Product Development Lab Manager Jobs in Tennessee

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Full Time Technical La Vergne, TN, US

10 days ago Requisition ID: 1359

Location: La Vergne, TN (on-site)

Brands: Jet, Powermatic, Wilton, Edwards, Baileigh, Axiom | Reports to: Quality Manager

At JPW Industries, we don't just build products, we build careers.

Put your hands on the products before anyone else does.

Every new tool that carries a Jet, Powermatic, or Wilton badge has to earn it, and you are the person who makes sure it does. As our QA Test Technician you live in the space between a great idea and a great product: testing prototypes, breaking down what fails, validating what works, and handing engineers the hard data they need to get it right before it ever reaches a customer's shop.

JPW Industries is a leader in woodworking and metalworking machinery and tools, home to Jet, Powermatic, Wilton, Edwards, Baileigh, and Axiom. Our New Product Development lab is where those brands are pushed, measured, and proven. You will be at the center of that work, close enough to the product to influence how it is designed, built, and trusted.

From day one, this role puts real product decisions in your hands. You will own:

• The truth about how a product performs, through hands-on mechanical, electrical, and functional testing of prototypes and competitor benchmarks.
• Clean, credible test data that design engineers can act on, from setup through analysis and reporting.
• Quality at the source, inspecting incoming components, assemblies, and final units against spec.
• Root cause insight, helping the team understand why something failed and what it takes to fix it.

• You are the go-to hands in the NPD lab, running test setups independently and documenting results the engineering team relies on.
• Your test reports have shaped at least one product design change that made a tool more durable, safer, or easier to build.
• You have built repeatable testing and inspection protocols that shorten the path from prototype to production.
• You are trusted to flag quality risks early and drive them to resolution with engineering and quality control.

• Conduct hands-on testing of prototypes and competitor benchmarks, including mechanical, electrical, and functional evaluation against design specs.
• Assemble and evaluate complex electro-mechanical products using work instructions and assembly drawings.
• Analyze test results, identify issues, and give design engineers clear, detailed feedback.

• Perform inspections and audits of components and assemblies against quality standards for new and existing products.
• Run incoming, in-process, and final inspections of components, materials, and assemblies.
• Support root cause analysis and corrective actions for any defects identified.

• Record and compile test data, write test reports, and maintain inventory of components and testing materials.
• Maintain detailed documentation of procedures, results, and prototype modifications.
• Support the handoff of new products from design to manufacturing and contribute to process improvement initiatives.

• Education: High School Diploma or equivalent required. Technical or associate's degree in a technical field preferred but not required.
• Certifications: ASQ Certified Quality Technician (CQT) or a similar quality certification preferred.
• Experience: 4+ years of hands-on product testing, quality assurance, or manufacturing support, ideally in machinery, tools, or industrial equipment.
• Technical Skill: Proficiency reading engineering drawings and specifications, and with test equipment such as multimeters and oscilloscopes. Comfortable interpreting technical data.
• Quality Methods: Experience with Root Cause Analysis, FMEA, and Six Sigma principles.
• Hands-On Ability: Strong mechanical aptitude and fabrication and assembly skills; able to operate testing equipment and machinery. Assembling and debugging PCBs and electrical equipment is a plus.
• Tools: Proficient with CAD software and Microsoft Office for reporting and documentation.
• Communication: Clear written documentation and confidence to present test status and results in cross-functional settings, including a weekly engineering sync.
• Work Environment: On-site role in La Vergne, TN, split between office and manufacturing/lab settings. Able to lift up to 50 lbs, stand for extended periods, and work in an industrial shop environment. Steel toe shoes required in the testing area; occasional extended or flexible hours.

How you work matters as much as what you deliver. In this role that looks like:

• Accountability (We Keep Score & Play to Win): You own your test results and stand behind the data you report.
• Problem Solving & Innovation (We Believe in Innovation): You dig for root cause and suggest better materials, designs, and processes.
• Communication & Integrity (We Act with Integrity): You document honestly and report exactly what the testing shows, good or bad.
• Decision Making (We Think Customer First): You keep the end user's safety and experience in mind on every call.
• Agility & Resilience (We Keep Score & Play to Win): You balance multiple projects and shifting priorities without losing rigor.
• Collaboration & Inclusion (We Win as a Team): You partner closely with engineering, product, and quality to get products right.

We invest in the people who build our products and our future:

• Competitive Pay + Annual Bonuses
• Comprehensive Benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and telehealth from Day 1
• Career Development & Learning Opportunities
• Team Member Appreciation Events
• A Culture That Values Integrity, Teamwork & Innovation