Principal Manufacturing Test Engineer in Slough

The company is a multi-national group, being No 1 in Europe for what they do! With a number of awards and recognitions, there are great career progression and opportunities across the business!

Important: All applicants must be able to obtain Security Clearance and must hold British Nationality as their primary nationality.

Working: The role is a 4-5 day a week onsite role and is on a secure site where SC clearance is needed. Join a business at the forefront of innovation, with a lot to offer! A company backed by a record multi-year order book, offering long-term stability and sustained investment, with years of secured work ahead!

Company Highlights:

• Be part of an organisation that invests in its people and their long-term success.
• Join a company who are a global leader in defence innovation, known for its technological excellence and outstanding workplace culture.
• A reputable business with a number of awards and recognitions, including Sunday Times 'Best Places to Work 2024'.
• Recognised as a 'Most Loved Organisation'.
• An organisation passionate about its people with accreditations such as 'Investors in People' (Gold) & 'We Invest in Wellbeing' (Platinum).
• Passionate advocates for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, with 10+ employee networks.
• Committed employer of veterans and service leavers, awarded as one of the Top 15 Great British Employers of Veterans in the Forces in Business Awards 2025 and Gold member of 'The 5% Club'.
• Armed Forces Covenant (Gold).
• Be part of a growing team, involved in an international product range, and influencing today's most advanced innovations!
• Full range of company benefits, flexible working, training, development, and clear career progression!
• Evolving business, with formal training programmes covering both technical and soft skills, complemented by lunchtime learning sessions, language courses, and supported self-study, with access to thousands of online courses and learning resources.

We are seeking a Principal Test Engineer to join our Manufacturing organisation, supporting the introduction of test systems, as well as the testing and diagnostics of electrical and electronic systems and sub-assemblies during their development and early production phases. As part of the UK Manufacturing Test Engineering function, you will be embedded within the Manufacturing Equipment team. This team plays a key role in development testing and ensuring new products and their associated test solutions are fully prepared for production.

Responsibilities:

• Provide Test Engineering expertise throughout the design and development lifecycle, from initial concept through to Production Readiness Review and release to Operations.
• Support the introduction of test facilities, ensuring robust configuration control of equipment and facilities prior to use, including the creation of test specifications and operator instructions.
• Conduct testing of electrical and electronic systems, sub-assemblies, and circuit cards, diagnosing development test failures down to circuit card and, where necessary, component level.
• Identify and recommend corrective and remedial actions to resolve technical issues.
• Collaborate closely with Operations, design teams, and key stakeholders to overcome engineering challenges.
• Offer technical guidance to the Test Engineering Team Lead and provide mentoring to less experienced engineers within the team.

You will join a small, dedicated team of engineers within a fast-paced yet supportive and inclusive manufacturing environment. The team brings together a diverse mix of talent, from apprentices and graduate engineers to highly experienced technical specialists, all committed to delivering technical excellence across a range of products in both development and production.

Essential Skills & Experience:

• A minimum of HNC or equivalent qualification in a relevant discipline (with HND or degree level preferred), combined with substantial experience in the manufacture and testing of digital, analogue, and RF electronic systems.
• A strong understanding of electrical, electronic, and RF measurement principles, along with practical experience of test equipment and systems-level functional testing.
• Proven experience across the product development lifecycle within an electronics manufacturing environment, including associated processes and best practices.
• Extensive hands-on experience with both manual and automated test equipment, ideally gained within a defence or similarly regulated manufacturing environment.
• The ability to effectively plan and prioritise workload, managing multiple tasks to meet project objectives while remaining responsive to team support requirements.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with experience in collaborative team environments.
• The ability to produce high-quality documentation such as test specifications, operator instructions, and technical reports from higher-level requirements.

Desirable Experience:

• Experience in the Defence / Aerospace or safety regulated environment would be advantageous.

Even if you feel like you don't meet every requirement, we encourage you to reach out and apply.