R&D Test Engineering Manager
Waters · New Castle, DE
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Industry
- Pharma & life sciences
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
A management manufacturing role at Waters (pharma & life sciences) in New Castle, DE. It serves as a key liaison between R&D, Quality, Manufacturing, and Customer Support to drive continuous product improvement and support for released products.
- They ask for
- 5+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Root cause, ISO 9001, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), Automation
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in the US: typical posted base $99k–$143k.
Median of the low and high ends of 530 live postings that list pay, out of 1625 manufacturing engineer openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Delaware plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 7 other live manufacturing postings in Delaware.
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (5+ vs 8+)
Similar roles usually ask 8+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Lean 50%
- Six Sigma 50%
- ✓ Root cause 50%
- Welding 38%
- ✓ Union environment 38%
- Value stream mapping 25%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention 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 Manufacturing team at Waters
We found 1 person at this company and state: 1 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
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Write to justin → (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?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- 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.
This plant: Waters in New Castle
11 other open roles at this site · 1 person we found in manufacturing roles at Waters.
- Senior System Test & Validation Engineer · Quality · Senior
- Sr Testing and Quality Engineer · Quality · Senior
- Mechanical Manufacturing Engineer · Reliability
- Senior Manager, Manufacturing Engineering - New Castle DE · Manufacturing · Manager
- Sr. Quality Engineer · Quality · Senior
- Assembly Tech Level II · Manufacturing · Technician
Full description from WatersAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
requirements
early in the design process.
- ✓Partner with Quality, Manufacturing, and Field Support teams to ensure seamless product transitions from development to production and market release.
- ✓Serve as the primary R&D contact for technical support of released products, driving root-cause analysis and corrective actions for field issues.
- ✓Communicate test progress, results, and issues effectively to senior management and project stakeholders.
Education
- ✓Bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical field.
Experience
- ✓5+ years of experience in system test, verification & validation, or product development within an R&D environment (preferably in instrumentation, analytical equipment, or complex electro-mechanical systems).
- ✓3+ years in a leadership or management role.
- ✓Proven track record of leading system integration testing for products combining hardware, firmware, and software.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Overview
The R&D Test Engineering Manager is responsible for leading the system-level testing and validation of TA Instruments’ hardware and software products to ensure quality, reliability, and performance before release. This role oversees system integration testing across mechanical, electrical, and software domains. It serves as a key liaison between R&D, Quality, Manufacturing, and Customer Support to drive continuous product improvement and support for released products.
The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader who can define test strategies, manage cross-functional verification efforts, and provide technical guidance for issue resolution throughout the product lifecycle.
System Test & Validation
- •Lead the planning, execution, and documentation of system-level verification and validation (V&V) activities for new product development.
- •Develop comprehensive test plans, procedures, and reports to ensure products meet design specifications and customer requirements.
- •Coordinate and perform hardware, firmware, and software integration testing, ensuring smooth operation of all subsystems.
- •Establish and maintain automated and manual test environments and tools to support efficient regression and system testing.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- •Work closely with R&D design teams (hardware, software, and systems) to define test
Leadership & Process Improvement
- •Manage and mentor a team of system test engineers and technicians.
- •Champion best practices in verification methodology, traceability, and test automation.
- •Continuously improve testing and validation processes to enhance product reliability and reduce time to market.
- •Contribute to risk assessments and design reviews from a testability and system performance perspective.
Technical Skills
- •Strong understanding of system architecture and interdisciplinary product testing (hardware/software integration).
- •Experience with test automation tools, data acquisition systems, and defect tracking systems.
- •Familiarity with root-cause analysis techniques and reliability testing.
- •Knowledge of regulated product development processes (e.g., ISO 9001, ISO 17025, or similar quality systems) preferred.
Soft Skills
- •Excellent organizational, analytical, and communication skills.
- •Strong leadership presence and ability to collaborate across functions.
- •Passion for product quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction.
Company Description
Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) is a global leader in analytical instruments, separations technologies, and software, serving the life, materials, food, and environmental sciences for over 65 years. Our Company helps ensure the efficacy of medicines, the safety of food and the purity of water, and the quality and sustainability of products used every day. In over 100 countries, our 7,600+ passionate employees collaborate with customers in laboratories, manufacturing sites, and hospitals to accelerate the benefits of pioneering science.