Lab Manager/ Test Engineer

Position: Lab Manager/ Test Engineer
Location: Merseyside
Salary: £50k- £55k (Negotiable depending on experience)
The Company: A growing supplier of high-performance abrasives, welding consumables and associated products.

Products:
• Welding consumables: MIG/MAG (solid & metal-cored), FCAW, TIG rods, MMA electrodes (e.g., 6013/7018/309/316), torches/liners/tips/nozzles, anti-spatter, shielding gases, storage/handling (low-hydrogen control).
• Abrasives: bonded (cutting/grinding) and coated/non-woven (sanding), plus blasting media; selection by material, finish, and duty cycle.

The Role:
• This role is predominately site based but UK travel to customer sites will be involved (PPE and training-lab equipment provided)
• Run customer training in the lab (set-up, parameters, SFM/RPM, pressure, PPE); issue attendance records/certificates; maintain lab SSOW and risk assessments.
• Coach KAMs on site during technical sales and trials.
• Scope, plan and execute on-site trials with KAMs; collect measurements (amps/volts, WFS, time, wear rate, finish, cost) and issue reports with a clear commercial recommendation.
• Diagnose typical failure modes (porosity, LOF, undercut, cracking, spatter; glazing/chatter/premature wear) and implement fixes.
• Capture Voice of Customer and brief the MD on range gaps and spec improvements.
• Enforce lab and field H&S standards, PPE and housekeeping; log and close out near-misses; champion safe use and storage (especially low-hydrogen).
• Ensure guidance aligns with relevant standards (e.g., EN ISO 14341/2560; EN 12413/13743) and Company safety policy.
• Set sampling plans, acceptance criteria and traceability for incoming stock; quarantine and raise CAPA with suppliers.
• Maintain TDS/SDS library; approve labels/instructions and change control.
• Produce concise non-conformance reports and supplier scorecards.
• Build a rolling sales enablement curriculum (selection charts, cheat-sheets, cost-per-cut/deposition calculators, objection handling).
• Run customer training in the lab (set-up, parameters, SFM/RPM, pressure, PPE); issue attendance records/certificates; maintain lab SSOW and risk assessments.
• Coach KAMs on site during technical sales and trials.
• Build a rolling sales enablement curriculum (selection charts, cheat-sheets, cost-per-cut/deposition calculators, objection handling).
• Approve product training content, lab schedules and trial methods; accept/reject incoming batches against agreed criteria; raise supplier CAPA; recommend product switches/spec changes to the MD