Job Location UK-Cheshire-Wilmslow

At Waters, we develop innovative clinical and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) solutions that combine advanced LC-MS instrumentation, software, and laboratory workflows to improve patient outcomes worldwide.

As a Principal Test Engineer within our Clinical Software Development organisation, you will provide technical leadership in the testing, verification, and validation of software and integrated clinical systems. Working closely with software engineers, systems engineers, hardware engineers, product owners, and quality teams, you will help ensure our products meet the highest standards of reliability, performance, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance.

This role has a particular focus on the testing and verification of software-controlled analytical instrumentation and integrated LC-MS systems. We are especially interested in candidates with experience in mass spectrometry, chromatography, laboratory instrumentation, or other complex analytical platforms where software and hardware must operate seamlessly together.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape testing strategy, influence engineering best practices, and drive quality across a portfolio of innovative clinical products.

What We Can Offer

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer flexible working arrangements, 25 days’ annual leave, a generous employer pension contribution, life assurance, income protection, and private medical insurance.

At Waters, you will have opportunities to grow your career, expand your technical expertise, and contribute to products that make a meaningful difference in healthcare and clinical diagnostics.

As a Principal Test Engineer, you will:

• Define and champion testing strategies, quality engineering practices, and validation approaches across multiple development teams.
• Design, develop, maintain, and execute manual and automated tests for clinical software products and platforms.
• Lead system-level testing activities for software-controlled LC-MS instrumentation and associated laboratory workflows.
• Collaborate closely with software, systems, hardware, and product engineering teams to verify end-to-end system behaviour, performance, reliability, and intended use.
• Drive continuous improvement in test automation, test infrastructure, tooling, and engineering processes.
• Investigate complex issues spanning software, instrumentation, data acquisition, and system integration.
• Act as a technical authority for testing approaches, engineering best practices, and system-level test strategies.
• Support risk management activities, defect investigations, and root cause analysis.
• Contribute to cybersecurity testing activities and help ensure products are developed with security and resilience in mind.
• Mentor engineers and testers, promoting best practices and fostering technical growth across the organisation.
• Work within a regulated quality management system to support the development of clinical and IVD products.

We'd particularly like to hear from candidates who have experience in the following areas:

• Significant experience testing complex software-controlled systems, analytical instrumentation, or integrated hardware/software products.
• Strong experience working with analytical instrumentation, laboratory systems, or other highly regulated technical products.
• Experience testing complex hardware/software systems throughout the product lifecycle, from requirements through verification, release, and sustaining activities.
• Demonstrated ability to investigate and resolve complex system-level issues involving interactions between software, instrumentation, data acquisition, and laboratory workflows.
• Strong understanding of software development and testing methodologies.
• Proven ability to analyse and solve complex technical problems.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and decision-making skills.
• Experience mentoring engineers and influencing technical direction across multiple teams.
• Experience working within a regulated development environment and recognised quality management system.
• A degree, or equivalent experience, in Computer Science, Engineering, Physical Sciences, Analytical Sciences, or a related discipline.

The following experience would be advantageous, although training will be provided where required:

• Experience with LC-MS instrumentation, chromatography systems, mass spectrometry workflows, or other analytical laboratory technologies.
• Experience testing instrument control software, acquisition software, or integrated laboratory informatics systems.
• Experience working in clinical diagnostics, healthcare, medical device, IVD, pharmaceutical, or laboratory instrumentation environments.
• Knowledge of validation and compliance activities for regulated products.
• Experience with automated testing frameworks, test automation tools, and data-driven testing approaches.
• Understanding of cybersecurity testing concepts and secure software development practices.
• Familiarity with requirements-based testing, traceability, risk-based testing, and defect management processes.
• Experience supporting system integration testing, performance testing, reliability testing, or installation qualification activities.

We're actively building diverse teams and welcome applications from everyone. But simply having a diverse workforce is not enough. We aim to build an inclusive environment, where everyone can contribute their best work and develop to their full potential. We celebrate our differences and recognise the importance of teams reflecting the communities they serve.

We can make reasonable adjustments to our interview process according to your needs.

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