Engineering recruitment
Test Engineer Recruitment
Test engineers design and execute test programmes to verify that products and systems meet requirements, working across electronics, aerospace, automotive, defence, and precision manufacturing. The test engineer role combines technical engineering knowledge with structured test methodology and formal documentation, and is essential at every stage of the product lifecycle from early development through to customer acceptance. We place test engineers across the UK, from laboratory technician level through to senior qualification test leads.
What the role involves
- Developing test plans, test specifications, and test procedures derived from engineering and customer requirements, ensuring every requirement is assigned a verification method and every test result can be traced back to a specific requirement
- Designing and building test rigs and bespoke test equipment to replicate operational conditions, including writing rig acceptance criteria and validating the rig itself before using it to test product
- Operating test equipment including oscilloscopes, data acquisition systems, environmental chambers, and vibration tables
- Executing test campaigns and recording results to formal test reports, maintaining traceability from requirement through to evidence
- Analysing test data, raising failure reports, and conducting root cause investigation when products fail to meet specification
- Supporting product qualification and certification activities, including preparation of test evidence for regulatory submission
Who employers are looking for
A BEng or HNC/HND in Electronics, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering is the most common educational background. The precise discipline matters less than hands-on test equipment experience and a methodical approach to test execution and documentation. LabVIEW programming experience is highly valued for roles involving automated test equipment (ATE), and National Instruments LabVIEW certification is recognised across aerospace and defence employers.
EMC testing knowledge, including understanding of EN 61000 series conducted and radiated emission and immunity standards, is a specific skill set valued in electronics and automotive roles. Aerospace and defence test engineers are expected to have awareness of DO-178C for software testing and DO-254 for hardware testing. Data analysis skills using MATLAB, Python, or advanced Excel are increasingly expected as test data volumes grow.
Aerospace and defence environments pay above average for comparable seniority levels, and offer structured career progression from test engineer through senior test engineer to test lead or test manager. Environmental test laboratory experience and UKAS-accredited test knowledge are specialist qualifiers that enhance marketability.
The differentiation between mid-career and senior test engineers is most clearly expressed in test strategy. Junior engineers execute test procedures written by others. Mid-career engineers write those procedures from requirements documents and can justify the test approach, margins, and pass/fail criteria if challenged. Senior test engineers write the test strategy for entire programmes, select verification methods, and are accountable for the completeness of the test evidence presented to the customer or regulator.
Automotive test engineering has shifted significantly with EV powertrain development. Battery environmental testing, cell and pack thermal characterisation, and high-voltage electrical safety testing to UN 38.3 and IEC standards are now specific requirements at some OEM suppliers and R&D providers. Test engineers with EV or battery testing backgrounds are particularly sought after across the West Midlands and Yorkshire automotive supplier base. In the medical device sector, biocompatibility, sterility, and electrical safety testing to IEC 60601 remain highly specialised, with relatively few UK engineers holding full design verification portfolios in this area.
Salary benchmarks
Aerospace and defence test engineers earn above the average for comparable seniority. LabVIEW expertise and EMC test experience are well-compensated specialist skills.
Industries that hire Test Engineers
- Aerospace and defence: qualification and acceptance testing to MIL-STD, DEF STAN, and RTCA DO standards, with formal evidence and witness requirements; test engineers here manage test witness events with customer representatives and must maintain meticulous real-time test records
- Electronics and semiconductor: environmental, EMC, and functional testing across component, module, and system level; UKAS laboratory work and pre-compliance test support for CE and UKCA marking are regular activities in this sector
- Automotive: powertrain, NVH, and durability testing, increasingly including battery and EV powertrain validation
- Medical devices: design verification and validation testing to IEC 60601, ISO 10993, and FDA guidance, with formal DHF evidence requirements
- Industrial equipment: factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT) for capital equipment and systems
Related roles
- Quality Engineer: manages the inspection and assurance side of product quality, working alongside test engineers during NPI and production
- Development Engineer: runs parallel development test programmes during product design, often working in the same test facility
- Commissioning Engineer: conducts system-level testing at the point of installation and handover, a related but distinct discipline
- Systems Engineer: produces the V&V plan that test engineers execute, particularly on complex defence and aerospace programmes
Where we place Test Engineer professionals
We place test engineer professionals across the UK. Browse by location or register your CV for roles that match your experience.
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