Team Leader - Test & Development

Team Leader – Test & Development

Location: Warwick (on-site, 5 days)
Salary: Up to £60,000
Working hours: 37 hours per week (flexi leave scheme)
Team size: 6 direct reports. Reports to Chief Engineer.

Overview

We are supporting a long-established UK vehicle manufacturer in the appointment of a Test & Development Team Leader. This is a senior technical leadership role that sits at the heart of product verification and regulatory compliance, leading a stable, highly experienced Test & Development function. You will be accountable for planning, resourcing, executing and reporting all design validation activities across new technologies, product updates and certification programmes. This is a genuine people-manager role, with “as-and-when” hands-on technical involvement.

Key Responsibilities

Lead and develop a team of six Test & Development Engineers

Own delivery of full vehicle and system-level Design Validation Programmes (DVPs)

Schedule and manage all internal and external validation and certification activities

Ensure all new products, technologies and vehicle updates are robustly validated prior to release

Manage development vehicle fleet, test equipment, calibration and asset readiness

Conduct 1-to-1s, performance development and training planning

Control project delivery against cost, timing and technical targets

Maintain traceable test documentation and technical reporting

Drive continuous improvement of test processes and validation methodology

Required Technical Background

Essential

Degree in Engineering (or equivalent)

Proven experience leading test & validation teams in an agile engineering environment

Delivery of structured Design Validation Programmes (DVPs)

Coordination of test programmes from concept through to completion

Strong knowledge of instrumentation and measurement systems including:

Strain gauges, load cells, LVDTs, accelerometers (AC/DC), thermocouples, pressure and flow sensors, microphones

Experience with HBM QuantumX / Vector DAQ systems and associated software

Data analysis and post-processing using tools such as DIAdem, MATLAB, CATmanAP, nCode

CAN data logging and interpretation (J1939)

Production of concise, technically robust validation reports

Strong understanding of EN / FMVSS / ECWVTA standards and engineering compliance frameworks

Highly organised, delivery-focused, and confident presenting to senior stakeholders

Desirable

Whole-vehicle DVP ownership on major vehicle programmes

Electric vehicle test and validation exposure

Truck, automotive or off-highway vehicle experience

Knowledge of automotive gateways and development deliverables

Six Sigma / 8D / 5Y problem-solving methodologies

Additional Requirements

Full UK driving licence

Willingness to travel occasionally and attend supplier/customer sites

Comfortable working in fast-paced development environments

Why This Role

Highly established, technically capable Test & Development team

Genuine leadership remit with real authority over validation strategy and delivery

Long-term, stable environment with strong engineering culture

Competitive salary to £60k and flexible leave scheme