Testing & Validation Engineer

About the role

Waikato Milking Systems, a global designer and manufacturer of dairy technology and milking systems based in Hamilton, New Zealand, is looking for a Testing & Validation Engineer. The role links Product Development with the real-world dairy environment, turning new product ideas into proven, market-ready solutions. It covers hardware, software and complete dairy farm systems, from setting success criteria through on-farm testing to confirming a product is ready for commercial release.

Key responsibilities

• Plan and conduct laboratory, workshop and on-farm testing and validation of new products and product improvements.
• Establish test plans, success criteria and validation measures, and assess whether products meet the required technical and practical outcomes.
• Work with beta customers and end users to trial products in real-world dairy environments, gather feedback and identify areas for improvement.
• Investigate faults and performance issues and carry out root cause analysis.
• Analyse test results and field data, giving clear, timely feedback and recommendations to Product Managers.
• Document and communicate findings so they support product decisions, development priorities and the path to market release.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, test records, validation reports, manuals and supporting material.

Required profile

• A hands-on, can-do mindset, comfortable working in the field and solving problems there.
• Practical understanding of dairy farming and how technology must perform in a real farm environment.
• Agile approach, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and clear written and verbal communication.
• Strong relationship skills, working with Product, Engineering, Technical Services, customers and end users.
• Full, clean driver's licence and willingness to travel to farms and customer sites as required.
• Experience in product testing, engineering support, agricultural technology or a related technical field is valuable; experience with on-farm systems or milking equipment, and with technical documentation such as test reports, SOPs or manuals, is an advantage.