding of product performance and failure modes. This role requires a strong engineering mindset, with emphasis on designing validation approaches, anticipating failure modes, and leading data-driven decision making-not solely executing predefined test procedures.
** Travel includes routine trips between Plainville, CT (main office) and Boxborough, MA (10%) and regional visits to third-party certification labs (5%), for a total travel expectation below 15%.
Essential Functions:
- Own the development and structure of Design Verification Plans & Reports (DVP&R) across complex programs, including defining requirements translation methods, test strategies, and validation frameworks.
- Lead cross-functional alignment of validation activities across mechanical, electrical, firmware, and quality teams.
- Define and develop test methodologies, approaches, and frameworks, while actively applying them through hands-on testing and validation activities.
- Establish validation strategies that align product requirements, DFMEA risk assessment, and comprehensive test coverage.
- Drive effective DFMEA participation by challenging assumptions, ensuring robust failure mode identification, and linking risks to validation plans.
- Lead cross-functional root cause investigations by defining problem-solving approaches, ensuring clear hypotheses are formed, and validating conclusions through data.
- Proactively influence product design by anticipating failure modes, challenging assumptions, and ensuring robustness prior to validation.
- Perform hands-on testing and validation alongside the team, particularly on complex or high-risk programs, to guide execution and ensure technical rigor.
- Apply and develop test methods across both electrical and mechanical domains, including environmental and reliability methods such as thermal cycling, vibration, shock, pressure, and durability/life testing.
- Serve as technical lead for external validation activities by defining test approaches, ensuring readiness, and supporting execution in coordination with quality and compliance teams.
- Continuously improve test capability by developing tools, methods, and best practices that enhance efficiency, repeatability, and overall validation rigor.
Critical Success Factors:- Validation Strategy & System-Level Ownership - Defines and drives validation strategies that align requirements, risk, and test coverage, ensuring rigorous upfront validation that reduces late-stage rework and accelerates product development.
- Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving Leadership - Establishes disciplined, hypothesis-driven problem solving, ensuring conclusions are based on data, assumptions are challenged, and root causes are fully understood before action.
Education & Experience Required: - Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Engineering - Electrical, Mechanical, or Mechatronics. (Equivalent hands-on experience commensurate with a degree is also acceptable).
- 7+ years of experience in testing and validation of electro-mechanical or electronics-based products across multiple programs, including ownership of DVP&R and development of validation strategies from requirements through execution.
- Demonstrated experience defining test methodologies and improving validation processes, with strong hands-on application of environmental and reliability testing (e.g., thermal cycling, vibration, shock, pressure, durability/life) to uncover failure modes and validate product robustness.
- Proven ability to lead structured, cross-functional root cause investigations using tools such as FMEA, DOE, RCCA, FTA, or similar structured methods with a strong emphasis on hypothesis-driven, data-based decision making.
- Advanced experience with lab instrumentation and validation systems, including electronic test equipment and environmental test setups (thermal chambers, vibration systems, durability/life rigs).
- Experience with test automation, data acquisition, or analysis tools (LabVIEW, Python, or similar) preferred.
- Experience supporting validation in regulated environments (e.g., UL, CE, CSA, NSF) and working in coordination with quality and compliance teams is preferred.
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Pay RangeThe salary range for this position (in local currency) is 91740.00-170500.00
