Test Engineering Manager Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

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Location: La Vergne, TN

Full Time Professional La Vergne, TN, US

20 days ago Requisition ID: 1358

At JPW Industries, we don't just build products, we build careers. Own how JPW proves its machines are built to last.

Prototypes. Production samples. Competitor benchmarks. Acoustic, durability, and safety testing on the machines that professionals stake their work on. At JPW Industries, we are looking for a New Product Development (NPD) Test Engineer to own the technical execution of product testing across New Product Development and existing programs, from test plan and fixture design through skilled instrumented testing, root cause analysis, and the engineering feedback that makes our products better.

With industry shaping brands like Jet, Powermatic, Wilton, Edwards, Baileigh, and Axiom, JPW is redefining excellence in woodworking and metalworking machinery for professionals worldwide. Our La Vergne lab is standing up new capability, including an acoustic test containment room, and this role sits at the center of how we validate quality and drive continuous improvement. If you develop test methods from standards rather than just running existing procedures, design your own fixtures, and love getting to the root cause, keep reading.

What You Will Own

• Test plans, methods, and acceptance criteria built from product requirements and applicable safety and performance standards.
• Fixture design for load bearing, safety critical, and instrumented tests, with drawings sufficient for fabrication.
• Complex, instrumented, and first of kind testing, plus root cause investigation through to verified corrective action.
• Lab capability and integrity: the calibration program, safe and properly guarded setups, and new assets like the acoustic containment room.

Your First Year: What Success Looks Like

• You have stood up test capability for new lab assets, including the acoustic test containment room, and validated its measurement integrity.
• You have developed and documented test methods and acceptance criteria for active NPD programs, not just executed existing ones.
• You have led at least one root cause investigation from failure through verified corrective action, with a clear engineering report behind it.
• Design, Manufacturing, and Quality see you as the technical authority on how JPW proves its products.

How You'll Spend Your Time Plan and Design the Test

• Develop test plans, procedures, and pass/fail criteria covering instrumentation, data acquisition, and sample size.
• Select functional, durability, environmental, acoustic, safety, and regulatory methods, applying standards that govern stationary machinery (for example UL 987, CSA, CE/EN, ANSI/ISO sound power).
• Design load bearing, safety critical, and instrumented fixtures, and approve them before first use and after modification.

Execute and Analyze

• Run complex, instrumented, and first of kind testing on prototypes, production samples, and competitor benchmarks.
• Analyze results, identify failure modes, and lead root cause investigation through to verified corrective action.
• Author test reports with methodology, data, conclusions, and design recommendations.

Direct the Lab and Improve It

• Provide technical direction, training, and work review for the Lab Test Technician and temporary support.
• Scope incoming requests with the QA Manager, own the calibration program, and keep setups safe and properly guarded.
• Support the transition of new products to manufacturing and continuously improve lab methods, capability, and throughput.

What You Will Bring: Expertise. Knowledge. Drive.

• Education:Associate's degree in mechanical, electrical, mechatronics, or a related engineering discipline required. Bachelor's preferred.
• Certifications:ASQ CQE or CQT, or equivalent, preferred.
• Experience:5+ years of hands on product testing, test engineering, or product validation, preferably in machinery, tools, or industrial equipment.
• Method Development:You build test plans and methods from specifications and published standards, not solely executing existing procedures.
• Fixture Design:CAD proficiency to model and detail for fabrication (SolidWorks preferred) with strong mechanical design intuition.
• Instrumentation:Load cells, accelerometers, sound level meters, and dataloggers, plus multimeters, oscilloscopes, and precision measurement instruments.
• Drawings & GD&T:Proficient interpreting engineering drawings, GD&T, and technical specifications.
• Quality Tools:Root Cause Analysis, FMEA, DOE, and Six Sigma principles. Formal QMS documentation experience preferred.
• Troubleshooting:Electro-mechanical troubleshooting, with PCB assembly and debug preferred.
• Communication:Clear technical writing and self directed management of concurrent projects.
• Travel:Willing to travel once or twice a year to JPW manufacturing and warehouse locations (Two Rivers, WI; Albert Lea, MN; Manitowoc, WI).

How You Will Show Up: Our “We Are One” Values

• Accountability (We Keep Score & Play to Win):Take personal ownership of test integrity and outcomes, and follow through on what you commit to.
• Problem Solving & Innovation (We Believe in Innovation):Drive root cause analysis with rigor and urgency, and improve how the lab tests and measures.
• Communication & Integrity (We Act with Integrity):Report data and conclusions honestly and clearly, even when the results are not what anyone hoped for.
• Decision Making (We Think Customer First):Set acceptance criteria and pass/fail calls with the end user's safety and experience front of mind.
• Agility & Resilience (We Keep Score & Play to Win):Balance concurrent test programs and shifting priorities without losing rigor.
• Collaboration & Inclusion (We Win as a Team):Partner across Design, Manufacturing, and Quality, and develop the technicians you direct.

Why JPW Industries? Lead. Innovate. Deliver.

We are more than just a workplace. We are a community of innovators, problem solvers, and game changers. Here is what we offer:

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

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

JPW Industries is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, or other protected status.