Test recruitment
Test spans bench-level validation of a single board through to full production test systems for a manufacturing line, and the skill sets are not interchangeable.
Hardware validation asks for deep hardware knowledge; automated production test asks for strong software and scripting. Someone strong in one needs real ramp-up time in the other, so we match against the specific kind of testing a role needs rather than the words on the job title.
What this covers
- Hardware validation & verification
- Automated test equipment (ATE) design
- Production test engineering
- Embedded / firmware test
- EMC & environmental test
- Test & measurement engineering
Roles we place
What makes a strong Test candidate
The strongest test candidates match the specific type of testing a role actually needs, hardware validation, embedded test, or automated production test, rather than presenting broad but shallow "test engineer" experience across all three. For hardware validation roles, hands-on experience with real test equipment (oscilloscopes, spectrum analysers, environmental chambers) and the ability to design a test plan from a specification, not just execute one someone else wrote, are strong signals. For automated test roles, scripting or software ability (Python, LabVIEW, TestStand) alongside the hardware knowledge to design a test fixture is what separates a strong ATE candidate from someone who can only run tests others have built.
Where the talent sits
Test engineering demand mirrors the wider R&D and manufacturing base, with the deepest pools around the same defence, aerospace and electronics manufacturing clusters as the rest of this desk. Test roles generally require lab or production-floor access, so fully remote arrangements are uncommon, though hybrid patterns are increasingly normal for engineers who split time between test development and on-site validation.
Typical hiring timeline
Most briefs get a first candidate within days rather than weeks - see real timelines from past searches. Seniority, location and clearance status set the pace from there.
Test hiring: frequently asked questions
Hiring in Test?
Tell us what the role needs to do. We'll come back with questions about the work, and an honest read on what the brief will take.