Validation Engineer

Senior Test & Validation Engineer (Materials / Metallurgy)

Peterborough

12-month contract (likely extension)

Are you ready to apply Make sure you understand all the responsibilities and tasks associated with this role before proceeding.

Overview

A leading engineering organisation is seeking an experienced Senior Test & Validation Engineer with a strong background in materials science and metallurgy to join their UK team.

This is a highly technical, customer-facing role where you’ll act as a subject matter expert, supporting multiple sites and playing a key part in ensuring product quality, reliability, and performance across a range of applications.

You’ll also have the opportunity to mentor junior engineers, influence testing strategy, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide expert materials and metallurgical engineering support across multiple facilities
• Investigate product and process issues, identifying root causes and recommending solutions
• Develop, improve, and optimise test and validation processes for efficiency and reliability
• Support design validation and manufacturing readiness activities
• Analyse data, interpret results, and communicate findings to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Contribute to the adoption of new technologies (e.g. automation, advanced manufacturing tools)
• Monitor test performance, process capability, and product reliability
• Act as a technical lead and mentor within the team

Key Requirements

• Degree in Materials Science, Metallurgy, or a related discipline
• Circa 5+ years’ experience in a relevant engineering or laboratory environment
• Strong experience in materials evaluation and testing (new products, processes, or systems)
• Proven ability to provide technical guidance and influence engineering decisions
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on root cause analysis
• Confident communicator, capable of engaging across diverse stakeholder groups

Desirable Experience

• Experience within industries such as automotive, aerospace, defence, or nuclear
• Knowledge of forging, casting, or steel manufacturing processes
• Exposure to ISO17025 laboratory environments
• Broad understanding of metallic and non-metallic materials testing

Why Apply?

• Opportunity to work across diverse materials and applications
• Visible role with real impact on product quality and performance
• Chance to step into a technical leadership position within an established engineering team