Manufacturing Test Specialist - China

Role Purpose

The Manufacturing Test Specialist is SMART's on-the-ground test engineering presence in China. The role assists with the commissioning and ongoing support of the manufacturing test processes, procedures and test systems deployed to our contract manufacturing (CM), ODM and OEM partners, and acts as the primary technical contact for those factories.

The role is the bridge between manufacturing partners in China and the Test Engineering team in Canada. It ensures products are tested to the correct standard from NPI builds through volume production, drives continuous improvement in test yield, throughput, cost and cycle time, and assesses and strengthens the test capability and technical maturity of third-party suppliers and partners.

Key Accountabilities

Factory test support and primary point of contact. Act as primary contact to CM, ODM and OEM sites for manufacturing test support, from routine questions to line-down escalations.

Commission and sustain test systems. Assist with commissioning and ongoing support of manufacturing test processes, procedures and test systems deployed to our manufacturing partners.

Support NPI builds and ramp on site. Be present for NPI builds at the production site and through the production ramp — validating test readiness, coverage and limits before each gate.

Test hardware, jigs and fixtures. Assist with the development of test hardware, jigs and fixtures for functional test systems and other required manufacturing test processes.

Failure analysis, data processing and continuous improvement. Perform test failure analysis and root-cause investigation. Process and analyze test data to identify systemic issues and improvement. 

Third-party and supplier test governance. Identify and develop strategic test partnerships with ODM and suppliers. Evaluate suppliers’ and partners’ test strategies, test processes and technical maturity; identify gaps and drive improvement actions to closure. Provide technical review of suppliers’ test software implementation, test hardware/system. Review test cases and perform gap analysis to ensure comprehensive test coverage.  

Reporting and communication. Analyze test results and prepare clear test summary reports. Work with our manufacturing partners throughout the project lifecycle, serving as the bridge between CM/ODM and the internal Test Engineering team in Canada.

Qualifications and Experience

A degree in Electrical / Electronic Engineering, Mechatronics, Automation, Computer Engineering or a related field.

3–7 years’ experience in manufacturing test, test engineering or production engineering in electronics manufacturing environment.

Hands-on experience with functional test (FCT/FVT), ICT, CFT, MFT or end-of-line test systems in a high-volume factory.

Scripting or test automation skills — Python, C++, C#, LabVIEW, or similar.

Comfort reading schematics and debugging hardware.

A track record of using test data to move a real metric: yield, throughput, cost or cycle time.

Direct experience working with CM, ODM or OEM partners in China.

Professional written and spoken English and fluent in Mandarin is required / Cantonese is an asset, with the ability to translate technical requirements accurately in both directions.

Willing and able to travel domestically > 60% and to work flexible hours to overlap with North America hours when needed.

Nice to have

Experience auditing or shaping a supplier's test strategy, including test coverage gap analysis.

Test data analytics and infrastructure exposure — MES/MOM, SPC, Power BI.

Jig and fixture design experience, including pneumatic and probe-based fixturing.

DFT / DFM, gauge R&R, calibration processes.

Ability to work effectively both independently and in a team environment with minimum supervision

Demonstrated ability to quickly learn about new technologies and products. Interested in learning new skills.

Enthusiastic and positive attitude

Demonstrated ownership of work assignments

Other

Preferred candidate should live in the Guanzhou area

Required valid passport, ability to travel domestically and internationally

Professional written and spoken English and fluent in Mandarin is required / Cantonese is an asset