Engineering Lab Manager

VEIR • Woburn, MA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

VEIR is seeking an Engineering Lab Manager to coordinate and allocate lab resources across its test operations. The manager will ensure technician time, equipment, and testbeds are assigned effectively to engineering priorities, and bring sufficient technical depth to scope, challenge, prioritize, and troubleshoot test requests. The role plans internal lab testing, owns external test programs with partner facilities, and maintains safe, organized, test-ready labs across VEIR's Woburn sites.

The position supervises approximately seven lab technicians, with temporary staff as needed, and serves as the primary contact for engineers and program leads requesting lab or technician support. It manages competing test campaigns, system integration testing, staffing forecasts, external test logistics, lab budgets, and test-equipment lifecycle needs. The manager also establishes test procedures and data practices, coordinates with Facilities/Operations and EHS, supports customer and certification testing, and escalates safety, resourcing, or schedule risks to leadership. Travel to external test partners and facilities is approximately 10–15%.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience in engineering test, lab, or test operations environments, including people or team leadership.
• An engineering background, such as a degree or equivalent experience in electrical, mechanical, or a related discipline, with the ability to understand technical test plans, instrumentation, and data well enough to make informed staffing, scheduling, and prioritization decisions.
• Strong project and resource-management skills, including the ability to run concurrent workstreams with shifting priorities.
• Working knowledge of lab safety practices and hazard controls, such as electrical safety, lockout/tagout, cryogenic safety, and job hazard analyses, and commitment to making safety a non-negotiable part of test planning.
• Experience coordinating with external vendors, test facilities, or contractors.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills across engineers, technicians, and leadership.
• Sound judgment under ambiguity, including the ability to make prioritization decisions and clearly communicate tradeoffs.
• Familiarity with project-tracking tools and comfort building lightweight processes to keep work visible.
• Organization and attention to detail, with the ability to plan weeks to months ahead while adapting to day-to-day changes.
• Regular on-site lab presence and ability to wear required PPE and lift up to 50 pounds.

Nice To Haves

• Experience testing high-voltage or utility-scale power equipment, including familiarity with relevant IEEE/IEC test standards.
• Experience with cryogenic systems, superconducting (HTS) technology, or related test environments.
• Experience managing test programs at external high-power or certification labs.
• Experience owning a lab or test budget, including capital expenditure planning.

Responsibilities

• Assign and coordinate technician and lab resources across concurrent electrical, mechanical, thermal, environmental, and other test campaigns.
• Supervise lab technicians and temporary staff, providing day-to-day direction, performance feedback, and development.
• Serve as the primary contact for engineers and program leads requesting lab or technician support; triage and prioritize competing requests.
• Evaluate the scope, staffing needs, risks, and realistic timelines of test requests using working technical knowledge of test methods, testbeds, and instrumentation.
• Forecast technician and temporary staffing needs based on test volume, hardware build schedules, and the program pipeline, and advocate for additional resources when needed.
• Plan and execute external test programs, including securing test slots, ensuring readiness, coordinating staffing and logistics, and evaluating and onboarding partner labs.
• Lead planning and scheduling for system integration testing, coordinating resources and readiness with program leads.
• Track test activities, resource allocation, and schedule commitments using shared tools such as Monday.com boards.
• Partner with engineering and program leads to sequence test campaigns, resolve scheduling conflicts, and prevent lab overcommitment.
• Own the lab budget, including test-equipment capital planning, consumables, external test spending, and inputs to budget reforecasts.
• Manage test-equipment calibration, preventive maintenance, asset inventory, and specification and procurement of new instrumentation and equipment.
• Establish and maintain test procedures, test records, and data-management practices; support customer witness tests and third-party certification testing.
• Maintain lab organization, 5S housekeeping, and readiness across VEIR's Woburn sites, including for customer and investor visits.
• Coordinate with Facilities/Operations to prepare test infrastructure, including power, cryogenic supply, and testbed installation, with clear ownership handoffs.
• Champion lab safety by ensuring appropriate safety reviews, hazard assessments, PPE, training, and procedures are included in test planning and resourcing; partner with EHS on incidents, access controls, and corrective actions.
• Support onboarding and ramp-up of new technicians and temporary lab staff.
• Escalate resourcing gaps, safety concerns, and schedule risks to leadership with clear tradeoffs.
• Collaborate with People/HR on technician role definitions, job leveling, and hiring needs as the lab organization grows.

Benefits

• Healthcare coverage with 100% employer-paid premiums for medical, dental, and vision.
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Program.
• 12 company holidays and unmetered PTO.
• 12 weeks of 100% paid parental leave for all new parents.
• Stock options.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Regular teambuilding, off-sites, and lunch and learns.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed