Director, Engineering Labs & Validation Operations
Flex · Texas
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Quality
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 12+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Today
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level quality role at Flex (industrial) in Texas. Design, Process & Technology Engineering.
- They ask for
- 12+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), Automation, Capacity planning, EHS / safety
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in Texas: typical posted base $90k–$121k.
Median of the low and high ends of 20 live postings that list pay, out of 83 quality engineer openings in Texas, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Texas plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 82 other live quality postings in Texas.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (12+ vs 3+)
Typical $90k–$120k, from 19 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 3+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Root cause 70%
- New product launch 39%
- ✓ Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 37%
- Lean 36%
- FMEA 34%
- Six Sigma 30%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Capacity planning, EHS / safety, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Quality team at Flex
We found 2 people at this company and state: 1 in this kind of role, 1 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Jonathan → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Which standards drive the work here: ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100?
- How much of the job is customer complaints versus prevention?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from FlexAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Job Summary
To support our extraordinary teams who build great products and contribute to our growth, we’re looking to add a Director, Engineering Labs & Validation Operations located in Austin, TX.
Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, the Director, Engineering Labs & Validation Operations will be responsible for leading the engineering laboratory strategy, validation infrastructure, test operations, and technical facility capabilities supporting the development of next-generation AI data center platforms. This role will oversee the planning, operation, expansion, and continuous improvement of laboratory and test environments used to validate electrical systems, power infrastructure, cooling solutions, controls, compute platforms, modular infrastructure products, and integrated system architectures.
The experience we’re looking to add to our team
- ✓Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field.
- ✓12+ years of experience in engineering, validation, testing, laboratory operations, product development, and technical leadership.
- ✓Proven leadership of engineering organizations supporting complex hardware, data center infrastructure, AI/HPC platforms, or other mission-critical systems.
- ✓Extensive experience managing engineering laboratories, validation environments, technical facilities, test operations, and certification activities.
- ✓Strong technical knowledge of electrical power systems, liquid cooling, automation and controls, instrumentation, data acquisition, reliability engineering, and validation methodologies.
- ✓Demonstrated success managing capital investments, operating budgets, laboratory assets, capacity planning, and resource allocation while driving operational excellence.
- ✓Proven ability to build and lead high-performing technical teams, influence executive stakeholders, and thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
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Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Flex is the diversified manufacturing partner of choice that helps market-leading brands design, build and deliver innovative products that improve the world.
A career at Flex offers the opportunity to make a difference and invest in your growth in a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative environment. If you are excited about a role but don't meet every bullet point, we encourage you to apply and join us to create the extraordinary.
What a typical day looks like
- •Develop and execute the engineering labs and validation operations strategy.
- •Lead multidisciplinary lab operations, validation engineering, test engineering, technician, and technical services teams.
- •Establish scalable validation capabilities for rack-level, cluster-level, modular, and facility-scale systems.
- •Oversee prototype, qualification, reliability, performance, compliance, and certification testing.
- •Define laboratory roadmaps, capacity models, investment plans, operating budgets, and asset utilisation strategies.
- •Establish validation methodologies, engineering standards, safety requirements, procedures, and governance processes.
- •Partner with Engineering, Product Management, Manufacturing, Quality, EHS, Facilities, and Supply Chain teams.
- •Support customer demonstrations, proof-of-concept testing, technical reviews, and executive technology showcases.
- •Drive lab automation, digital instrumentation, data acquisition, analytics, and AI-enabled test environments.
- •Monitor lab utilisation, schedules, capital investments, operating expenses, safety, and productivity performance.
What you'll receive for the great work you provide
- •Full range of medical, dental, and vision plans
- •Life Insurance
- •Short-term and Long-term Disability
- •Matching 401(k) Contributions
- •Vacation and Paid Sick Time
- •Tuition Reimbursement