Senior Test Systems Architect in Manchester

Why this role will interest senior test engineers:

We are supporting a long-standing UK MOD partner delivering advanced missile systems, and we are looking for a Senior or Principal-level Test Engineer who wants to step into a true system-level architecture role. This position is ideal for experienced engineers from test equipment, BIT, production test, or system verification backgrounds who want greater technical authority, broader influence, and visibility across the full product lifecycle from early design through manufacture and in-service support.

You will work closely with the Chief Design Engineer and act as the lead test authority within multidisciplinary teams, shaping how complex missile systems are tested, diagnosed, built, and supported in service.

What you will be responsible for:

• Defining and owning the system-level test strategy, balancing cost, coverage, and diagnostic effectiveness.
• Architecting Built-In Test (BIT) solutions, including coverage requirements, timings, and system routines.
• Specifying factory pass-out and production test stages, ensuring testability is designed into manufacture.
• Defining in-service test concepts to support maintainability and supportability.
• Translating high-level test intent into clear lower-level requirements for design teams.
• Analysing and modelling systems to evaluate test coverage and fault diagnosis.
• Advising on cost vs test-coverage trade-offs alongside the Chief Design Engineer.
• Planning and coordinating test-related activities across internal teams and suppliers.

This is not a delivery-only role; you will shape decisions that influence the system architecture.

What we are looking for:

You don’t need to tick every box; this role is about depth of experience, not keywords.

Essential experience:

• Strong background in test equipment, test systems, or test architecture within complex products.
• Solid understanding of digital electronics, microprocessor systems, analogue and power electronics.
• Confidence operating at system or sub-system level in multi-disciplinary engineering teams.

Desirable / beneficial:

• Experience in defence, aerospace, or other highly regulated environments.
• Exposure to requirements management tools (DOORS, Polarion, Jama, or similar).
• Previous involvement in BIT, production testing, or in-service test strategy.

What happens now?

If your application meets the initial selection criteria, a member of our talent acquisition team will contact you via email to arrange a structured screening call. This conversation will explore your experience, technical background, and suitability for the role in more detail.

Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship. Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by our client's Security Team.

More about the role:

For more than 70 years, our client has been in a strong partnership with the UK military. They have accomplished numerous milestones in defence engineering and have provided essential defence capabilities to meet the requirements of the armed forces across land, sea, and air. This job is at our client's site in Bolton facility, one of the North West's leading manufacturing sites for at least 25 years. The facility offers showers and bike racks and is near the motorway, with a petrol station outside. Amenities like an onsite canteen.