Director of Test Engineering

Job Title

Director of Test Engineering

The Director of Test Engineering is responsible for the strategy, development, validation, and global deployment of production test solutions supporting both new product introduction (NPI) and sustaining products. This role owns PCBA-level and top-level assembly test systems across the product lifecycle, ensuring high test coverage, manufacturability, scalability, and data integrity from early prototypes through high-volume production at offshore contract manufacturers.

The Director leads a multidisciplinary test engineering organization spanning hardware, software, and test data, and partners closely with NPI, Manufacturing Engineering, Design Engineering, Quality, and Operations to deliver robust, statistically capable test processes.

• Own the end-to-end test strategy for PCBA-level and system-level testing across all products.
• Define test coverage requirements aligned with product risk, reliability targets, regulatory needs, and cost objectives.
• Balance design-for-test (DFT), in-circuit, functional, and system-level test approaches.
• Proficient in sharing test architect solutions and gaining cross functional alignment.

• Lead development of custom production testers, including tester architecture (hardware and software), fixture design, test automation, debug and bring-up.
• Oversee tester builds, validation, and release into production.
• Ensure test solutions are scalable, maintainable, and cost-effective.

• Partner with NPI teams to support prototype, EVT, DVT, and PVT builds.
• Provide rapid iteration and debug during early development.
• Ensure smooth transition from engineering builds to manufacturing.
• Support sustaining engineering for legacy products, including yield improvement and test optimization.

• Ensure test processes are validated and statistically capable, including Gage R&R, Cp/Cpk, correlation between engineering and manufacturing testers.
• Drive data quality, traceability, and feedback loops to design, quality, and manufacturing.
• Validate takt and cycle times prior to production launch.

• Publish, communicate and manage the tester delivery schedule for volume manufacturing both internally and to DDI customers as required.
• Lead transfer of test solutions from in-house development (US) to offshore contract manufacturers.
• Ensure consistent test performance, documentation, training, and change control across sites.
• Support ramp, yield stabilization, and ongoing production issues at CM locations.

• Partner with Quality and Reliability teams to support failure analysis and root cause investigations.
• Improve test screens for latent and intermittent failures.
• Define and deploy ESS and stress-based detection where appropriate.

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing Test Engineering organization.
• Set clear technical standards, career paths, and performance expectations.
• Scale the team to support both rapid NPI cadence and high-volume production.

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Software or Computer Engineering.
• 10+ years of test engineering experience in electronics manufacturing.
• 5+ years leading test engineering teams.
• Deep experience with PCBA-level and system-level testing, automated test systems (hardware + software), production test validation and statistics, and experience supporting both NPI and high-volume manufacturing.
• Proven success transferring test solutions to offshore CMs.
• Experience in writing Statement of Work to outsource part and/or all tester requirements.
• Strong cross-functional communication skills and operational judgment.