Materials Lab Manager Jobs in Champaign, IL (NOW HIRING)

• Build and maintain robust lab management systems for all equipment, measurement systems, maintenance, and calibration.
• Drive continuous improvement through team participation, project reviews, and result analysis. Support new product design and quality assurance teams through test development, data analysis, and competitor benchmarking.
• Use robust statistical methods to interpret performance data and make formal recommendations to product teams.
• Operate a variety of cooking appliances in representative conditions and design highly detailed appliance and thermal tests with project teams.
• Conduct diverse and complex mechanical and electrical tests to ensure product conformance to internal specifications and regulatory requirements.
• Continuously review and interpret tool sensor data to ensure the accuracy of testing.
• Provide updates to management and project teams as required, and prepare thorough, timely, accurate technical reports on tests performed using word processing, database, spreadsheet, and statistical/graphical software.

Food packaging and oven testing is more than just running tests; it often involves quick prototyping and a fair amount of creativity. In addition to executing test plans, you’ll design the experiments, fabricate the fixtures, report results back to the team, and continuously improve our growing inventory of test materials and instruments.

• +3–5 years of experience with test equipment, procedures, and mechanical/electrical principles.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (electrical, mechanical, or similar).
• Working knowledge of test concepts in the design and development of products and components.
• Strong problem‑solving instincts and the discipline to design experiments that actually answer the question.
• Excellent communication skills. You can explain results and tradeoffs clearly to engineers and non‑technical stakeholders.

• Six Sigma knowledge and/or certification.
• Basic understanding of thermal, electrical, and mechanical engineering.
• Electrical fabrication: soldering, wiring, building custom instruments.
• Data analysis and visualization using spreadsheet tools, Python, R, or similar.
• Hands‑on experience with AI‑assisted tools for data analysis, reporting, or test scaffolding, and a point of view on where they help in a lab context.
• Experience working in a connected consumer product or food‑tech company.

• Outcome‑Oriented: You judge the quality program by what customers experience, not by how many documents you produced. You care about the right metrics and aren’t shy about changing them when they stop being useful.
• Cross‑Functional Leader: You lead through influence as much as authority. Engineering, ops, CX, and manufacturing partners trust you because you’re fair, technical, and direct.
• Hands‑On: You’re comfortable on a production line, in a teardown lab, and in a spreadsheet. You don’t outsource your understanding of the product.
• Startup Mindset: You’re comfortable in an environment where priorities evolve and where your work has a direct, visible impact on customers’ kitchens. You can build a process where it’s missing without over‑building.
• Curious and Adaptive: You stay current on quality practices and tooling, and you have a point of view on where AI and automation belong in a modern hardware quality program.

Work out of our R’D and prototyping shop at The Product Manufactory in Urbana, IL. This is an onsite role in our lab.

115000 - 150000 USD a year

• Flexible paid time off (with a minimum of 15 days off you are highly encouraged to take)
• Comprehensive healthcare coverage we really invest in
• 401k with match
• Free Tovala Smart Oven and discounted Tovala meals
• Paid holidays and our winter holiday office shutdown where the offices and facilities close for a week around Christmas and New Years
• Various other perks – recognition programs, continued learning stipend, casual dress code, in‑office coffee, snacks and drinks, and Tovala swag

Relocation Assistance: a one‑time relocation bonus is available for those relocating for this position.

At Tovala we’re committed to building a workplace that represents a variety of backgrounds, skills, and perspectives and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Everyone is welcome here!