Manager of Test Engineering

Job Summary

The Manager of Test Engineering leads the full lifecycle of environmental and functional testing for systems operating in harsh or critical climates, from planning and execution to documentation and reporting. This role emphasizes people leadership (60%) while maintaining strong technical oversight (40%), ensuring testing meets contractual, quality, and budget requirements. The Manager drives multi-program test planning, resource allocation, process ownership, and customer engagement, serving as the primary interface between test engineering, program leadership, and external stakeholders. This position is designed for a candidate with test engineering expertise and proven leadership capability. The Manager fosters a high-performing, inclusive, and forward-looking team culture, developing future leaders and strengthening the technical expertise of individuals who prefer to remain as subject matter experts.

General Information

• Location: Burnsville, MN 55337, United States
• Base Pay: $43.77 - $61.71 / Hour
• Benefits: Health Insurance, Vision Insurance, Dental Insurance, Life Insurance, LTD, STD, Bonus Potential
• Employee Type: FT Exempt

Requirements

·       Proven ability to grow people — helping future leaders transition into people leadership roles while also strengthening the technical expertise of those who want to remain subject matter experts.

·       Solid organizational skills with the ability to juggle multiple test programs, priorities, and customer needs without losing focus on quality.

·       Comfortable working with customers and program teams, with clear and confident written and verbal communication.

·       Hands-on experience in test engineering with working knowledge of MIL-STD-901, MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, or similar compliance standards.

·       Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite, test management tools, and configuration/data management systems.

·       Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

·       Must be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee).

Core Competencies

·       Strategic Planning: Forward-looking capability growth with clear alignment to future program needs.

·       Technical Readiness: Demonstrated improvement of team technical proficiency and organizational performance.

·       Authentic Leadership: Fosters trust, safety, and open communication across the team.

·       Inclusive Culture: Constructs an environment of cognitive diversity where all voices are heard without judgment.

·       Cross-Functional Collaboration: Works effectively with engineering, programs, quality, procurement, and technical customers.

·       Communication: Converts vision into actionable direction by providing clarity with credibility and sureness.

Responsibilities

·       Foster an inclusive and cognitively diverse environment where authentic leadership, candid feedback, and constructive debate are encouraged.

·       Establish and execute growth plans, mentoring, and succession planning to strengthen both technical depth and leadership capability across the team.

·       Translate organizational vision into actionable direction, ensuring test engineering activities align with business goals, contractual requirements, and program needs.

·       Partner with engineering, quality, logistics, and program management to deliver comprehensive and integrated test solutions that meet customer and regulatory expectations.

·       Ensure adherence to applicable defense and medical device standards, ITAR requirements, safety practices, and ethical business conduct.

·       Oversee resource planning, budgets, and vendor relationships to support sustainable operations and future growth.

Education and Experience

·       B.S./B.A. degree in Engineering, Science, or related technical field (or equivalent experience).

·       Proven experience leading teams of technical professionals with or closely related to environmental qualification testing

·       Experience in highly regulated industries

·       Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Acrobat; familiarity with SharePoint.

·       Applicants must be U.S. Persons as defined by ITAR; ability to obtain/maintain DoD clearance.

This is a two-phase role:

·       Phase 1 (0–6 months): Stabilize operations, implement clear leadership structure, create training and development plans for junior staff, establish vendor and customer relationship plans, and assess technical and process gaps.

·       Phase 2 (6–12 months): Fully own technical strategy, lead customer-facing technical engagements, manage all Test activity including growth (personnel, organization, scope, and relationships), oversee budgets, and drive cross-industry best practices.