Package: Competitive Salary + Benefits

Role ID: SF19334

Are you ready to be part of the future? At QinetiQ, we’re not just imagining tomorrow we are creating it. From cutting-edge defence technology to ground-breaking innovations our mission is to empower and protect lives. Join us as a Principal Optical Test Technician at either our Farnborough or Malvern site, where you will have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology in partnership with some of the most brilliant minds.

The Role

We are looking for a Principal Optical Test Technician to carry out optical testing of laser assemblies transferring and productionising R&D test processes overseeing the maintenance of production test equipment.

As a Principal Optical Test Technician, you will manage numerous test fixtures across the production infrastructure, ensuring safety, uptime, calibration, and capability, while playing a key role in delivering state‑of‑the‑art optical solutions.

You will also analyse production test data to identify areas for improvement and ensure that production deadlines are met. In addition, you will own NPI transfer activities, including various sub‑modules and associated test regimes, helping to bring innovative optical products into production.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Setting up, aligning, and calibrating optical test equipment in our state-of-the-art Optical Test Lab, ensuring all systems are accurately configured and optimised for performance
• Leading the acceptance testing process to ensure products meet defined optical specifications and quality standards, while establishing testing protocols for various stages of development
• Implementing process control techniques to ensure production consistency, collecting and performing statistical analysis on data to identify trends, variances, and correlations to performance metrics
• Producing comprehensive reports with actionable insights in the Optical Test Lab, working with cross-functional teams to refine and improve designs and processes
• Collaborating with Production Engineers to take ownership of transferring test techniques and methods from the R&D phase to mass production, ensuring all testing technologies and processes are scalable and repeatable for volume manufacturing
• Partnering with SMEs to understand and correct errors or discrepancies, investigating test result discrepancies and implementing corrective actions

Essential experience of the Principal Optical Test Technician:

• Understanding or previous experience of fibre Laser and bulk-optic assembly testing with a deep understanding of bulk optics handling, cleaning, and best practice
• Experience in cleaning and fitting optics into mounts and working in or managing a clean-room environment
• Previous experience using various test equipment including Thermal Power meters, OSA, Scope, NI-DAQ, PSU, along with experience of alignment and adjustment of optical assemblies
• Specification and design of manufacturing hardware and software solutions
• Strong understanding of Optical modelling and test methods
• Experience of component/system Validation and Verification to specification

Essential qualifications for the Principal Optical Test Technician:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or related field
• Advanced degrees or professional certifications in fields relating to Optical Engineering, Physics or similar equivalent relevant level and depth of experience and training

We value difference and we don’t have a fixed idea when it comes to background or education, provided you can show the required level of experience and willingness to learn then we would like to hear from you.

This role is 37 hours per week based at one of our Farnborough or Malvern sites. This role is fully on-site.

QinetiQ operates state-of-the-art facilities across the UK that focus on defence, security and technology innovation. These facilities enable QinetiQ to conduct a wide range of research, testing and development activities that support both military and civilian applications helping to advance technology and support national security.

Why Join QinetiQ?

As we continue to grow into new markets around the world, there’s never been a more exciting time to join QinetiQ. The formula for success is our appetite for innovation and having the courage to take on a wide variety of complex challenges.

As a QinetiQ employee, you’ll experience a unique working environment where teams from different backgrounds, disciplines and experiences enjoy collaborating widely and openly as we undertake this exciting and rewarding journey. Through effective teamwork, and pulling together, you’ll get to experience what happens when we all share different perspectives, blend disciplines, and link technologies; constantly discovering new ways of solving complex problems in a diverse and inclusive environment where you can be authentic, feel valued and realise your full potential. Visit our website to read more about our diverse and inclusive workplace culture. www.qinetiq.com/en/careers/life-at-qinetiq

Our Benefits

• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Generous holiday allowance, with the option to purchase additional days
• Options to join Health Cash Plan, Private Medical Insurance and Dental Insurance
• Employee discount portal: Personal Accident Insurance, Travel Insurance, Restaurants, Cinema Tickets and much more
• We are proud to support the Armed Forces community by honouring the Armed Forces Covenant and maintaining our Gold Award standard in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme
• Volunteering Opportunities - helping charities and local community

Our Recruitment Process:

We want to make sure that our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible and we aspire to bring out the best in our candidates by creating an environment where everyone feels valued, heard and supported. If you have a disability or health condition that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your Recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Many roles in QinetiQ are subject to national security vetting being completed, applicants who already hold the appropriate level of vetting may be able to transfer it upon appointment. A number of roles are also subject to additional restrictions, which means factors such as nationality or previous nationalities may affect the roles that you can be employed in.

Please note that all applicants for this role must be eligible for SC clearance, as a minimum.

UKSV National Security Vetting Solution: guidance for applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)