Test Systems Engineer / Test Equipment Development Engineer

Location: Luton, UK (5 days onsite)
Contract Length: 12 Months (Inside IR35)
Rate: £60-64 per hourt
Working Arrangement: Fully Onsite
Industry: Aerospace & Defence
Experience Level: 9-15 years
Clearance: BPSS + ability to obtain SC (UK/EU citizenship required)

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Test Systems Engineer / Test Equipment (TE) Development Engineer to join our client's team in Luton. The role focuses on formalising, expanding, and improving an existing prototype Design Verification Test (DVT) system for high-reliability aerospace and defence applications. The successful candidate will carry the test equipment through its full development lifecycle — from requirements capture through to qualification — ensuring the delivery of reliable, compliant, and well-documented TE solutions.

This is a fully onsite, Inside IR35 contract within a highly technical, safety-critical engineering environment.

Key Responsibilities

Responsibilities may vary depending on experience, but will typically include:

Test Requirements & Planning

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Define and formalise test requirements for Design Verification (DV) and Qualification of main equipment LRIs

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Generate comprehensive test plans and supporting documentation

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Plan and prepare all aspects of TE development, including custom/COTS hardware, test tools, and test software

Test Equipment Design & Development

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Produce TE requirement specifications for hardware and software

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Develop detailed TE design documentation, including schematics, drawings, BOMs, wiring diagrams, and design reports

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Work closely with TE software engineers to ensure software solutions meet requirements

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Identify, propose, and deliver TE design improvements to meet evolving test needs

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Conduct and support safety and cyber-security assessments of the DVT system

Documentation & Governance

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Produce all required documentation across the TE development lifecycle

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Present design data, TE status, risks, and actions at design reviews

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Release TE hardware drawings, BOMs, VDDs, SRNs, and software documentation in customer PDM/PLM systems

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Prepare user documentation for DVT systems

Testing, Qualification & Delivery

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Oversee or support the qualification process for TE solutions

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Produce qualification and acceptance reports

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Support early Design Verification Testing of main equipment LRIs as required

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Ensure TE solutions are compliant, repeatable, robust, and aligned with programme needs

Mandatory Skills & Experience

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Proven TE development experience for complex, high-reliability systems

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Strong understanding of the full TE lifecycle: requirements → design → development → qualification

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Experience working in multi-discipline engineering teams

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Hands-on use of General Purpose Test Equipment (oscilloscopes, spectrum analysers, signal generators, etc.)

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Ability to run test scripts and support automated test environments

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Excellent verbal and written communication skills

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Ability to produce high-quality documentation:

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Test requirements

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TE specifications

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TE design documentation

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User manuals

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Qualification/acceptance reports