Test and Validation Lead

Location: Oxfordshire

Test & Validation Lead Are you an experienced Test & Validation Engineer or Engineering Lead looking for your next challenge as a Test & Validation Lead within a highly innovative engineering environment?

We’re working with a forward-thinking engineering business developing next-generation power and electrification technologies for demanding applications. Due to continued growth, they are looking for a Test & Validation Lead to take ownership of their testing and validation activities from initial planning through to product release.

This is a hands-on technical leadership position for a Test & Validation Lead, combining team management with practical involvement in test planning, test rig development, test execution, data analysis and technical reporting.

The Role As Test & Validation Lead, you will take ownership of the end-to-end verification and validation process, ensuring products are rigorously tested against technical requirements, applicable standards and certification requirements.

You will lead and develop a team of engineers and technicians while remaining hands-on with testing, instrumentation, troubleshooting and analysis.

Key Responsibilities
Lead verification and validation planning, including DVP, test specifications, acceptance criteria and requirements traceability.
Work with the wider engineering team to identify applicable engineering standards and certification requirements, translating these into clear and practical test requirements.
Manage and develop the Test & Validation team, including engineers and technicians.
Plan, prioritise and coordinate internal and external test activities.
Remain hands-on with practical testing, including test setup, instrumentation, troubleshooting, data collection and analysis.
Lead functional, performance, safety, environmental, reliability, battery, power electronics and system-level testing.
Review and approve test plans, procedures, risk assessments and technical test reports.
Analyse failures, lead investigations and coordinate corrective actions and regression testing.
Oversee test rigs, laboratory equipment, calibration, maintenance and test facility capability.
Report on compliance, certification, test progress, technical risks and product readiness to key stakeholders.
Ensure test results are accurate, traceable, controlled and suitable to support product release and certification.

About You We’re looking for an experienced engineer with a strong background in testing, validation, verification, compliance or product certification, ideally within a technically demanding or safety-critical environment.

You will have:

A degree in Electrical, Electronic, Mechanical or Systems Engineering, or equivalent relevant experience.
Strong experience in product compliance, certification, verification, validation or testing.
Experience leading engineers, technicians or complex technical programmes.
Practical experience with electrical, battery, power electronics or energy storage system testing.
Experience working with certification bodies, test houses or regulatory organisations.
Strong knowledge of test instrumentation, data acquisition, technical reporting and requirements traceability.
The ability to interpret standards and translate them into practical engineering activities.
Strong leadership, communication, problem-solving and organisational skills.

Desirable Experience Experience in one or more of the following would be highly advantageous:

Automotive
Aerospace
Renewable energy
Battery energy storage systems
Other safety-critical engineering environments
IEC, EN, UL or ISO standards
EMC and electrical safety
Battery safety
Grid-connection standards
High-voltage systems
Battery systems
Power converters
Test automation
Environmental testing

Why Join?

This is an excellent opportunity for a Test & Validation Lead to join a high-growth engineering business developing next-generation power and electrification technologies for demanding applications.

You’ll have genuine ownership of the test and validation strategy, working across electrical, mechanical, battery, power electronics and systems engineering while leading a technically capable team.

As Test & Validation Lead, you’ll play a key role in ensuring innovative products are fully tested, validated, certified and ready for production and market launch